Saint Kateri Habitats
A Program of the Saint Kateri Conservation Center
God in Nature
The beauty of nature and of God's creation invokes a certain peacefulness and solitude that can be felt nowhere else.
Many people of faith seek out the beauty of nature to feel connected to God and to build a relationship with Him.
God uses his creation - the sounds of birds, the beauty of flowers, to speak to us. He even uses His creation to become present to us every day in the Mass - through grapes and wheat - in the Eucharist.
It makes sense that God would entrust all of his people with the duty to care for his creation.
Ecology in Catholicism
These realities are not new. Many popes and saints within the Catholic Church have promoted the presence of God in nature and care of creation for decades, and even centuries. Saint Francis of Assisi is well known for his bond with the natural world. In 2015, Pope Francis released an Encyclical titled "Laudato Si": On Care for Our Common Home. In it, the Holy Father discusses the link between the conservation of natural resources and the poor and marginalized across the world. Being stewards of the environment is directly linked to the value of the dignity of the human person. We are all God's creatures, and we depend on his creation for our survival.
This is called Integral Ecology.
Saint Kateri Tekakwitha
One such saint that has been associated with the care of creation and is a patron of ecologists, is Saint Kateri Tekakwitha.
Art by Teresa Sedlakova
Saint Kateri is the first Native American and First Nations saint. Her father was a Kanienkehaka (“Mohawk”) chief and her mother was a Catholic Algonquin. At the age of four, smallpox attacked Kateri's village, taking the lives of her parents and baby brother, and leaving Kateri an orphan. Although forever weakened, scarred, and partially blind, Kateri survived.
Kateri led a life of prayer and penitential practices. She taught the young and helped those in the village who were poor or sick. People referred to her as the “Holy Woman.” Kateri refused to marry and instead devoted her life entirely to Jesus.
Art by Sr. Mariella Erdmann
Saint Kateri died on April 17, 1680, at the age of 24. Her last words were, “Jesus, I love you." Like the flower she was named for, the lily, her life was short and beautiful. Moments after dying, her scarred face miraculously cleared and was made beautiful by God. This miracle was witnessed by two priests and all the others able to fit into the room.
Art by Marek Made
Kateri is known for her heroic faith, virtue, and love of Jesus, in the face of adversity and rejection.
Art by John McCoy
Saint Kateri Tekakwitha is popularly known as the patroness of people who love nature, work in ecology, and work to preserve the integrity of creation.
We at the Center believe that Saint Kateri intercedes for us in our mission, and helps to steward the beautiful spaces that have registered under the Habitat program in her name.
A statue of Saint Kateri found on the beach of a wooded preserve.
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The Saint Kateri Habitat Program
Signs for sale to designate habitats.
The Saint Kateri Habitat Program encourages Catholics and Catholic entities to restore and protect habitat on their property, at home and in their communities, and to register it as Saint Kateri Habitat.
- Designated Saint Kateri Habitats provide at least three of the following six elements:
- Food, water, cover, and space for wildlife, including habitat for pollinators and other terrestrial and aquatic organisms,-
- Native trees, shrubs, herbaceous plants, and ecosystems,- Food, water, cover, and space for people, including vegetable gardens, flower gardens, community-supported gardens, indoor gardens, and farms,
- Ecosystem services, such as pollination, clean air and water, carbon storage for climate regulation, and religious faith arising from interactions with the “Book of Nature,”
- Clean energy and sustainable practices of gardening, landscaping, and farming,
- Sacred spaces for worship, prayer, and contemplation, including Mary gardens, prayer gardens, and rosary gardens.
Before and After of a Saint Kateri Habitat constructed at Red Hill Farm, owned by the Sisters of Saint Francis of Philadelphia.
A designated Saint Kateri Habitat sign mounted in Wading River, NY.
A registered Saint Kateri Habitat can be any kind of natural habitat like a garden, park, farm, or forest.
We encourage the creation of habitats such as forested riparian zones, wetlands, pollinator habitat, and vegetable gardens.
Once you register your habitat with the Center, you can purchase a Saint Kateri Habitat yard sign to mark your site.
Saint Kateri Habitats must provide at least one religious expression, such as a statue of Mary or a Catholic saint or a prayer labyrinth.
Once you register your property as a Saint Kateri Habitat, we will feature your efforts on our interactive web map, where others can see and be inspired by the work you and your community are doing to care for creation.
Registered Saint Kateri Habitats
See the map below to explore the current registered habitats across the globe!
Mary Gardens
There are many types of habitats that can be found or created across the world. One of the most important things is to plant plants native to the surrounding area, so that wildlife can thrive there. One way to incorporate native plants and a spiritual element is to plant a Mary Garden.
While traditional Mary Garden plants are of European origin, whe at the Saint Kateri Center have created some Mary Garden designs with native alternatives. Check them out below!
The Mary Garden Design and The Real Garden
For more resources on habitat creation, click the link below!
