Murderous bounty hunters chase Kateri and Andrei as they race northwards towards freedom at the mission of Gano-Wage. It's just a few hours away at the top of Lake Champlain, but will Kateri and Andrei make it their safely before they're caught? Can Kateri finally be reunited with her cousin? The Saints. Adventures of Faith and Courage. Kateri Takakuita. Episode 5, Gano-Wage. Listen to all the episodes and discover new shows at thesaintspodcast.com. These knots won't come undone. Just cut them. Here, take the knife. They're getting away! Unmourn one of the boats. We'll chase after them. This, that's musket! Go! Go! We're loose! Pedal hard. You have to make as much distance as you can. They're headed north! Man that boat! And launch another one. We're going after them. Did you hear that? Can you see them? How far are they? Not nearly far enough. There are two boats and another launching now. Dear Lord, what are we going to do? There's an island that breaks up the path of the river. One side is calmer waters. That's the side I usually take. What about the other side? Rapids. Very wild. We'll have to make for them if we want to lose them. Rapids? Can you still see them behind us? Yes. Three boats. We're lighter than them, so we're making distance. But not enough to lose them. Are we still headed for the rapids? Yes. Do you see that island coming up? I see a tall green blurb more or less. If we go left, it's smooth sailing. But to the right of it, it's pretty rowdy. Do you think they'll turn back when they see us headed in that direction? We'll have to find out. You're wasting ammunition! We're too far! Pedal harder, featherweights! Get me close enough to line up a shot! Alright, Kateri. The rapids are coming up fast. Here's the plan. We're going to turn away at the last minute and hope we lose them. No. Listen. There's one small ledge. One drop at the very beginning. It's not too bad. Then there's a clearing we can make for. The current is strong, but not invincible. I see. Okay. One drop. After the drop, we paddle hard to the left. The clearing is right there. No rocks. Easy to land on. Won't they come after us? I think they're too heavy to fight the current. Even if we make it to the clearing, we'll have enough of a head start that we can hide on the island. Just warn me when we're coming up on the drop. I want to be ready. No! Pedal to the left! Pedal! Pedal! They went into the rapids! We have to turn back. We turn back when I say so. I'm not losing them. Give me a paddle, please. We're almost there! We made it! Help me out so I can pull with you. Grab my hand. Was that them? I hope they don't drown. We finally lost them, and they won't. They're from these parts. They'll just have to make it to the shore and put it back to the docks. Oh, I wish it wouldn't have come to this. We'll have to portage across the island to the calm waters on the other side. Let's try to make it to the other side before it gets dark. I'll pick up this side. You lead the way. Off we go then. I can see the water through the trees there. Let's put the canoe down. I'll sit down and rest. The ground is soft here against this tree trunk. This is the Richelieu River. It's a tributary into the San Laurent, which is where Mission Ganawage is. Richelieu. Son's French. It is. We're on the border of French territory, but there are still six to eight hours to Ganawagi from here, and we have no provisions and no money. We have our lives, which is plenty to be thankful for. Our guardian angels did the work of a lifetime today. If the sun is setting, shall we set up camp and head out in the morning? Hmm, I don't know. As much as I'd like to rest, we're still just outside Lake Champlain. There may still be people after us. Then lighting a fire in the dark of night sounds like a great way to lead them to us. Should we get going then? Yes. Pick up the same side of the canoe. Just down this slope, there's a spot we can launch from. Have you seen anyone who might be following behind us? No. I don't think so. We're blessed with a full moon and a clear night. I can see no boats behind us. Good. Do you know what today reminded me of? What? When Jesus went back to Nazareth. They didn't try to hurl us up a cliff though. Well, I don't think the mob in Nazareth had muskets, but in the end we slipped out through the mob just like Jesus. With Him? With Him indeed. Be with us, Lord. Stay with us this last stretch. Amen. It's a very clear night indeed. Even my eyes can make out the stars. Are you using those to navigate? They're nice to have, but it's not tricky. The Richelieu feeds straight into the San Laurent, so all we have to do is go straight due north. As long as we're following the brightest star above, we're on course. Ave Jacques told me that the sailors who bring them across the ocean are devoted to Our Lady, Star of the Sea. Stella Maris. She guides sailors through the night from one world to another. One world to another. Dear Mother Mary, keep the ones we've left in the old world, and bring them home like you have brought us. Wake up, Gateri. You're here. Huh? Oh, you shouldn't have let me sleep. We've already passed Villemarie. It's the main French settlement on the San Laurent. Mission Ganawage is just ahead. Is that people I hear? Yes. It's good to