Image: Seraphic Restorations – Traditional Christian Iconography
Table of Contents
- 1 St. Kateri Tekakwitha – “Princess of the Eucharist”
- 2 Joseph Chiwatenhwa, the Apostle with the Apostles
- 3 Died on August 2, 1640 at age 38
- 4 October 19, North American Martyrs, St. Jean de Brébeuf and Companions
- 5 Venerable Bishop Frederik Baraga – “the snowshoe priest”
- 6 St. Juan Diego, December 9
- 7 Our Lady of Guadalupe, December 12
- 8 Rose Prince
- 9 American Eucharistic Witnesses
St. Kateri Tekakwitha – “Princess of the Eucharist”
1656-1680
St. Kateri (Catherine) Tekakwitha’s feast day is celebrated on the date of her death, April 17, in Canada and on July 14 in the USA. She was baptized on Easter Sunday, 1676.
Click to access par_bc_tekakwitha.pdf
Prayer of Thanksgiving for St. Kateri Tekakwitha
God our Father, Whom St. Kateri Tekakwitha liked to call the Great Spirit, we thank You for having given us this young woman as a model of the Christian life. Despite her frailness and her community’s resistance, she bore witness to the Real Presence of Christ. With her companions, she drew close to the elderly and to the sick. Every day, she saw in nature a reflection of Your own glory and beauty. Grant that by her intercession we may always be close to You, more sensitive to the needs of those around us, and more respectful of creation. With her, we shall strive to discover what pleases Thee and endeavour to accomplish it until that day You call us back to You.
Amen!
St. Kateri Tekakwitha, pray for us!
For further reading see: Visions of Paradise – Bl. Catherine Tekakwitha
Click to access par_bc_tekakwitha.pdf
Joseph Chiwatenhwa, the Apostle with the Apostles
Died on August 2, 1640 at age 38
This Huron layman native of Canada found Christ, requested baptism and received the Eucharist from the North American Marytrs, St. Jean de Brebeuf and Companions. He is the first lay Canadian catechist. He was baptised on August 16, 1637 at the age of 35. First Huron (Wendat) to be baptised and receive the sacrament of marriage. As a lay Indigenous convert and leader of the early Church in North America, he rendered a great harvest as a lay preacher on the front lines. Through his example of bold preaching, instruction and assistance to the Jesuit missionaries, he was the leaven for the growth of Huron First Nations converts. He was prayerful and showed a great lovign respect for the Blessed Sacrament. (See Chiwatenwa – The Apostle with the Apostles, Fr. John O’Brien S.J., Fr. A. J. Macdougall S.J., Martyrs Shrine Press)
“Of great importance to the Church of Huronia is Joseph Chiwatenhwa, who together with his wide Aonetta, his brother Joseph and other family members lived and witnessed to their faith in a heroic manner.” – Pope John Paul II, 1984 Joseph Chiwatenhwa, martyr | Histoire Sainte du Canada
October 19, North American Martyrs, St. Jean de Brébeuf and Companions
Martyred 1648-49
Although not Indigenous/First Nations themselves, these French Jesuit missionaries courageously left their homeland and shed their blood to share the Good News of the Christian faith and the Eucharist to North America. Inculturated, learned and respected the language and culture of Indigenous and First Nations peoples.
- Brébeuf and the Martyrs Eucharistic Spirituality
- Devotion to the Eucharist: Their missionary work and martyrdom embodied a profound devotion to the Eucharist and Christ, inspiring later generations to incorporate adoration into retreats and shrines dedicated to him.
- Self-Offering: Brébeuf and the Canadian Martyrs viewed their own sacrifices and martyrdom as a participation in Christ’s total self-offering in the Eucharist. Brebeuf’s own words reflect a deep union with Christ and a willingness to suffer, mirroring the self-offering celebrated in the Eucharist.
- Witness to Christ: Their lives were a missionary effort to share the Gospel and the “Eucharistic life” of Jesus with Indigenous peoples, demonstrating that dying to self leads to a deeper sharing in Christ’s life.
- Ignatian Spirituality: As Jesuits, Brébeuf and his companions were rooted in Ignatian spirituality, which emphasizes finding God in all things and a deep love for Christ, central themes also found in Eucharistic adoration.
