Pope advances sainthood causes of Kateri Tekakwitha, others
During a meeting Dec. 19 with Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of
the Congregation for Saints' Causes, the pope signed the decrees
recognizing the miracles needed for the canonizations of
Blesseds Kateri and Marianne. Before a date is set for the
canonization ceremonies, there must be an "ordinary public
consistory," a formal ceremony opened and closed with prayer,
during which cardinals present in Rome express their support for
the pope's decision to create new saints. Blessed Kateri, known
as the Lily of the Mohawks, was born to a Christian Algonquin
mother and a Mohawk father in 1656 in upstate New York along the
Hudson River. At age four she nearly died of smallpox, and was
left with a scarred face and severely impaired eyesight.
According to legend, she was raised by relatives who began to
plan her marriage. But after meeting with Catholic priests,
Kateri decided to be baptized and pursue religious life. When
she was baptized by a Jesuit missionar