Tecacuita is faced with a choice, be baptized and risk her life, or obey her family's wishes and never become a Christian. With threats and tensions mounting, Tecacuita and Abezhak must get her far from danger before it's too late. The Saints. Adventures of faith and courage. Kateri Tecacuita. Episode 3, Time to Fly. Listen to all the episodes and discover new shows at thesaintspodcast.com. Off to see your friends again? Yes, auntie. Shall I tell the black robes you send your regards? You're playing with fire, Tecacuita. You may see kind faces, but you cannot see into their hearts. Don't think that because there's a truce with the French that we're not still surrounded by enemies. Remember your place. The priests are now the Mohawk's friends. Abezhak is leaving Kanoaga in a few days. It's your chance to send Otsitsa a message from her parents. You can tell her we're waiting for her to return. And that we all love her very much, of course? I'll be off then. Wait. I want to speak to you before you go. You're a woman grown now. We've allowed you to spend time with the black robes, and I recognize it's been good to correspond with your sister. You can be cordial with them, but keep a healthy distance. There's no reason for you to end up like Otsitsa, isolated, away from her family. Listen to your mother. You promise me in this room you will never forget that you are a Mohawk. I intend to keep that promise. There may be peace for now, or people get along with the Christians of late. We are still occupied people. The war is bound to continue when the Mohawk have gathered our strength. Don't we have enough enemies to be thinking of breaking peace with the French? When that time comes, I will hold you to your promise. I will hold myself to that promise all my life. I will never forget that I am a Mohawk. Goodbye. Goodbye, Tegakrita. Good morning, Tegakrita. Be sure to stay warm this morning. Abe Jacques, I've brought you something for your journey back to the mission at Kanoage. Baskets! Tegakrita, ma fi, you shouldn't have. All these baskets are magnificent. Merci, Tegakrita. Leather, weaker, wonderful. So you don't stay away for too long? Well, I'll be back in the spring, and the other priests will be here in the meantime. When I get back, we'll baptize you on Easter. I can't wait that long. Can we do it before you leave? You should prepare your parents. We know they won't like it. And who knows what will come of your place in this village? We've seen what they've done to some of the other converts. I will always be a Mohawk. My baptism won't change that. That is something they might not understand. That's what you will pray for this winter. You already have your baptism of desire. Baptism of desire? What's that? It means that already the graces of the sacrament are being poured over you. Our Lord in His generosity loves you like a daughter, though you've yet to be baptized. I would still like to be baptized now, though. Pray, ma fi. Pray. I'll see you in spring. Hmm. Have you thought of what Christian name you'll take for your baptism? Saint Catherine of Siena will be my patroness. So I think I'll take her name. But I am a Mohawk. So I think that would translate as… Cateri. Easy, girl. Easy. Come on, way. Let me give you all my blessing. May the Lord keep you safe and help you to grow in holiness through the winter. And may Almighty God bless you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Dear Father Provincial, I have kept you and dear France in my prayers. I know you have been praying for our missions here in Nouvelle France. As you know, the work here is challenging. The landscape wild and untamed, and the peoples of the region are divided. Through the grace of God we have friends among Iroquois, Algonquin, Oneida, and Onondaga people. Many have converted. Even our truce with the territorial Mohawk has stood for over a year. In fact, on the Feast of Easter I baptized a sweet, mild-mannered Mohawk girl. She celebrated her baptism at a natural spring near the Mohawk village of Kanoaga. It can be easy to grow used to the liturgy, but this Easter I relished every step of the baptism rite. I called her forward and asked her what Christian name she was to take. Honomine vocaries. She has great devotion for Saint Catherine of Siena. In Mohawk, her name is pronounced Cateri. Cateri. I asked her what she was asking from the Church of God. She formally asked to be received into the faith. Quid pethis abeclesi adai. Fidem. Fides. Quid tibi praistat. Vitam setternam. Cateri. Egote baptiso in nomine patris et fili et spiritus sancti. Pranta caterina senesis. What a privilege, Father Provincial, to follow our Lord's commandment, to spread His Gospel to every corner of the world. Cateri te cacuita was now a baptized Christian. Pax fobiscum. Atcum spiritu tu al. There is much more work to be done, but I entrusted to our Lord's