Ever Ready: Spotlight on St. Kateri Teckakwitha and Hello Fresh

Friday, November 27, 2015

Spotlight on St. Kateri Teckakwitha and Hello Fresh

Native American Heritage Month

Spotlight on St. Kateri Teckakwitha
She is the first Native American to be declared a Saint.
St. Kateri was canonized on 10/21/2012 by Pope Benedict Her feast day is July 14. She is the patroness of the environment and ecology as is St. Francis of Assisi.

Kateri was born near the town of Auriesville, New York, in the year 1656. Tekakwitha is the name she was given by her Mohawk people. It translates to "She who bumps into things."
Kateri was the daughter of a Mohawk warrior. She was four years old when her mother died of smallpox. The disease also attacked Kateri and transfigured her face. She was adopted by her two aunts and an uncle. She refused to marry and converted to Christianity as a teenager. She was baptized at the age of twenty and incurred the great hostility of her tribe for becoming Christian. Although she had to suffer greatly for her Faith, she remained firm in it.

Kateri went to the new Christian colony of Indians in Canada. Here she lived a life dedicated to prayer, penitential practices, and care for the sick and aged. Every morning, even in bitterest winter, she stood before the chapel door until it opened at four and remained there until after the last Mass. She was devoted to the Eucharist and to Jesus.

She died on April 17, 1680 at the age of twenty-four. Immediately after her death it was reported people noticed a physical change. Her face that had been so marked and swarthy, suddenly changed and became beautiful and so white Later Kateri became known as the "Lily of the Mohawks". Devotion to Kateri is responsible for establishment of Native American ministries in Catholic Churches all over the United States and Canada. Kateri was declared venerable by the Catholic in 1943 and she was Beatified in 1980. Hundreds of thousands have visited shrines to Kateri erected at both St, Francis Xavier and Caughnawaga and at her birth place at Auriesville, New York. Pilgrimages at these sites continue today.

Cook's notes: Recently my daughter acquainted me with a home delivery service called Hello Fresh.
I was intrigued by this concept. Each week you can order 1-3 meals in a box and its delivered right to your front doorstep. A variety of meals are posted online. You choose the meal that fits your taste buds plus box type: classic, veggie or family. When the box is delivered inside you will find all the fresh ingredients and spices you need to prepare the meal. Each box comes with a recipe card to help with easy preparation. Facts on time needed for preparation, level of cooking, if gluten free, nut free and meal caloric count. BUT note there is a fee attached for this service.
https://www.hellofresh.com/

But the best part for me was finding out the recipes for these amazing dishes can be accessed online for free. The recipes are healthy since using fresh ingredients and judging by the pictures look delicious.