Seekers and Friends · Week 2 · Grades 3–5
Guided Notes: St. Kateri Tekakwitha
- Name
- Date
- Class
Follow along as your teacher presents. Fill in each section when its slide is on the screen.
St. Kateri Tekakwitha
A girl of two peoples
Tekakwitha was born in blank 1 in a Mohawk village called Ossernenon. Today that place is in New York State.
Her father was a Mohawk chief. Her mother was blank 2 and a Christian. Tekakwitha belonged to both peoples.
When she was about four, a disease called blank 3 spread through the village. Her parents and her little brother died.
Tekakwitha lived, but the blank 4 scarred her face and weakened her eyes. Her uncle and aunts raised her.
Words to know
Write what each word means.
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Mohawk | Write your answer |
| Smallpox | Write your answer |
| Baptism | Write your answer |
| Mission | Write your answer |
| Canonized | Write your answer |
A new name and a long journey
Priests called blank 5 came to visit her village. Tekakwitha listened and asked to learn more about Jesus.
At Easter in 1676 she was blank 6. She took the name Kateri, the Mohawk form of Catherine.
Some people in her village did not blank 7 her choice, and they treated her unkindly.
In 1677 Kateri traveled about 200 miles to a Christian blank 8 near Montreal, in Canada. There she prayed, cared for the sick and the old, and placed small wooden crosses in the woods.
Quick check
What name did Tekakwitha take at her baptism? Circle one.
- A Mary, for the mother of Jesus
- B Kateri, a form of Catherine
- C Clare, for a saint of Assisi
- D Anne, for Mary’s mother
Quiet or noisy?
Kateri looked for quiet places to pray. Sort each one: does it help my heart get quiet, or fill it with noise? Check one box for each.
| Item | Helps me get quiet | Fills me with noise |
|---|---|---|
| Taking a walk and noticing the trees | ||
| Watching videos one after another | ||
| Praying for one minute before bed | ||
| Keeping a game on during dinner | ||
| Putting the tablet in another room | ||
| Falling asleep with a screen on |
Quick check
Why did Kateri travel about 200 miles in 1677? Circle one.
- A To trade furs in a big city
- B To visit her mother’s family
- C To study to become a teacher
- D To live at a Christian mission
Think, pair, share
Kateri found God in quiet places, like the woods. Phones, games and shows can fill every quiet minute. Where could you find a quiet place for God this week?
Think: my idea before we talk
Sentence starters: “A quiet place I could use is ...”“It is hard to be quiet when ...”“One screen I could turn off is ...”
Pair: something my partner said
Let us pray
God our Father, thank you for the woods, the rivers and the quiet.
Help us to make room for you each day.
St. Kateri Tekakwitha, pray for us.
Amen.
My own prayer or intention:
Well done!
Kateri died in 1680 at about age 24. Pope Benedict XVI canonized her on October 21, 2012. Her feast day is July 14.
One thing I learned today:
One question I still have:
Challenge: Spend five minutes outside with no screen. Notice three things God made and thank him for each one.