Saint Kateri Tekakwitha is the first Native American to be declared a saint by the Catholic Church. She was born in 1656 and converted to Catholicism at age 19. Saint Kateri was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI on October 21, 2012. She is the patron saint of the environment and ecology. Deacon Kipfstuhl explains why St. Kateri influences his work. Charities USA, the magazine of CCUSA, devoted a whole issue to care for the environment and each other, and you can read it here.