Lily of the Mohawks seen as beacon of hope, model of Christian action

Published: 2006-07-27

BURIEN, Wash. (CNS) -- Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha is seen as a beacon of hope by a man once mired in addiction to drugs and alcohol and by an archbishop as a model for carrying out the Christian responsibility in the world. The two roles were described by keynote speaker Richard Vendiola and by Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Denver July 20 at the 67th annual Tekakwitha Conference held at John F. Kennedy High School in Burien. Blessed Kateri, known as the Lily of the Mohawks, died in 1680.She was the first American Indian to be beatified and her cause for canonization is pending. More than 1,000 American Indians from 23 Tekakwitha Circles in the United States and Canada registered for the three-day conference. The circles are groups of Catholic adults and youths who try to emulate the life of Blessed Kateri.

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