US | Pope Benedict XVI Vatican Will Canonize First Native American Saint It credits boy's recovery to miracle by Kateri Tekakwitha By John Johnson Posted Dec 20, 2011 6:48 PM CST Copied Pope Benedict XVI delivers his blessing as he arrives for a general audience in the Pope Paul II hall at the Vatican, Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2011. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini) A young boy's recovery from flesh-eating bacteria will help a 17th-century woman become the first Native American saint in the Catholic Church, reports USA Today. The Vatican has called the recovery of Washington state's Jake Finkbonner from near death in 2006 a miracle that can be credited to Kateri Tekakwitha. Jake's family prayed to Tekakwitha, who was disfigured by smallpox herself as a girl in what is now upstate New York. “There is no doubt in me or my husband’s mind that a miracle definitely took place,” Jake's mom tells MSNBC.com. “There were far too many things that could have and should have gone wrong with his illness. The doctors went through every avenue they could to save his life and he survived. It’s a miracle that all of the other things that could have gone wrong, didn’t.” The date for Tekakwitha's canonization will be announced in a few months. Read These Next This publication's review of Melania just got much worse. Theater got snarky with its Melania marquee, and Amazon was ticked. Power glitch interrupts first Winter Olympics event. Prominent law firm chairman faces up to Epstein revelations. Report an error