hands. Send more tobacco and coffee. We need both desperately. Yours and Christ, abejaq telambarvil. Auntie, please. It will still be a few days before Uncle Aqwaha was back in Kanawaga from his trade mission. Won't you talk to me at all? It's going to be awfully quiet for us here, if not. I may be a Christian, but I'm still your daughter. I'm off to see abejaq at the Christian Longhouse, but I'll be about the village. Do you need anything? No. Nothing. Well, if it isn't the newest Christian, I didn't know that God preferred cripples. Keep away from us, witch! Such a disgrace! Not one but two daughters of a Mohawk chief have now betrayed their people. Ungrateful girl! So the daughter of the great Aqwaha has converted to the God of the Black Road Conjurers. Now she's one of the good-for-nothing dogs who won't work on Sundays. Hail the new Christian, Kateri! Please, sir, I just want to pass. Mind yourself. Kateri! What have you done to her? Coward! Anri! Abejaq! Oh, thank you! That's only the beginning, Conjurer! Here, let me see you. You're bleeding. Andrei, bring me some bandages and water. I'll be right there, abe. Who is Andrei? Here you go, abe. Let me see your hands. These are nasty cuts. Small thing to offer for the conversion of my kin, don't you think? Not at all small. It seems I've come just in time. Huh? This is not how I expected to make this introduction, but this is your brother-in-law, Kateri. You're Otsitsa's husband? Well, I've only known her as Teresa. But yes, I'm her husband. God is good. What a surprise! A handsome man you are. My sister chose well. Is she coming too? Not exactly. You're going to her. She sent me to come get you and bring you to Ghanawagae. What do you mean? Kateri, if you stay here, they will hurt you again or worse. I can't just leave. My family is here. I grew up here. They might not understand yet, but I know they'll come to know our Lord like I have. Not everyone accepts the grace of the Holy Spirit. It is dangerous for you. But those of us who have accepted it have to cooperate with the Spirit, don't we? There's so much work to be done here in Ghanawagae. You can only work if you're alive. I baptized you, Kateri. I have a duty before God to keep you safe. What do you want me to do? We have been preparing. We've been planning for this up at the mission since the winter. It's a five-day trip up to Ghanawagae. Five days in the forest? With my eyesight and how slow I am, it'll take twice that. It's five days by canoe. We'll take the river up into Lake Champlain. There are towns and trading posts there. From there, it's less than a day's paddling to the mission. I suppose I won't slow you down if we're on a canoe. I can weave some nets for fishing and make myself useful. I could be ready to go in a couple of weeks. My aunt and uncle won't be happy about it. No, Kateri, you don't understand. I would have wanted to ease you into this conversation, but given what's happened and the attitude of the tribe. We have everything ready. The canoe is filled with provisions and moor just outside the village. We have to leave at dawn. That's too soon. My uncle isn't even here. I won't be able to say goodbye. Kateri, my wife won through this herself. Okoha will not allow you to leave, which is why we have to leave before he returns. The villagers already think of you as a witch. I've seen terrible things happen to converts. You have family at the mission, and there's so much work to do. Not only will you be safer there, the church needs you there. Kateri, please. All right. What's the plan? Go back home. Pack everything you can for the journey. I have a good coat, some food, but not much else. We'll have to leave before sunrise, so no one notices you're gone. Goodbye, auntie. I'll be praying for you. You know, with my eyesight, we'll be much slower than you're used to. I tend to bump into things. Oh! It will be fine. We have to be careful regardless, so better not to rush. And as long as no one knows we're gone until we're upriver, we will be safe. Ready? By the grace of God. Here's the canoe. Can you help me drag it into the water? This canoe is well made. Very good craftsmanship, yours? We made it at the mission in Ganowage. Maybe you'll help us make the next one. Here, get into the canoe. Hold on to me. And we're off. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, amen. Dear Lord, we commend ourselves to Your providence. Be with us, and deliver us safely to Your house in Ganowage. Amen. God be with us. St. Caterina of Siena. Pray for us. We should be quiet for some time. I don't think anyone saw us leave. Wait! Shhh! Did you hear that? On the shore! What was that? Two people. I couldn't tell who they were. Did they see us? They may tell my aunt and son for my uncle. It's in God's hands now, Cateri. Come, pedal hard. We have a mission to get to. Discover new shows at TheSaintsPodcast.com.
