The Archdiocese of Detroit celebrated the feast day of St. Kateri Tekakwitha on July 14, posting on social media her quote about her conversion to Catholicism.

"I have consecrated myself entirely to Jesus, son of Mary, I have chosen Him for husband, and He alone will take me for wife,” the archdiocese quoted her on Facebook. 

St. Kateri Tekakwitha was born in a Mohawk village in 1656, a report from Catholic.org said. She was the daughter of an Algonquin woman and a Mohawk chief. As a young girl, she saw her whole family die from smallpox, after which she was raised by an uncle. 

Driven by a deep love for Jesus in the Eucharist, Kateri converted to Catholicism, only to be shunned by many in her tribe. 

“Kateri is considered the first Iroquois virgin,” the archdiocese said. “Let us ask for her bravery and purity as we follow Jesus today.”

Kateri converted to Catholicism at age 19 and often prayed for the conversion of her fellow Mohawks, Catholic.org said. She took the name Kateri in honor of St. Catherine of Siena.

Some of Kateri's fellow tribal members disliked and distrusted her because of her conversion, so on the advice of a priest she ran away from her village, walking 200 miles to a Christian community near Montreal; a Franciscan Media report said. There, she dedicated her life to praying and fasting. Her decision to take a vow of virginity at age 23 was unprecedented among Native American women because their futures usually depended on marriage. 

When Kateri passed away at age 24, witnesses said that her smallpox scars were erased and her face looked like that of a healthy child, Franciscan Media said. 

St. Kateri, also known as the Lily of the Mohawks, was the first Native American to be honored as a Catholic saint; a report from Britannica said. Pope John Paul II beatified her in 1980, and Pope Benedict XVI canonized her in 2012. 

She is the patron saint of indigenous Americans.