Legacy and Modern Connection - Martyrs’ Shrine: The Martyrs’ Shrine in Midland, Ontario, a place dedicated to Brébeuf and his companions, regularly hosts retreats featuring Eucharistic adoration as a way to encounter God and connect with the martyrs’ legacy. In 2025, 100,000 visited the Martyrs Shrine in Midland, ON, Canada which offers a daily hour of Eucharistic adoration.
- Modern Missions: Their legacy inspires modern missionaries to bring faith to new generations, often through practices like adoration and spiritual reflection that he embodied.
- Prayer: Brebeuf’s prayer, “Jesus, my Lord and Savior, what can I give you in return for all the favors you have first conferred on me? I will take from your hand the cup of your sufferings and call on your name,” expresses a deep, personal connection to Christ similar to what is sought in adoration.
- Their lives were living prayers and profound acts of Eucharistic devotion, making them exemplary figures for contemporary Catholic practices of adoring the Real Presence of Christ.
- About the Martyrs | Martyrs’ Shrine
Venerable Bishop Frederik Baraga – “the snowshoe priest”
BISHOP BARAGA SPENT THREE HOURS IN PRAYER AND OFFERED FOUR TO FIVE MASSES DAILY IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES
Above YouTube video (26 min) EWTN They Might Be Saints | Bishop Frederic Baraga
Venerable Bishop Frederic Baraga
“Apostle of the Lakelands” and the “Snowshoe Priest”
June 29, 1797 – January 19, 1868
“If you love God you will do everything right and you won’t intentionally do anything bad.”
“Venerable Bishop Baraga was a true and zealous evangelizer. Daily he arose at 4 a.m. in winter and 3 a.m. in summer to spend three hours in prayer and received permission to offer Mass four to five times a day in different languages he learned in order to minister to the native [First Nations] peoples and immigrants of North America.”
St. John de Brebeuf, who was martyred near Huronia (site of todays’s Martyrs’ Shrine in Midland, ON) over a century earlier in 1649, also offered Mass in the languages of the Huron and Algonquin First Nations peoples.
“We now know that when explorer Christopher Columbus first arrived in North America he mistakenly thought he was in India and erroneously called the First Nations/native people who lived here ‘Indians’. Now, the term ‘Indigenous’ is used in Canada and includes First Nations, Inuit and Metis.”
“Born in Slovenia on June 29, 1797. Orphaned at 14, Bishop Baraga became a devout student, graduate in law, and artist. In 1823, he was ordained to the priesthood at the age of 26. He applied to serve the missions in the United States. In 1830, he was sent as a missionary and ministered tirelessly for 37 years to the Ottawa and Ojibway (First Nations) native people and the immigrants of the region of the Upper Great Lakes. The only priest in Upper Michigan for many years, Baraga left a mark still visible today – many churches were built by him. Seventeen Slovenian missionaries followed him and three became bishops.”
“As the first bishop of the Diocese of Marquette, MI, he wrote his first pastoral letter in two languages – English and Ojibwa. He wrote long and frequent accounts of his missionary activities.”
“He built homes for the native [First Nations] peoples and raised funds so that they could have warm homes and not have to travel south during the winter to survive. He helped the natives to live off the land. Within his 16,000 square mile area, since no roads existed, in the summer he travelled on foot and by canoe and in the harsh winters by snowshoe to bring Baptism, the Eucharist and the Sacraments and to teach not only the Native American people, but also the many white settlers and iron/copper miners who spoke German, French and English.”
“The native people could see how much he loved them and loved him. They invited him into their homes where he slept on the floor in front of the wood stove. On showshoes, he once travelled 400 miles and it was not uncommon for him to travel 100 miles.”
“Bishop Baraga had a gift for and became fluent in eight languages including Indigenous tongues (i.e. Ojibway, Chippewa), Slovenian, English, German, Latin and Italian.”
“He wanted to bring the faith to others and is an example for our times. He is here for the Indigenous people. He confirmed over 1000 persons into the Catholic faith.”
