Pierre Rémy, a Sulpician priest was born in 1636 at Paris, France. He went to New France on June 1, 1671 and on November 10, 1680, the year of the death of Kateri Tekakwitha, was appointed Pastor at Lachine, where he remained until 1706. He died at the age of ninety on Sunday February 24, 1726. Three letters were written to Pierre Cholenec, S.J. about the cures attributed to Kateri Tekakwitha at the Parish of Saints-Anges in Lachine, dated March 12, 24 and 30, 1696, which are a diary of twenty-two pages.

Letter of Pierre Rémy to Pierre Cholenec, March 24, 1696

Here in brief are those that have come to my knowledge, from which you can select such as to serve your purpose. In 1681, René Fortin two months old, was seized and attacked for several days by panic fears that made him cry dreadfully day and night, so that his face became black and blue. His mother having brought him to church, I said over his head the Gospel of Saint John, and seeing that the trouble which threatened to cause his death did not then cease. I advised his mother to make a vow to Catherine Tekakwitha and to make a novena at her grave. As soon as she had made the vow her child was delivered from his affliction and since then he has never felt another attack.

In 1689, François Joseph Lenoir Rolland, then three years old, was affected in the thighs and limbs so that he could neither stand up nor walk. His mother offered him to Catherine Tekakwitha, took him to her tomb, had a Mass said there for her intention, and had a novena made there by a Native woman. After the novena the child walked and still walks very well.

In 1694, Jacques Paré, aged seven, was extremely ill and had been eleven days without eating or drinking. I gave him Extreme Unction. Then his father, his mother, and I consecrated him to Catherine Tekakwitha, making him swallow water in which I had soaked some earth from her grave and some ashes from her clothing, and as he was about to give up his soul on the day of the feast day of Saint Simon and Saint Jude, his father made a vow that during his life he would have a Mass of thanksgiving said each year on that same day, in the church where her bones repose, if God through the merits and intercession of this His Servant would restore life to his son. That very night the child asked his mother for some corn to eat and since then he has been well. I taught him to read and his father and mother have sent him to Angers, France to his uncle, who is a priest in the Parish of Plessis, to have him study, according to the uncle’s plan of bringing him up for the priesthood.

In 1695, Louis Nepveu, aged three months, was quite covered with an eruption. His mother had no milk to feed him, for only blood came from her breasts. She offered him to Catherine Tekakwitha, carried him to her grave on the seventeenth of April of that year, the anniversary of her death, had a Mass said in her honour and offered a loaf of bread to be blessed. She made a novena there, laid the child on the tomb and at the end of the novena her milk returned, the eruption ceased and since then the child has always been well, with no return of the eruption. What is remarkable about this miraculous cure is that the older child, named, Pierre, who is five years old, has always had and still has eruption, which is natural in this family and inherited from father to son up to the seventh year.

In November, 1695, François Dubois came to see me at the rectory, in great trouble, saying his son, named François, thirteen months old, was dying; that with continual convulsions he had vomited all the food they gave him; and that there was no prospect of curing him. Even the surgeon, who was treating him, had given up the case. The man added that his wife was inconsolable. To console my parishioner I said that I hoped his son would not die of this disease, if only he and his wife would have recourse with confidence to Catherine Tekakwitha; and after having got him to agree, I took him to our church where at the foot of the altar in which the Blessed Sacrament reposes, I consecrated the child to God through the intercession of His Servant. I wrote a note of consolation to the mother, which I sent her with some ashes of the saint’s clothing to soak in a little bag in some water, and to have her child take some for nine days, saying each day of the novena to say nine prayers of the Hail Mary, while for my part I would remember him each day of the novena at the Sacrifice of the Mass, through the intercession of Catherine Tekakwitha. That very night the child asked for something to eat; he did not vomit again, his convulsions ceased, and, as I myself have seen, since then he has been very well.

In 1696, Charles Cardinal, one year old, was covered bodily with an eruption. The mother sent to ask the surgeon for some ointment to rub on him. He sent her some having mercury in it, with emphatic directions to put it on his wrists and knees. Without thinking of this advice, the mother rubbed it all over the child. The mercury penetrated to vital parts and caused congestion of the brain, thus sending the child into continual convulsions. As they expected his death, I went when summoned to say the prayers prescribed by the Roman Ritual for the sick, after which his mother and I consecrated him to God through the intercession of Catherine Tekakwitha. She promised God to say nine prayers of the Hail Mary a day during the nine days, and I to offer her child to God during the nine days at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Then we made him take a pinch of orviétan in which I had dipped, in a little bag, some ashes of the clothing and earth from the grave of the Servant of God, and on that very day the child vomited a large live worm, and since then not only is he well, but he was cured immediately of his eruption, much to the surprise of his mother, who has told me several times and assured me before and after the cure that she had obtained everything she had asked of God through the intercession of Catherine Tekakwitha.

