Abbey hosts Mass and picnic honoring American Indian saint

SHAWNEE — The annual St. Kateri Tekakwitha Pilgrimage Mass and Picnic was July 14 at St. Gregory's Abbey, 1900 W MacArthur.

The event is held annually to celebrate the life of St. Kateri, the first American Indian Catholic saint. Kateri Tekakwitha (1656-1680), often called the “Lily of the Mohawks,” was canonized in October 2012. Her feast day is July 14.

American Indian prayers were interwoven into the celebration, which drew individuals and families from different parts of the metro area and state. A blessing and Mass were held in the Abbey church, followed by a pilgrimage to the St. Kateri statue on the abbey grounds. A picnic lunch was held afterward.

St. Kateri was born in Auriesville, New York, on the bank of the Mohawk River and eventually fled to Canada after being persecuted for her Christian faith by some members of her tribe.

Abbot Lawrence Stasyszen served as principal celebrant of the Mass. A statue of the saint is located on the grounds of the abbey, a Benedictine monastery.