“He undertook nerve wracking work of making a Grammar book and the Dictionary of the Ojibwe (Otchipwe) Language which is still in use today. He translated catechisms and prayer books into Indigenous tongues such as Chippewa to facilitate communication with the native peoples. In 1853, he almost drowned when he broke through the ice on a 15-day trek to Detroit on foot to get the dictionary printed.”
“He showed relentless perseverance through challenges and gave every last bit of his life to serve and bring the faith to people, including the native people of the Upper Peninsula. He suffered from a chronic ear ailment.”
“Bishop Baraga loved the Indigenous peoples and made his life an offering for them. He became friends with and like a father to them.”
“In 1853, he became Bishop of Sault Ste. Marie, Canada to minister to the Chippewa and Ojibway peoples. In 1865, he was moved to the cathedral in Marquette MI and died after 37 years ministering to the people of the Great Lakes. Across the state of Michigan, a city, state park and schools are named after him and there is a shrine with a 35-foot bronze statue of him. He wrote 20 native Amercian books and several Slovenian prayer books. Some of his sermons were published in the Cree language symbols.”
“Bishop Baraga achieved a great impact. One can be proud to be Catholic because of what he did.”
“He had a reputation for holiness. Reported miracles through Bishop Baraga include cures from cancer, blindness, financial difficulties, diseases, and medical miracles. (For canonization, the Church only considers miracles where there has been no medical intervention and which are scientifically inexplicable.)”
“His cause for sainthood continues. The Bishop Baraga Association was established in 1930. On May 10, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI declared him Venerable. The remains of this great missionary rest in the Bishop Baraga Chapel at St. Peter’s Cathedral, Marquette, MI.”
“Father Frederic Baraga wrote Heavenly Roses in 1846 in the Slovenian language. The Bishop Baraga Association recently had the chapter ‘The Mass and Visits to the Blessed Sacrament’ translated into English and published it as a small booklet.”
“As Fr. Baraga wrote in the introduction of Heavenly Roses; ‘My beloved Christian, when you attend Mass or when you come to visit the Blessed Sacrament, you really come before Jesus, one’s Lord and God. If you listen to Him faithfully and let Him speak to your heart, you will clearly hear the words that give eternal life.'”
SOURCES:
- Lenora McKeen, Executive Director, Bishop Baraga Association
- The Bishop Baraga Association and the Baraga Educational Center and Museum
- Bishop Baraga Association, pamphlets, “Bishop Frederic Baraga, the Man, the Priest, the Bishop” and “Bishop Frederic Baraga, 1707-1868”
- Sermon by and conversation with Bishop Thomas Dowd, at the annual Baraga Days on Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022
- Annual Baraga Days banquet presentation by the Bishop Baraga Association, Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022
- Book: They Might Be Saints Book | Bishop Baraga Association
- Prayer for Bishop Baraga’s Canonization
- The Baraga Hymnal – prepared by Lawrence T. Martin
- EWTN docuseries “They Might be Saints | Bishop Frederik Baraga”
Prayer for the Cause for Canonization of Bishop Frederic Baraga
O God, thank You for the life and holiness of Your servant, Frederic Baraga.
I pray You will honor him by the title of Saint. He dedicated himself completely to missionary activity to make You known, loved and served by the people who You love.
As a man of peace and love, Baraga brought peace and love wherever he traveled.
Lord, grant Venerable Bishop Baraga the grace of beatification.
We ask this in Christ’s name.
Amen.
You can go to the Bishop Baraga Association’s website at this link HERE and click on the blue Pray button so your prayer can be counted towards Bishop Baraga’s Cause for Canonization.
So that I may love You as I ought,
inflame my heart,
so that before I would ever offend You,
strengthen my heart.
You alone who are the master
of everything that happens,
You alone I adore;
Jesus, be my Lord.
Weweni tchi sagiinàn
Biskanenindan ninde,
Tchi bwa wika nishkiinàn
Songideeshkawishin.
Kin nijike debendaman
Kakina ejiwebak,
Ki bejigo-manadjiin;
Jesus, dibenimishin!
Weweni ji-zaagi’inaan (vta conj 1-2),
Biskanenindan (vti imp 2-0) ninde’ (ni 1),
Ji-bwaaa-wiikaa-nishki’inaan (vta conj 1-2),
Zoongide’eshkawishin (vta imp 2-1).