be home. Fetch some rope. Make some rope for their canoe. Andre, over this way. Can you throw me a line? Here's the rope. Good work, the two of you. Welcome home. Help her out first. Hold on to me, miss. Let's not have you fall into the river at the last moment. Thank you. This is Gateri Tecaquita. Ave Maria. Thank God for your safe arrival. Welcome home to Ganawage. Welcome, Gateri. It's so good to see you. Ah! Here she comes. It's good to be home indeed. Tecaquita! Oh, how I've missed you, Otsitsa. Teresa now. I prayed for so long to see you again. For our Lord to call you home. Thank you for praying for me. For sending Andre. You have a wonderful husband. Oh, I've missed you so much, little sister. Here, let's walk off the dock. I don't want you falling into the water from exhaustion. Hold on to me. Thank you. I'll light a fire for us. Please, husband, rest. You look drained. I'll light the fire. Where's that flint and steel? Here. Thank you. Off to sleep then, my dear. Get some rest, Andre. You don't want to sleep as well? No, I want to talk to you. I haven't seen you in years. Besides, I fell asleep most of the night. Andre paddled for us both while I snored. Sit down. Sit down. So, what was it that led you to our Lord? Hmm, I think your prayers played no small part. My mother, I'm sure, has been praying from Heaven since she left us. I went to the Christians at first because I wanted to hear news of you. But our parents forbade me after that first night. What brought you back? About a year later, Auntie and Uncle started pushing me to marry. They matched me with a chieftain from another village. Not a great man. Not like Andre. Well, Andre has his bad days too. I didn't know what to do with it at the time. I ran out of that feast and I prayed without knowing what I was doing. I felt... I felt in my heart that I was being pulled towards something else. Someone else. Isn't it beautiful how the Holy Spirit does that sometimes? Almost tricks us into finding Him? When He was teaching me, Ape Jacques said that hide and seek is a game that God likes to play with us. I've heard that homily. It turns out, moments after I prayed for the first time, Ape Jacques and his dog walked into the meadow I had escaped to. Praise God. Tell me about our village and the work they are doing there. I heard that they raised a longhouse in only a couple of weeks. Ape Jacques. They said you just arrived. Are you here? Cateri tecacuita. Come in. I was just bringing these boxes to the sick tents. You can help me push the wagon. You're back. I hope it was an easy journey. Look, I'm finally home! Oh, Cateri, are you all right? Nothing I'm not used to. Here, sit down. You must be exhausted from your journey. How has your work been? I've heard you are throwing yourself into helping our elderly. Wonderful. I never expected to find such joy in such simple work. I see our Lord's face in their faces and... I've been wanting to ask you about starting a religious order. Will you help me? Mafi, I wish we could spare the resources to build you an abbey, to form you to become a spiritual mother, but you're not ready for that yet. Neither is the church in this part of the New World. I think the Lord is calling me to this. To be a nun, His bride, like Saint Catherine. Saint Catherine was a bride of Christ, but she wasn't a nun. Of course she was. You showed me a painting of her with the habit and all. Yes, she wore the habit and she didn't marry a man on earth, but she lived in the world, in her parents' house, with her siblings. I don't understand. Nuns and monks are usually isolated from the world. Saint Catherine spent her days in Siena, caring for the poor, the sick, even giving spiritual advice. She was very much a part of the world, a laywoman. But she wore a habit. Yes, she was a consecrated laywoman. She belonged to the Third Order of the Dominicans. You might be called to be the same. What will my habit be then? What you're wearing now. You will teach those around you that holiness is not a matter of cassocks or habits, but of the heart of us allowing God to meet us in our hearts. May God be praised. I will never forget that I am a Mohawk, and I suppose no one else will either. God loved me even when I did not know him, and he brought my soul to him. May he use me for his glory. And now, come on, there's work to be done. Cateri Tecacuita spent the rest of her life in peace and prayer at the mission of Ganawaghe, just south of present-day Montreal, where today there is a shrine in her honor. She died during Holy Week in April 1680 at the age of 23. Because of Cateri's unique purity and her love for Jesus and the Eucharist, she became known as the Lily of the Mohawks. Devotion to her spread throughout North America, especially among its native peoples, and in 2012, she became the first Native American to be canonized as Saint. Today, the faithful can visit her shrine and birthplace in Fonda, New York, and the church and shrine housing her relics in Ganawaghe, Quebec. Saint Cateri Tecacuita, Lily of the Mohawks, pray for us. Hi, this is Peter Atkinson, founder of the Mary Beggars. Thank you for listening to The Saints, Adventures of Faith and Courage. To listen to more thrilling adventures and discover new saints, go to thesaintspodcast.com.
