Honoring Heritage and Faith: Notre Dame Student Portrays St. Kateri in Historic Cathedral Mural

Close up of the St. Kateri mural as modeled by Dana Howling Wolf Keller.

A Notre Dame Academy junior from Worcester, Massachusetts, recently had the extraordinary honor of portraying St. Kateri Tekakwitha in a newly unveiled mural at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. Dana Howling Wolf Keller, originally from North Dakota, is a proud member of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation (MHA Nation).

After Dana was adopted from the foster system, her parents intentionally preserved her full name to honor her Native heritage and keep her connected to her roots—a connection that makes her portrayal of St. Kateri, the first Native American saint, significant.

Known as the “Lily of the Mohawks,” St. Kateri is the patroness of Native Americans, orphans and the environment. Dana was photographed in Native attire to inspire artist Adam Cvijanovic, whose 25-foot mural—titled “What’s So Funny About Peace, Love, and Understanding” —was commissioned by His Eminence The vibrant, 12-panel work celebrates the Cathedral’s legacy as a sanctuary for New York’s diverse Catholic community, especially immigrants, and interweaves saints, civic leaders and everyday figures into a sacred narrative of faith, resilience and belonging. Dana’s likeness now appears alongside St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, Dorothy Day and Venerable Pierre Toussaint. Installed in the Cathedral’s narthex, this is the largest

Dana Howling Wolf Keller with artist Adam Cvijanovic in front of the 25-foot mural—titled “What’s So Funny About Peace, Love, and Understanding.”

permanent artwork in its 146-year history— a powerful testament to unity across faith, heritage and generations.

This story appears in the Winter 2025 edition of Sowing Goodness, and you can read all of our past issues here.