Giin (pr 2) nizhike debendaaman (vti ccnj 2-0)
Gagina ezhiwebak (vii ccnj 0),
Gibezhigo-manaaji’in (vta ind 1-2);
Jesus, dibenimishin (vta imp 2-1)!
Icon of St. Juan Diego, St. Mary’s church, Combermere, ON, painted by a Madonna House artist,
St. Juan Diego, December 9
Our Lady of Guadalupe, December 12
Rose Prince
August 24, 1915 – August 19, 1934
Rose is a Canadian born at Fort St. James, on the shores of Stuart Lake. Her family belonged to the Nak’azdli Carrier First Nation, and is one of the first Catholic families of Northern British Columbia. In 1951, her body was found to be incorrupt.
“When there is no work to do, she goes to the chapel and prays. She attends morning Mass, says the rosary, spends time in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. In this school where, as in all the residential schools for Aboriginal students, English was the only language allowed, Rose manages to create an exception: with the help of a hymnal and a prayer book in the Dakelh language, that of the Carrier First Nations, she teaches the students to sing and pray in their own language. Even the sisters adapt to this initiative, and prayers and hymns alternate in Dakelh and English. The years go by. Rose’s world is a small one: the linen room, the dayroom where she interacts with the students, the chapel, the small knoll with, in early summer, wild roses in bloom, and from where she can observe the lake and the hills beyond it. It is her chosen world, a world of serene contemplation. A world where she is close to Jesus and his mother Mary. “
In 1951, her body was found to be incorrupt. In an interview in July 2013, Jack Lacerte, the last witness still alive, tells what he saw:
“So we exhumed the bodies, some were deteriorated quite badly and some were embalmed. We could always tell which ones were embalmed, their bodies were hard but they turned black, but anyways, we got down to almost the last one, it was Rose Prince’s. So, I don’t know why my father insisted on opening up all the coffins, but he did, and when he opened Rose Prince’s coffin, it made a real hissing sound, like, not an explosion… just like an explosion. Pwush…and he opened it up…it seemed as if he was searching and when he opened it up Rose Prince’s coffin, he found it… found what he was looking for. So he opened the lid, and I could see from five, ten feet away, and he insisted that all of us come to observe it, so we did. When the coffin was exhumed, it was clean, even though it was there for a couple of years, it did not smell anything, it was not dirty in anyway, her blouse was still crispy and white, she had her rosary there and also had some flowers on her chest, and so, my dad, I would say, was pretty impressed with this because all the other bodies he exhumed were all deteriorated and smelly. So he said ‘I’m going to go down tell the priests about this’, so he did. I was in charge of the horses, and we had a stone boat where we put the bodies on, so I parked the stone boat in front of the school. When the priest came out, he was astounded, and went quickly back in and brought all of the priests out to have a look at it, and all of the brothers came out, and they were all, would you say, blown away. It was really, really beyond explanation, and so they said ‘we have to tell the nuns ,’ and they went to tell the nuns. At least ten of them came out, and they were just astounded because they all knew her personally. She just looked as if she was asleep, and smiling. Some of them made the Sign of the Cross, because it seemed that they were in the presence of someone special.”
- https://www.pgdiocese.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/2016-Rose-Prince_larticle_EN.pdf
- https://www.pgdiocese.bc.ca/lejac/
American Eucharistic Witnesses
Servant of God Antonio Inija, Martyr for Christ
Between 1549 and 1715, 58 men, women, and children—lay, religious, and ordained—were martyred on the soil of the land known then as La Florida. Among these faithful witnesses, Antonio Inija, a devout layman with missionary zeal, stands out. Fr. Wayne Paysse, vice-postulator for the La Florida Martyrs, has his story here! Read in Spanish.
Help the children in your life be inspired by Servant of God Antonio Inija with the printables Katie Bogner has created for both young and older children here !
