Youngsters present the life of Kateri Tekakwitha

SPARTA — As part of a busy year of events leading up to the canonization on Oct. 21, the Blessed Kateri parish recently held a special youth play on the life of Kateri Tekakwitha at its annual fall picnic.

Pope John High School junior Rebecca Proctor, a Squire Rose at the Sparta parish, wrote and directed this short story in a tribute to Blessed Kateri.

Andrea Proctor (Rebecca’s mother) executive director of Winakung at Waterloo Village, served as historical consultant and narrator on the play.

Several representatives of the Columbian Squires, Squire Roses, and Boy Scouts were cast members in the short story that spanned Kateri’s early life as a Mohawk Indian to her conversion by the Jesuit missionaries in upstate New York.

The cast included Brooke Proctor (the youth Kateri), Rebecca Proctor (the teen Kateri), Frank Cutrone (Mohawk Chief /Kateri’s father as well as a Jesuit), Ben Insley (Kateri’s Mohawk uncle), Ed Weaver (Kateri’s Mohawk brother), Collin Tully (Jesuit missionary De Lambertville), Julia Crimando and Olivia Salvaterra (Mohawk teens), Ricky Proctor (young Jesuit missionary), and Michael Fowler (young Jesuit missionary). Daniel Smith, another Squire and active member of the cast, was ill the day of the performance.

Boy Scout troops 95 and 150 for constructed the Mohawk longhouse and the Jesuit Mission lean-to structures that were central parts of the set design.

Winakung at Waterloo Village allowed them to use of several Native American materials for the play.

Over 100 parishioners and family members went to the presentation.

For more information on the parish visit www.blessedkateri.org.

For more information on the Squires and Rose visit www.blessedkaterinjkofc.org.

For more information on Winakung at Waterloo, please visit www.winakungatwaterloo.com.