Little Flower Parish at 204 1st St. N.W., Browning, MT 59417 US - Indian Days Mass With Kateri

Blessing the Kateri Tekakwitha statue at the Campground.

OUR INDIAN DAY MASS was a great experience for us this year. On Sunday, July 15, we gathered at the Pow Wow campground in the arena area at 10:00 A.M. to celebrate Mass with all who might want to attend. We estimate that around 500 people shared the Eucharist with us on that morning. It was a bit overcast this year, cooling down the arena area, making our time at Mass a very pleasant experience. There were about 15 people dressed in their traditional dress, the Blackfeet drummers were prepared for the Mass, and our choir was present to do the Native American songs that they do so well. As a gift to us from God the North American Indian Day Celebrations this year included July 14th, which happens to be the feast of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha. Not only that, but the Hanley family from Scarsdale New York donated to our parish a beautiful statue (see picture) of Kateri Tekakwitha—which arrived here from New York just before Indian Days. We had the statue at the campground to honor Kateri and to bless the statue during the Mass. During the smudging ceremony when the Priest and the Deacons processed around the arena to smudge the people to the beat of the drums, those dressed in Traditional dress spontaneously got up and danced around the now blessed statue of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha. It could easily be seen as their prayer asking the Lord Jesus to inspire the Catholic Church to make her a Saint. It was something beautiful to see. The statue of Kateri Tekakwitha is now located outside at the front entrance of the church. It will be a reminder to our entire parish to pray for her Canonization as our first Native American Saint.

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