Presidential Delegation Attends Canonization of 2 Americans, 5 Others

Yesterday in Rome, Pope Benedict XVI celebrated a special mass to canonize 7 individuals, including two Americans. (Full text of Pope's homily.) As reported by CNN, the Americans are the first Native American saint, 17th century Mohawk Kateri Tekakwitha; and  German-born Marianne Cope, who came to the U.S. as a child, became a nun and devoted 30 years to helping lepers in Hawaii. Last week, President Obama announced a Presidential delegation to attend the canonization mass: the U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, Miguel Humberto Diaz; Sister Agnelle Ching, an official with the Saint Francis Healthcare System of Hawaii; and Sister Kateri Mitchell, director of the Tekakwitha Conference whose patroness is the newly named saint.