A Mohawk Princess to the Rescue

Short Summary: Jake Finkbonner, a five-year-old boy, was cured from a severe flesh-eating infection by the intercession of Kateri Tekakwitha.

Details

Location: Seattle, United States

Year: 2006

Prayer: God our Father, Whom Kateri Tekakwitha liked to call the Great Spirit, We thank you for having given us this young woman as a model of the Christian life. Despite her frailness and her community’s resistance, she bore witness to the presence of Christ. With her companions, she drew close to the elderly and to the sick. Every day, she saw in nature a reflection of your own glory and beauty. Grant that by her intercession we may always be close to you, more sensitive to the needs of those around us, and more respectful of creation. With her, we shall strive to discover what pleases you and endeavor to accomplish it until that day you call us back to you. Amen.

Verse: Moses came down from Mount Sinai. As he came down from the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant in his hand, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face was shining, and they were afraid to come near him. -Ex 34:29-30

Full Story

Jake Finkbonner, a five-year-old Native American boy from Washington State, contracted a life-threatening infection caused by necrotizing fasciitis, commonly known as flesh-eating bacteria. The infection rapidly spread across his face and began threatening his vital organs. In desperation, Jake's family turned to prayer. They particularly asked for the intercession of Kateri Tekakwitha, a daughter of a Mohawk chief from the 1600s who converted to Christianity. Kateri had also suffered from a facial deformation from childhood smallpox, but the scars on her face suddenly disappeared 15 minutes after her death. Everyone present at her deathbed witnessed the astounding miracle. After praying for two weeks, the family brought in a religious sister, who had taken the name Kateri, to also pray for Jake. The sister placed a pendant of Kateri Tekakwitha on his pillow. That very day, Jake's condition suddenly began to improve. Doctors were astounded, as the infection that had been spreading aggressively took a turn and started to heal. Jake's surgeon, Dr. Richard Hopper, remarked, "All of a sudden, to have this infection stop is almost like a geyser coming out of the earth with this great roar—and all of a sudden it just stops. And there's silence. And everybody's just a little bit stunned by it being over." Both the medical and Church communities took interest in the case, initiating a thorough investigation and series of interviews with those involved. The case was deemed authentic, and was used in determining the sainthood of Kateri Teckakwitha.

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