Statue of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha

I’ve been curious for a while if there is a story behind the statue of the woman on the way out to the chapel.  What’s her name, is she blessed in some way, or have some relation to St. John’s/the Sagatagan?

The statue is of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha and was a gift to St. John's from Saint Olaf Catholic Church in Minneapolis.  (See also Kateri Tekakwitha Statue.)

Kateri was born near the town of Auriesville, New York, in the year 1656, the daughter of a Mohawk warrior. She was four years old when her mother died of smallpox. Her two aunts and an uncle adopted her. Kateri became converted as a teenager. She was baptized at the age of twenty and incurred the great hostility of her tribe. Although she had to suffer greatly for her Faith, she remained firm in it. Kateri went to the new Christian colony of Indians in Canada. Here she lived a life dedicated to prayer, penitential practices, and care for the sick and aged. Every morning, even in bitterest winter, she stood before the chapel door until it opened at four and remained there until after the last Mass. She was devoted to the Eucharist and to Jesus. She died on April 7, 1680 at the age of twenty-four. She is known as the “Lily of the Mohawks.” Work is currently underway to have her Canonized by the Catholic Church.