Story of an Icon:
Christ In Glory With All The Saints
#11 The story continues.
A booklet about the icon is being prepared and will soon be available in print. In the next several bulletins, we will share excerpts from Story of an Icon.
The second level of saints (l-r) includes St. Kateri Tekakwitha (1656-1676). She was born in present day New York into the Mohawk tribe who converted to Catholicism at the age of 19 and took a vow of virginity. She witnessed her simple faith in a Jesuit mission village near Montreal. She is the first Native North American person to be canonized. Her presence on the icon panel honors the indigenous people of our country and Fr. Richard’s brother, Melvin, who served as a teacher and catechist for many years in the Cheyenne Sioux Reservation in Eagle Butte, South Dakota.
The center figure on the second tier is Pope St. John XXIII (1881-1963). He was the pope who called over 2000 bishops of the world together for the Second Vatican Council from 1962-1965 to address the presence of the Church in the modern world. He was canonized in 2014. Many of the sixteen documents of this council formed much of the liturgy practices and theological teachings of the Church today.
Next on the right of Saint John XXIII is St. Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997). She founded the Missionaries of Charity and is known internationally for her care for the poor and the dying in India. Her order’s mission to care for the dying has extended to all parts of the world. She was canonized in 2016.
