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Norwood, North Lawrence students visit Montreal to honor first and only Mohawk saint

Posted 10/21/15

Holy Name Jesus Academy students prepare to enter the Church of St Francis Xavier, Kahnawake, Quebec for Mass and ceremonies in honor of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, the first and only Mohawk saint. Among …

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Norwood, North Lawrence students visit Montreal to honor first and only Mohawk saint

Posted

Holy Name Jesus Academy students prepare to enter the Church of St Francis Xavier, Kahnawake, Quebec for Mass and ceremonies in honor of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, the first and only Mohawk saint. Among the group were Mary Kathryn Snell of Norwood, standing, and Sarah Bradley of North Lawrence, at center facing to the viewer’s left.

MASSENA -- A day-long pilgrimage to Kanawake and the Oratory of Saint Joseph in Montréal, both in Quebec, Canada crowned a month of planning and preparation for the students, teachers and parents of The Holy Name of Jesus Academy.

“Pilgrimages, which have Biblical precedents, are journeys made in a spirit of prayer, penance, and retreat from daily life to a holy place, and are part of the traditions of many world religions,” said a news release from the school.

The pilgrimage was an opportunity for the students to learn about Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Saint André Bessette and the work of the Oratory at Mount Royal.

“They sang a Mohawk hymn to Kateri during the ceremonies at Saint Francis Xavier Church in Kanawake and reflected on the role of Saint Joseph in the lives of Jesus and Mary and the Church,” the release says. “[They] prayed for the Pope and bishops united in the Synod on the family, for the speedy completion of the construction of the school’s new chapel, and to obtain blessing on the new school year and their families, friends, and benefactors on Mount Royal.”

Students said their highlights included the trip’s smooth organization, the beautiful Sung Mass and prayer at Saint Kateri’s tomb in Kanawake, the veneration of Saint André’s heart, and ceremonies in the Oratory crypt. They also noted the busy preparation, the responsibility involved in the ‘buddy’ system set up for the trip, and the early morning departure,” the release states.

For the high school students, the procession up the steep stairs, singing and holding the banners high, brought back happy recollections of the huge (about 1,500 people) congregation-wide pilgrimage to Rome in February.

“Though only 200 strong in Montréal, the girls could feel once again that they are living members of the body of the Church,” according to the release.