The Vatican today announced that Kateri Tekakwitha has been deemed worthy of sainthood by the Pope.
Pope Benedict XVI has signed the decree recognizing a miracle performed by Kateri, and she will therefore be canonized at a ceremony at a date to be announced.
Earlier this year, a segment on NPR looked at the process of certifying Kateri’s miracle, which was then underway. Young Jake Finkbonner of Ferndale, Washington, had become afflicted with the flesh-eating bacterium strep. It was consuming his face, and he was expected to die—in fact, a Catholic priest had administered last rites. Meanwhile, a grassroots prayer campaign had started, and children across the country were praying for Kateri to save Jake, who is of Lummi descent. Kateri was chosen because, as the story goes, her facial disfigurements healed upon her death. Jake’s priest, Reverend Tim Sauer, explained that the affinities between Jake and Kateri made her a logical choice. "No. 1, we’re talking about two young people," Sauer told NPR. "No. 2, we’re talking about two people who come from Native American ancestry. And No. 3, we’re talking about a person who herself suffered from a disease that disfigured her face." After Jake defied all doctors’ predictions and survived, the Catholic Church initiated the process of certifying his recovery as a miracle caused by Kateri’s closeness to God.
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