Saint Kateri is the first Native American (Mohawk tribe) to be canonized by the Catholic Church. As a child, she had smallpox which scarred her skin, including her face. She would constantly wear a blanket around her head to hide her appearance from others. The rest of her family died from the smallpox outbreak. She refused to be arranged in marriage and converted to Christianity at the age of 19. She was very devout to God and would engage in certain self-mortification practices that were common to the Mohawk, like extreme fasting, burning oneself, and sleeping on a mat of thorns. Sadly, she died at a young age but was instrumental in helping to bring about conversions to Christianity.