The testimony of this woman is so much the more credible, as she has always lived a Christian life. There are still several miracles, which have been performed in this family.

Continuation of the miracles performed in the family of Pierre Cardinal and Marie Matour, his wife. In 1692, Marie Matour, then twenty-two years old, suffered for two years without relief from a condition following confinement. She had recourse to Catherine Tekakwitha to obtain a cure and promised God that if through her merits and intercession she should obtain a cure, she would go and have a Mass said in the Church of Saint Francis Xavier, where Catherine is entombed, and that she would there offer her devotions. She was, cured in a short time without taking any remedy. Then Marie, her husband, and I went to fulfill the vow in this church. There Marie had a Mass said by one of the Fathers, and I said the Mass which her husband had promised and vowed, for his own escape from a grave illness, during which he had recourse to the Servant of God to obtain a cure.

In 1694, their daughter, named Marie, then five years old, was ill with scrofula of the throat, which was swollen. Her mother had taken her to Montreal where she had her treated several days by the surgeons, but without receiving any relief. She finally had recourse to Catherine Tekakwitha and promised God to take her child to the tomb. This she did, had a Mass said, and had a novena made, after which the child was entirely cured of the scrofula, though it is a disease incurable in this country.
This very year, 1696, in the month of February, their son, Jean, aged five, had swallowed a straw or a bit of wheat, which was suffocating him. His mother had him take some water in which she dipped ashes of the clothing of Catherine Tekakwitha. This made the bit of wheat pass on and be swallowed, although his mother had used every effort to take it from his throat without success.

In 1694 the same woman had a cow which was swelling up before her eyes and which was in danger of bursting. Since this would have caused considerable loss to the poor family, she had recourse to Catherine Tekakwitha to obtain from God through her mediation, the cure of the animal, and had me say a Mass for this intention. As soon as she made this promise the swelling was reduced and so the animal was saved.

About August 1695, Louis Fortier, aged thirteen, developed an incurable disease. After his father and mother and I had given several remedies that did him no good, we sent him to the hospital in Montreal. He was treated there by the doctors and surgeons, but in vain. His mother came to tell me with tears in her eyes that the medical men despaired of his cure, and begged me to say a Mass to obtain from God the cure of her son through the intercession of Catherine Tekakwitha. This I did willingly, after which the remedies were effective and he passed a quantity of green undigested fruits, plums mulberries and thorn apples, which through their quantity, their solidity, and their indigestion had caused the mortal malady. Since then he has been well.

In 1684, Lambert Cuellèrier, aged two, a victim of consumption and being but skin and bones, was scarcely able to take any nourishment. When very near to death, his father and mother took the child to the church of Saint Francis Xavier, where repose the bones of Catherine Tekakwitha. They placed him on her tomb, had a Mass said there and had a novena made to obtain from God the cure of her son through the merits of His Servant. As soon as the novena was finished the child began to feel better and since then he has been, as he still is, in perfect health.

In 1690, Joseph Cuellèrier aged twelve, fell ill and suffered from a languor, as if attacked by consumption which had reduced him to his last extremity. His father was sent to the Jesuit Fathers for some ashes of the clothing of Catherine Tekakwitha. He made his son take some of this and by this means his son was cured. Since then he has been well.

In 1688, Barbe Brunet, aged thirteen, had been ill for two months of the tertian fever, which had gone into the double tertian. No remedy was found to reduce the fever, which had emaciated her until she was like a skeleton. Thus unable either to stand up, take remedies and food, she was ready to die, and was given up by the doctor. Then she was told to have recourse to Catherine Tekakwitha. In fact she promised to have a novena made at the tomb and to go there to offer her devotions. Two days later she began to feel better, her fever left her and she recovered her health. She kept her vow at the tomb.

In 1694, François Roy, aged seventeen, sent for me to give him the Last Sacraments. He had been attacked for three weeks or a month previously by a fever, which had reduced him to the last extremity. Remedies were of no avail. I made him promise to make a novena to Catherine Tekakwitha, which he was to say for nine days or have his mother say nine prayers of the Hail Mary, while I should offer the Sacrifice of the Mass on the same nine days. During the novena I had him take water in which I had dipped a little bag in which I had put earth from the grave and ashes from the clothing of Catherine Tekakwitha. Seven days after this novena the fever left him and since then he has not been ill.

Thus far are written in this memoir the miracles and cures which have been effected in this parish during nine or ten years, through the merits and intercession of our protectress and advocate before God, Catherine Tekakwitha, both for me and for the children of my parish. I have perfect knowledge of these things, for I was the promoter and eyewitness. In testimony whereof I have signed this the 24th of March 1696.

Rémy, curé de Lachine