The Heroic Mission of the North American Martyrs
"Martyrdom is the supreme witness given to the faith: it means witness even unto death. The martyr bears witness to Christ who died and rose, to whom he is united by charity." -St. Ignatius of Antioch.
9/26/20252 min read
Today we celebrate the feast of the Canadian Martyrs, also known as the North American Martyrs. They are priests St. John de Brebeuf, St. Antoine Daniel, St. Charles Garnier, St. Isaac Jogues, St. Gabriel Lalemant, St. Noël Chabanel, and oblates St. René Goupil as well as St. John de Lalande; eight Jesuit missionaries who left France during the 17th century to evangelize the people of the Huron-Wendat Nation.
Encountered by a hostile and isolated environment, burdened with food shortage, diseases and extreme weather, their mission led more than 7.000 souls to Christ through baptism.
They were raided by brutal Iroquois people -enemies of the Huron-, tortured and crowned with the victory of Martyrdom.
In 1642, the Mohawk captured and tortured René Goupil and Father Isaac Jogues. They also killed Goupil. After several months of captivity, Jogues was rescued by Dutch traders and the minister from New Netherland (present-day Albany). He returned to France, but then sailed back to North America. In 1646 he and Jean de Lalande were violently killed during a visit to Ossernenon while they were trying to make peace between the French and the Mohawk.
In 1648, Antoine Daniel was riddled with arrows. A bullet struck him in the chest as he fell uttering the name of Jesus. After desecrating his body, the Iroquois threw it into the fire that was consuming the chapel where he celebrated his last mass.
In 1649, Jean de Brébeuf and Gabriel Lalemant were taken captives when the Iroquois destroyed the Huron mission village at Saint-Louis. They took the priests to the occupied village of St. Ignace, where they tortured, killed and cannibalized them.
Brébeuf addressed the other captives before dying: ”God is the witness of our sufferings, and will soon be our exceeding great reward. Let us die in this faith… Sustain with courage the few remaining torments. They will end our lives. The glory which follows them will never have an end.”
That same year, on Dec. 7, Charles Garnier was killed by the Iroquois as they attacked the village of Saint-Jean. His body was found a few steps from the ruins of his chapel.
The next day, on Dec. 8, Noël Chabanel was martyred by a "renegade" Huron.
The beatification ceremony took place in St Peter's Basilica in Rome on July 21, 1925 by Pope Pius XI. Canonization proceeded on June 29, 1930.
They are collectively the second patron saints of Canada, along with St. Joseph.
The National Shrine of the Canadian Martyrs was constructed in 1925 and consecrated on June 25, 1926 in Midland, Ontario. A National Shrine has been constructed and dedicated in Auriesville, New York.
Holy North American Martyrs, Orate pro nobis.