Vigils Reading – St Kateri Tekakwitha

THE VIRGINITY OF

KATERI TEKAKWITHA

From the writings of Fr Francis Xavier Weiser

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Tekakwitha was seventeen and still without a boyfriend to whom, like the

other Indian girls, she might have given her love and affection. In her

surroundings this was unusual, for the Indian girls started quite early “playing

the field.” Most of them married at the age of eighteen or nineteen.

Despite the urgings of her aunts she refused to meet the young men of the

village or dance with them. Was it natural shyness, due to her weak sight and

her pockmarked face? In any case, she had no inclination to fall in love.

Something deep down in her soul seemed to hold her back with unexplainable,

quiet force. She was a normal happy girl and knew how natural it was for a

young Indian maiden to find, as soon as possible, a good hunter or warrior who

would take her as co-worker and companion in the heavy toil that marriage

imposed on husband and wife. The family, the village, the whole tribe took it for

granted that girls should enter an early marriage and assume the many duties of

their calling.

She had not the slightest idea of celibate life among women, nor had she

ever seen or heard anything concerning the voluntary state of virginity such as

the Catholic nuns observed it. The Mohawks knew, of course, that the black-

robes lived without marriage and woman’s love for the sake of their priestly

vocation; this was for them a source of constant marvel and admiration. They

did not know, however, that such an ideal was also practiced by women. Even

the Christian Indians had no inkling of it, for the Jesuits never mentioned this

fact; it was a hard enough task for them to raise their spiritual children to the

level of a sound, morally good married life according to the demands of the

sacrament of matrimony.

Thus, Tekakwitha, who had no instruction at all in Christianity, followed

the path of a splendid Christian ideal without being aware of it. All she knew

was that an inner force, a strange spirit in the depth of her heart drove her with

constant, quiet urgings to keep herself free from the bonds of human love that

led to marriage. Gladly and willingly she obeyed her parents in everything; but

on this point she remained adamant and rather followed the guidance of that

mysterious voice in her soul. Had she only known that it was the grace of…the

true God, directing her on this path, how happy would she have been!