Saint Kateri National Shrine and Historic Site

Help clean up the Shrine for Earth Day weekend! We're looking for volunteers to help spruce up the grounds from 9-12 this coming Saturday, April 24, and Sunday, April 25. Bring your work gloves and a rake -- call the Shrine office at 518-853-3646 with any questions or for more information. (Pictured: volunteers from the 2020 clean up.)

Just a reminder that this is Earth Day Clean-Up Weekend at the Shrine! Stop by with a rake and work gloves 9-12 Saturday or Sunday to help get things in order before we open for the Summer Season.

"This is a place shaped by proximity to the ocean: nothing stands between the sea and the country’s craggy, cliff-lined shores for roughly 3,000 kilometers, leaving it open to the raw breath of the North Atlantic. Many cities and towns here have roots as fishing villages and ports, and for generations, to speak Irish in them was to speak of the sea." Many people have drawn parallels between the Native American and Irish experiences. This article talks about the Irish connection to the sea and how it informs their language and view of the world -- something that can surely be seen in Native American language and connection to the land. Click the link to read the article.

Information for our friends in Akwesasne: "The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe and the Mohawk Assembly of God are pleased to announce a Free Food Box Distribution for all Akwesasne community members." The distribution is scheduled for tomorrow morning -- click the link for more information. https://www.indiantime.net//srmt-and-mohawk-ass/36582.html... For those unfamiliar with Akwesasne, it is the community that was formed by the Mohawks who were historically in this area when they were forced out after the Revolutionary War.

"Her exploration of environmental justice through music has brought her face to face with the enormity of the human imprint on the planet. She was doing a residency in Japan in 2011 when the nuclear reactor in Fukushima melted down after an earthquake and tidal wave. During a subsequent residency at the Grand Canyon, she explored the legacy of uranium mining on Indigenous lands. 'The pope says, 'We are not God,' and we have to be responsible with this beautiful place that we've been given,' Chase said." Click the link to read the article

"The world was in the midst of the Great Depression in 1931 and the memories of World War I were still very much alive in the minds of Europeans when in Poland a sister of the Congregation of Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938), is said to have been personally visited by Jesus." Click the link to read the article

Click the link to read the article

Our friends at Little Portion Farm are having volunteer training tomorrow morning. If you're in the Baltimore area, we encourage you to check them out!

The Shrine's Assistant Director will be talking tomorrow morning with Joe Condon of "Albany Street"! Tune in to the interview: at 5:30am on WROW AM-590 and FM-96.9/100.3, as well as WENU AM-1410 at 6:00am on WMML AM-1230, WENU FM-96.9, WMML FM-97.9, WKBE FM-100.3, WNYQ FM-107.1, and WFFG FM-107.1... and at 6:30am on WYJB FM-B95.5

The Dominican Sisters who administer Sinsinawa Mound Center are hosting a Zoom event on April 28: Black Elk & Healing Colonialism. "Join Maka Black Elk and Damian Costello as they delve into the life and possible canonization of Lakota holy man, Nicholas Black Elk; what it means to be both Lakota and Catholic; as well as paths to healing from the trauma of colonialism, especially boarding schools." Click the link for more information and to register.... https://www.sinsinawa.org//black-elk-healing-colonialism-/ See more

Mohawk Seedkeepers is looking for votes to secure grant funding. The deadline is April 7 -- please check out the link

"[T]he crops are cooped up, in a way, much like many of us nowadays. They yearn for the longer days and the warmth of spring, and perhaps even the company of other creatures. So if you’re feeling the winter blues right now, think about the plants, all of whom are trying to soak up as much of the precious sunlight they can! " To close out the month, click the link to check out the latest newsletter from our friends at Little Portion Farm

On Easter Sunday in 1676, Saint Kateri Tekakwitha was baptized on the grounds of our Shrine. The spring where she was baptized is now a grotto that honors her, and every year, the arms of her statue cradle a nest of swallows. Wishing joy and renewal to everyone this Easter Sunday. And if you have a moment, visit our Spiritual Resources page at https://www.katerishrine.com/programs-1 and read the poem "Easter."

"The two-by-three foot picture of the first North American Aboriginal saint was once situated near the altar where the priest would preside over services and after the fire was found in the church basement where the rubble had fallen. Many on social media are calling it a miracle but Wood sees it as a sign from God he’s still trying to make sense of." Click the link to read the article

Click the link for some inspiration!

"Jesus recommended fasting, but not as a mere formalityand certainly not as a burden to be imposed on the poor who have to eat when they can, even if in violation of religious tradition. Instead Jesus recommended fasting when one fails to sense that God is near. What then is the significance of abstaining from meat? And why eat fish? The tradition suggests a number of reasons." Click the link to read the article

Tickets are now available for our December Cash Calendar Sweepstakes! The cash calendar is an important fundraiser for Saint Kateri's Shrine. Every day in December, we will hold a drawing for cash prizes ranging from $50 to $500. Cash prizes total $3,000! Winning tickets will be re-entered for all remaining drawings. Go to www.katerishrine.com/news-events, call 518-853-3646, or e-mail [email protected] for tickets. Suggested donations are $5 for each ticket or $25 for six. No donation is necessary to win.

Congratulations to Mary R. of Pittsburgh, PA -- today's cash calendar winner! The Christmas song of the day is "Carol of the Bells" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-W2Bkz_Rno

Click the link to read some of Pope Francis's remarks from Gaudete Sunday

Today's cash calendar winner is Janice L. of Boonville, NY! Today's Christmas song is "Santa Lucia"

Today is the third Sunday of Advent, known as Gaudete Sunday Click the link for homilies and an explanation

Today's cash calendar winner is Terry S. of Clay, NY! Today's Christmas song is "The Little Drummer Boy"

Karla Kozach, an artist who frequently draws inspiration from Saint Kateri, recently shared her depiction of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and we wanted to share it with you!