Oil dedicated to St .Catherinae Tekakwitha
St Catherinae Tekakwitha is the first Native American to be recognized as a saint by the Catholic Church. She was born in 1656, in the Mohawk village of Ossernenon. Her mother was an Algonquin, who was captured by the Mohawks and who took a Mohawk chief for her husband.
She contracted smallpox as a four-year-old child which scarred her skin. The scars were a source of humiliation in her youth. She was commonly seen wearing a blanket to hide her face. Worse, her entire family died during the outbreak. Kateri Tekakwitha was subsequently raised by her uncle, who was the chief of a Mohawk clan.
Kateri was known as a skilled worker, who was diligent and patient. However, she refused to marry. When her adoptive parents proposed a suitor to her, she refused to entertain the proposal. They punished her by giving her more work to do, but she did not give in. Instead, she remained quiet and diligent. Eventually they were forced to relent and accept that she had no interest in marriage.
St. Kateri Tekakwitha’s Death
At age 19, Catherinae Tekakwitha converted to Catholicism, taking a vow of chastity and pledging to marry only Jesus Christ. Her decision was very unpopular with her adoptive parents and their neighbors. Some of her neighbors started rumors of sorcery. To avoid persecution, she traveled to a Christian native community south of Montreal.
St. Catherinae’s Miracles
Numerous heavenly favours have been attributed to Kateri. Many are healings. There have also been apparitions.
Kateri also cured the souls of those whose bodies she cured. She helped cure a woman of a physical malady, but also cured her soul of a gambling addiction. Another man she helped to overcome a vice to which he had been prone for five years.
In January of 1684, a three-year old infant was choking on a shell. The infant was saved as soon as its mother prayed to Catherine. In the winter of 1693, Fr. Bruyas was stricken by paralysis of his right arm to the extent that he could not use it. He was immediately taken to Montreal to find a remedy for his malady. It was a Thursday morning when the priest arrived in Montreal. He was so confident that Kateri would restore to him the use of his arm that he did not submit to medical aid. On Friday, the priest got up at 4 A.M. and found his arm so well restored that he went to celebrate Mass, something he had not been able to do for eight days, to thank Our Lord and Kateri.
Tradition of oils
The tradition of anointing with sacred oil is very old indeed. It is used in sacraments and also as a devotional practice. The sick person applies the oil and blesses themselves. As they do so, they are asked to pray to whomever the oil is dedicated to. The Irish blessings oils do not have miraculous power. It is God who has the power to heal. Prayer and a gesture of faith, like applying the oil, are important ways for us to express our faith in God’s power. By doing so we place our trust in God.