Indigenous Reconciliation Funded St. Kateri Tekakwitha National Shrine Pilgrimage
Archdiocese of Ottawa-Cornwall, July 17–19, 2026 By Dr. Rose-Alma MacDonald
A St. Kateri Tekakwitha Pilgrimage was undertaken as a meaningful faith, cultural and reconciliation initiative supported through the Indigenous Reconciliation Fund (IRF) of the Archdiocese of Ottawa-Cornwall.
From July 17–19, 2026, Akwesasronon pilgrims from the St. Regis Mission Church, located in Akwesasne, QC, gathered at the St. Kateri Tekakwitha National Shrine and Historic Site in Fonda, New York, for a meaningful weekend of prayer, reflection, fellowship and reconciliation. The pilgrimage offered an opportunity to walk in the footsteps of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Indigenous person from North America to be canonized a saint, and to deepen their understanding of her enduring witness of faith, courage and perseverance.
Kateri Tekakwitha was declared Venerable by Pope Pius XII on January 3, 1943; beatified by Pope Saint John Paul II on June 22, 1980; and canonized by Pope Benedict XVI on October 21, 2012. The National Shrine was established to honour Saint Kateri and to continue her legacy of devotion, healing and intercultural encounter between Native and European Americans.
The Shrine is located on historic Mohawk lands associated with St. Kateri’s life and is also home to the archaeological site of the historic Caughnawaga Mohawk village. The grounds, chapel, museum, prayer spaces and natural surroundings provide pilgrims with a place to encounter both the spiritual and cultural dimensions of St. Kateri’s story.
The pilgrimage centred on the St. Kateri Tekakwitha Shrine in Fonda, a significant place of pilgrimage and prayer connected to St. Kateri’s life and Kanien’kehá heritage. Akwesasronon pilgrimage attendees participated in a special St. Kateri Mass on Saturday, July 18, 2026, with a feast dinner and Healing Mass afterwards. Prior to arriving at the St. Kateri Tekakwitha National Shrine on the evening of July 17, the attendees visited their sister parish in Schenectady, NY, where they were greeted with a dinner feast, a visit and a tour of the local St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish.
A Healing Service took place on the evening of July 18 for attendees in need of healing and prayers. Hymns and music were provided by the pilgrimage participants and the St. Regis Mission Mohawk Choir. Prior to the Healing Mass, there was a presentation by an Akwesasronon basketmaker on how to clean sweetgrass and make sweetgrass bookmarks. In addition, there was a presentation by Elder Tom Dearhouse from the National St. Kateri Tekakwitha Shrine, Kahnawake, QC, about acculturation in the Catholic Church.
A central purpose of the initiative was to create a safe and welcoming environment in which faith and Indigenous cultural identity could be respected and brought together. Prayer, Mass, reflection, traditional practices, storytelling and opportunities for community fellowship allowed participants to experience reconciliation not simply as a concept, but as an ongoing relationship-building process.
The pilgrimage demonstrated the importance of supporting Indigenous-led and community-based initiatives through the Indigenous Reconciliation Fund (IRF). It provided participants with an opportunity to reconnect with Indigenous Catholic traditions and identity while inviting the wider Catholic community to listen, learn, pray and participate in reconciliation.
NIAWEN to Bernice Lazore for her hard work in organizing the pilgrimage, along with the support of Dr. Rose-Alma McDonald, Indigenous Advisor, Archdiocese of Ottawa-Cornwall.
AKWESASRONON ST KATERI TEKAKWITHA SHRINE PILGRIMS JULY 17-19, 2026
Back row L to R: Tom Dearhouse, Lydia Garrow, Angie Sunday, Elizabeth Tarbell, Lisa Tarbell, Valerie Garrow, Norma Sunday, Judy Hemlock, Lou Ann Wright
Front row L to R: Verda Tarbell, Rosemary Bonaparte, Bernice Lazore, Sally Ann Adams, Laura Francis and Carole Ross.
Photo Credit: Bernice Lazore.