In the introduction of the 2019 publication of The Martyrs of La Florida: A Heroic Story of Catholic Faith, Bishop William A. Wack, CSC, of the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee writes:
“On January 26, 1704, a Native American man named Antonio was tied to a large cross at the mission of La Concepcion de Ayubale, near modern-day Tallahassee, and burned to death. This beloved and capable leader of the Apalachee people was burned alive from sunrise to sunset on that winter day. All the while he suffered, he spoke in native tongues with boldness from his cross. Rather than the customary words vowing vengeance on his captors, Antonio preached his faith in God and warned his tormentors about their sin. Antonio longed to be with God in heaven. An apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary sustained him in his final moments. It was her eyes, he said, which gave him strength.”
The faith that took root in Servant of God Antonio Inja was planted deep in him by his parents, the flowing baptismal waters of the Church, and the Gospel-sacrifices of the many Dominican, Jesuit, and Franciscan missionaries that bathed the Floridian soil with their blood before him. There is no doubt that the many hours Antonio spent before the Blessed Sacrament strengthened his spiritual life. His disciplined spiritual exercises were built on frequent Mass attendance, prayer, reflection, charity, and devotional life such as the holy Rosary. For Antonio, there could be no life in this world apart from Jesus and his Eucharistic Presence. “The Eucharist is the sacrament of love: it signifies love, it produces love. The Eucharist is the consummation of the whole spiritual life” (St. Thomas Aquinas).
A Powerful, Everyday Witness to Jesus
As we peer into the life and faith of Antonio, we are conscious that his witness to Jesus speaks volumes, not only to his own people of his day, but to Christians and Native peoples across the centuries. Antonio was born and raised as a Christian at Mission San Luis, the largest Apalachee mission in La Florida, with a population of approximately eight thousand Christian Natives. His reputation was one of being an extraordinary leader. In fact, he was known as the Inija, the second only to the chief. He was an ordinary man who lived life in an extraordinary way: through the lens of faith. He tended to his duties and obligations to his family, his faith, and his community. He carried himself in humility. He offered his assistance to all in need of his help. Antonio was a man of prayer and Christian service.
In addition to his Native tongue, Antonio was a gifted and articulate man who could read and write in Latin and Spanish. From time to time, as a Native American leader, he was invaluable to the Franciscans in their evangelization efforts and missionary zeal as they shared the Gospel message with the people. His unassuming and joyful demeanor drew him to evangelize others daily by word and example. He was always conscious of the importance of prayer, worship, praise, and faithfulness to Jesus and the Church. Loving God was always in the forefront of his mind and woven into the fabric of his humanity.
An Example of Faith to Follow
The life and witness of Antonio’s Catholic faith encourages us to live for Jesus each day. Like him, we are to pray, hope, and trust more, especially when difficult times and trials come our way. Our faithfulness to Jesus is pleasing to him. We see in Antonio’s life a continuous example of devotion to our Eucharistic Lord, no matter the situation. His suffering on the cross—his body being burned to death—testifies to his love.
Most of us will not be tested like Antonio to shed our blood through great suffering, as he endured the cross and the fire, but all of us are called to die to ourselves in little ways by self-denial, small sacrifices, fasting, penance, or giving up a special dessert or a movie we really want to see. The little ways we sacrifice for God pleases him greatly and helps us grow in grace and holiness. Yes, we all should desire to follow the example of Antonio!
The next time you go to Mass or visit Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, remember Antonio, who spent many hours praising Jesus in the holy Eucharist. Imitate him. This should be our goal: to love Jesus more and more in the Eucharist. St. Augustine reminds us that each time we receive Jesus in holy communion, Jesus doesn’t become like us—we become more and more like him. Ask Jesus to become more and more like him in imitation of Antonio.
We find in the Gospel of St. John: “I am the Living Bread which came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this Bread, he will live forever; and the Bread which I shall give for the life of the world is My Flesh” (Jn 6:51). In every respect, Antonio Inija is an authentic witness to the holy Eucharist.
May Antonio, martyr for Christ, chosen by the Virgin, evangelist, teacher, leader, and faithful son of the Church, one day be raised to the altar. Beginning today, let us each strive to imitate the Eucharistic faith and love for Jesus that Antonio possessed!
Help the children and youth in your life grow closer to Jesus in the Eucharist through the witness of Antonio Inija today! Download Katie Bogner’s children’s activities—perfect for home, classroom, and parish settings!
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