b'SaintKateri TekakwithaFeast Day: July 14 Saint Kateri Tekakwitha (16561680) is the first Native American to be declared a saint and is the patroness of the environment. As the daughter of a Mohawk father and an Algonquin mother, she grew up in the forests of northern New York State. While growing up in her uncles family, she was taught to respect the natural world and to be grateful for the gifts of food, water, and shelter. After her conversion to the Catholic faith, she sought out special places in the forest where she could pray. She had been partially blinded by smallpox as a young child, but she could still feel the breeze on her face, gently touch the rough bark of the trees, and smell the freshness of the Earth after a rain. She could still thank God for the gifts of the Earth.Prayer:Saint Kateri, help us, like you, to step lightly upon the Earth, to thank God for his gifts, and to raise our voices in prayer and praise. Amen. 32 Inspire! Fall 2020'