Pierre Cholenec, S.J. "The Life of Catherine Tekakwitha, First Iroquois Virgin" (1696)

Chapter 16

The death of Catherine Tekakwitha was accompanied from some circumstances, which I believed was similar to that of the Saints, because these circumstances had made us judge that the life of Catherine was pleasing to God.

We shall take as the first circumstance that is, the day of her death. It had seemed as if taking her to Him on that day, which God wanted to reward her of the devotion to Him, because she had loved and honoured Him the most. She died on Wednesday of Holy Week, the vigil of the two days consecrated to the two great mysteries of the Holy Eucharist and the Cross that were her entire joy and delight. I remember that more than two months before her death that is, the beginning of her last illness, Father Chauchetiere had an assertion. The Father asserted that on Holy Wednesday, which God would take her from this world and she was to celebrate in Heaven the two great feast days of Good Friday and Easter Sunday, because they were her principal devotion on earth.

The second circumstance is to be as much as admired as the first. It is a praiseworthy custom here, for two members of the Holy Family to take turns in watching during the night whenever the sick are in danger of dying. It was asked as to whom should do this for Catherine.

On Tuesday night, the last night of her life, which I had named two of the most fervent members, who were Mary of Onondaga and Margaret Gagouithon. Margaret Gagouithon was younger than the other and the youngest of the Holy Family, because she was not more than twenty-two years old. Margaret had sought me after the evening prayers for my permission that to go in the forest and to do some penance. This was to obtain a happy death for Catherine whom she was going to watch, because she had loved Catherine, who had also loved her. Catherine had seen from some interior vision what this woman did in the darkness of the lonely forest. Margaret had followed Catherine for some time before her death. This charity was surprising in a Native girl, because she had passed a full quarter of an hour in performing penance until she bled on behalf of Catherine. It is still more surprising that the very instant Catherine learned about it and dying on her mat, although having with her only Mary with her that night, which she turned on her side and asking Mary to have Margaret to come immediately.

Mary had obeyed and found Margaret on the way from the forest to her own cabin, where she was going to tighten her means of mortification. She had told Margaret, “Catherine is asking for you, so I came to search for you.” Then they had entered Catherine’s cabin. Catherine had asked the young Margaret, who had shown such charity for her, to approach. Catherine whispered to Margaret’s ear, because she wanted to speak to Margaret and have the other rest. In truth, Mary had already fallen asleep. Catherine took hold of the arm of Margaret and whispered to her, “Approach here, my sister, that I say a little word.” Catherine could scarcely talk. Then Catherine held tightly her arm and said, “Courage, my dear sister, continue with the same fervour you have already began so good.” Margaret had no less humility than fervour and replied to Catherine of not knowing her well, because she was a miserable sinner.

Catherine had again held tightly her arm and saying, “My sister, I know what I am saying, I also know where you come from and I assure you that what you are doing is well done and agreeable to Our Lord. Have a good courage, persevere constantly and pray for me at my death, so I could soon leave Purgatory. I shall aid you when I am in Paradise, be assured.” Catherine encouraged and exhorted her to persevere in the service of God and assuring her that she was very pleasing to Our Lord, which she promised that she would pray for her in Heaven. This woman had come to tell me on the following day with a new veneration for Catherine and with a new courage to follow her example, which she is still doing at the Mission. When Mary of Onondaga had later heard of Catherine’s words, she was so much consoled from Catherine. Also, she was encouraged by her words to live always in the same fervour.

A third circumstance was some knowledge concerning the day and even the hour of her death, which it could have come only from Heaven. After I had given her the Holy Viaticum on Tuesday morning, I wanted hastily to give her Extreme Unction. And she told us that there was no haste, because the time had not come. At her words, we had deferred the giving of the Sacrament until Wednesday morning. We had reason to believe, which she would die before noon on that day, but she knew that this was not so.

Catherine’s beloved companion and some other women of the Holy Family, who they had for about a year formed a small devotional band with Catherine and is still called the Sisters of Catherine, had greatly desired to be present when she died. They were obliged to go in search of wood for the following feast days, but without knowing whether to go or to remain with Catherine. They thought the right answer was to ask Catherine. And soon after, I had spoken to Catherine for them. She had enough influence in Heaven to have her death deferred on their behalf. Catherine said, “Let them go to the forest, they will see me die when they return.” At her words, they went and she did not fail them. And until three o’clock in the afternoon, which she had remained in the same condition.

After their return, she had waited until everyone entered the cabin. When the last one had arrived, she went into her agony and while everyone knelt around her, which I saw this marvel with my own eyes. And as they had desired, they had the consolation of witnessing her death that she had promised them.

