April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
REFLECTION
Now I see clearly
A few years ago, I attended the celebration of Brother Andre of Montreal when he was made a saint; last year, I rejoiced to hear that, after many years, Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha would also be canonized.
I first got to know about Kateri when preparing to be ordained to serve in the Diocese of Albany. As I researched the history of our Diocese, I read about St. Isaac Jogues and his companions, and later attended a retreat at the National Shrine of Blessed (now St.) Kateri Tekakwitha in Fonda.
One of my first baptisms was the daughter of my sister's friend. Mary, the mother of the child, had struggled to be born, so her mother had prayed to Blessed Kateri for protection for her child. When Mary had a child of her own, she named the baby for the saint. I baptized Kateri in 1994, and she continues to be a shining example of a woman of faith, spending her college breaks doing missionary work.
St. Kateri Tekakwitha has a special place in my heart, since I am from central New York and a priest of the Diocese of Albany, where she was baptized. I was so excited to hear she would be declared a saint, I booked my plane fare for Rome.
Two weeks before the pilgrimage, I saw black dots floating in my right eye. My optometrist saw me on a Friday and told me, "You're getting older. This is normal. Call if it gets worse."
That Saturday, at the vigil Mass, I felt like I was looking through waxed paper. I never thought there would be a doctor on call, so I waited till Monday to call - which was a Jewish holiday, so my doctor was off. I was offered an appointment in two weeks. My GP told me not to wait.
The parish secretary told me, "We have an eye surgeon who comes to Mass here in the summer. Why not call him?"
The eye surgeon saw me immediately. He told me I had a large tear in my retina. He helped me to contact another eye surgeon, and I was operated on the next day.
What about my pilgrimage to the canonization? Of course, my plans had to be canceled. An air bubble was placed behind the retina to help with the healing, so flying to Rome in a pressurized cabin would have been too dangerous for me. Sadly, I had to celebrate stateside.
I consoled myself by recalling that Kateri had eye problems as a result of smallpox as a child. ("Tekakwitha" may be translated as "bumps into things" or "feels with the hands.") I began to pray for my healing. Not only were my parishioners praying for me, but I found out that those from our parish and our Diocese who had gone on the pilgrimage for the canonization were also petitioning heaven on my behalf.
Two weeks later, when I saw the surgeon, he commented on how well I was healing. I told him it was prayer, but he seemed less than sure. When the pilgrims returned from Rome, I was told I was prayed for at the Mass of Thanksgiving celebrated by the Bishop in Rome, and I felt confident Kateri was looking out for me.
I had my last visit with the surgeon in March, and he ended by telling me, "You had a really big tear, but it has healed very well." He seemed so surprised. I was not. I knew he was a good surgeon, but I also know that, through the intercession of St. Kateri, I had help from a far more powerful healer.
(Father Welch is pastor of St. Paul the Apostle parish in Hancock.)[[In-content Ad]]
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