The pope praised Tekakwitha, whom he said lived a simple life of service.

CNN: Pope names first Native American saint

Tekakwitha's canonization follows what has been judged a miracle by the Roman Catholic Church in the 2006 case of an American boy with a flesh-eating bug.

CNN: Pope names first Native American saint

The family's appeal for help was guided by Tekakwitha's own history, as she was left with a badly scarred face as a child after an outbreak of smallpox ravaged her village, taking the lives of her parents and brother.

CNN: Pope names first Native American saint