New Film Explores Contributions of Native American Catholicism

Enduring Faith: The Story of Native American Catholicism to air on ABC affiliated stations

Contact : Knights of Columbus News Bureau news@kofc.org, 475-255-0097

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – A new documentary produced by the Knights of Columbus on Native American Catholicism will air on ABC affiliated stations through a partnership with the Interfaith Broadcasting Commission (IBC) beginning May 16, 2021.

Enduring Faith: The Story of Native American Catholicism explores the rich contribution and witness that Native American Catholics have given to the faith over the course of nearly 500 years.

“The history and deeply ingrained traditions of Native American Catholics demonstrate how Christ reveals himself through the uniqueness of every culture,” Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly said. “Our hope is that this film will inspire a greater appreciation of the faithful witness of Native American Catholics.”

The documentary begins in the 16th century, when Mary, under the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe, appeared to St. Juan Diego as a mestiza woman. The film goes on to explore the life of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, the first canonized Native American saint, and the 20th-century Lakota healer, Nicholas Black Elk, whose cause for canonization is currently open in Rome.

The film examines the spiritual and cultural gifts of Native American Catholics, the wrongs inflicted upon them by the often unjust policies of the British and American governments, and how Native American Catholics today continue to live out their faith in fully inculturated ways.

The documentary is part of the Knights of Columbus Native Solidarity initiative. First announced at the 137th Supreme Convention in 2019, the Native Solidarity initiative began with a partnership between the Knights, the Diocese of Gallup, N.M., and the Southwest Indian Foundation to build a shrine to St. Kateri in the Southwest United States. As the Covid-19 pandemic struck, as part of Native Solidarity and the Order’s “Leave No Neighbor Behind”, Knights brought necessities to thousands of native and indigenous communities in New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Hawaii that were struck particularly hard by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Knights has also collaborated with Life is Sacred, a native-run non-profit committed to building a culture of life and a civilization of love, and the Black and Indian Mission Office.

Enduring Faith: The Story of Native American Catholicism will air primarily on Sundays. To find air times for your area, visit kofc.org/enduringfaith.