Saint John de Brébeuf, Saint Isaac Jogues and Companions

Known as “The North American Martyrs,” these 17th century French Jesuits and laymen were the first missionaries who ventured to North America and Canada after the latter’s discovery in 1534. Their group was comprised of six Jesuit priests — Fathers John de Brébeuf, Isaac Jogues, Gabriel Lalemant, Noel Chabanel, Charles Garnier, Anthony Daniel, and two of their laymen companions — Rene Goupil and John de Lalande. They volunteered for such mission in order to preach the Gospel to the Iroquois and Mohawk Indian tribes in the Huron area and convert them to Christianity.

With Saint John de Brébeuf as head of their mission, they successfully evangelized and ministered to thousands of peoples there until they were captured on separate instances by the warring tribes — the Iroquois took Saint John de Brébeuf and Saint Gabriel Lalemant, while the Mohawks imprisoned Saint Isaac Jogues and the rest of their companions. These saints truly suffered in the hands of their captors. Saint John de Brébeuf was tortured before he was martyred. The others were mocked, beaten with sticks and rods, with Saint Isaac Jogues’s hands mutilated. Even in his captivity Saint Isaac Jogues comforted his companions and was even able to baptize and hear confessions of the other prisoners. The Roman Catholic Church declared the eight missionaries as saints in 1930.

Saint John de Brébeuf, Saint Isaac Jogues and Companion Martyrs, pray for us!

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