It was said that some time before her last illness, which Catherine was digging a grave in the cemetery and together with some other women that to bury one of her small nephews. The conversation was turned to this burial ground, where each one should have a place. They laughingly asked Catherine where her place was. She had said and pointing her finger to a certain place, “There it is!” After her death, Father Chauchetiere did all he could to persuade me to have her placed in the chapel, but to avoid such an unusual thing that I had her grave made in the cemetery and it was the exact place that she had designated. I did not know of her prediction, but until two years after her burial.

The fourth circumstance is a marvel that I was likewise a witness and together with Father Chauchetiere and the Natives. Smallpox had left her face scarred from the age of four, which her infirmities and mortification had contributed to ruin her even more. Catherine’s face was so scarred from smallpox and before her death that she took a darken complexion. Then her face had suddenly transfigured about a quarter of an hour after her death and became in a moment so beautiful, smiling and white. Her face assumed an appearance of a rosy colour, which she never had and her features were not the same. Immediately, I had seen her face transfigured, because I was praying beside her. I cried out, because so great was my astonishment.

I had them go to get Father Chauchetiere, who was working at the chapel for the morning of Holy Thursday. He came running with all the Natives on hearing of this wonder, and we were able to contemplate her face until her burial. This beauty of her face had inspired the love of virtue and everyone was left with their hearts penetrated from the desire of her being a Saint. And the Natives, who were present, could not restrain the expression of their astonishment. I will admit openly of the first thought that came to me, which Catherine might have entered into Heaven at that moment. Then reflecting back in her chaste body a small ray of the glory that she had gone to possess.

Two French settlers of La Prairie de la Madeleine had come to the Sault on Thursday morning to assist at the morning Mass. They had went in Catherine’s cabin and seeing her placed upon her mat with such a beautiful and shining countenance, which one of them had said to the other, “There is a young woman that sleeps peacefully.” And learning a moment later, she was Catherine, which they returned to her cabin and immediately knelt at her feet to recommend themselves to her prayers. This was to satisfy their devotion and they had wanted to give a public evidence of the veneration that they had for her. At once, they built a coffin for the burial of such a precious relic, because they had honoured her as a Saint.

The last circumstance of her death is the remarkable effect that she had on the Mission. There were piety and fervour at the Sault, which could not be denied and after all that we have already said. Catherine acquired the remarkable effect of the Mission from the beautiful examples of virtue that she had before her eyes, but if at the beginning that the Mission was a great aid in her sanctification, which approaching the end of her life and particularly at her death that she had served reciprocally in sanctifying the Mission.

There was without a delay in seeing the effect on the following day, Good Friday. On Good Friday, all their hearts were so touched at the sight of the Cross, which Catherine had so loved and kissed, when I uncovered the Cross for them after the sermon on the Passion of Our Lord. I think that never was seen so piteous and so touching spectacle of devotedness, because everyone began to burst at once with such loud cries and sobs, which it was necessary to let them weep for quite a long time. I had wanted then to intone the Vexilla Regis, but I could only pronounce the first two words, because at once their cries and sobs began again stronger than before throughout the chapel, which I was obliged to abstain a second time to the violence of their grief. The fruit of all this was that they no longer talked of anything, but of having been converted and giving themselves entirely to God.

The same day and the next and for the next eight days were performed so excessive penance at the Sault, which it would have been difficult for greater to be done from the most austere penitents in the world. The devotion became general and all the Natives had spoken of penance, self-denial, renouncing all and so as to give all to God in imitation of Catherine. In truth, from every side that they came to inform me of these beautiful and holy resolutions and what is more, which they had succeeded in them.

A woman had passed the night of Good Friday rolling herself on thorns as Catherine had done. A little later, another did this for four or five consecutive nights and married people had separated, because to live in continence and widows renounced a second marriage. The younger women promised they would renounce a second marriage that if their husbands were the first to die. And so ardent was the zeal for bodily penance in the Mission, which I truly risk to say that the most rigid monasteries never came to such terrifying mortification as these newly converts, who they voluntarily imposed upon themselves. In time, they have done these holy resolutions and persevered in them.

The men and women had covered themselves with blood from disciplinary stripes in imitation of Catherine. They had fast rigorously and would pass the entire day without eating, which what the Natives would eat during half of the year that it is not sufficient to have kept a man alive. These were the great fruits produced from the life and death of Catherine, at the Mission of the Sault. The memory of this generous virgin is carefully preserved there and through the care of the Missionaries, who they often remind her virtues to the Natives.

The women had mingled ashes in their portion of sagamite, placed glowing coals between their toes, went barelegged to make a long procession in the snow and disfigured themselves by cutting their hair, because they did not want to be sought in marriage. There were seen Native girls, who threw themselves in the water during the middle of the winter. These austerities were almost continual and with all the harm that they could do to the body, because they say it is their greatest enemy. And most of these austerities had taken place in the forest. Although the Holy Spirit soon intervened in this matter, which had enlightened them and regulated their conduct without lessening their fervour.