Saint of the day October 19, 2024

On October 19, we honor the six Jesuit priests and two lay missionaries who we have come to know as the North American Martyrs. Their work for the Lord began in 1636 in the land that would become Canada. Father Isaac Jogues, Father Jean de Brebeuf, Rene Goupil, a layman with medical training, and other helpers were sent from France to preach the Gospel to Native American tribes in the land that was known at that time as “New France,” and in the land that would become the USA. The other missionaries who traveled to North America were Gabriel Lalement, Noel Chabanel, Charles Garnier, Anthony Daniel, and John Lalande.

These faith-filled men were not welcomed by the Native Americans, who did not trust new settlers. They did not care that these were men of God. The Native Americans only knew that settlers had cheated them in the past and had taken their best hunting grounds.

The missionaries first worked among the Huron tribes. They built a mission near an Indian village. They were accepted by the Hurons because they tried to help them, nursing them through illnesses and teaching them new farming skills. In time, the missionaries were able to begin to teach the Huron people about Jesus. Father de Brebeuf even wrote a catechism in the Native American language to teach the children.

Because the members of the Iroquois tribe and the Hurons were enemies, the Iroquois believed that the missionaries were also their enemies. The missionaries wanted to bring peace to these two tribes and to share the Good News with the Iroquois as they had done with the Huron people.

Over the next eight years, these brave missionaries were brutally killed. We know many details about their work among the Native Americans and their deaths because of the letters and journals they wrote.

We honor all these men as saints who died for their faith. They believed with all their hearts in the words Father Daniel is reported to have said as he was killed, “We will meet again in heaven.” The men were all canonized as a group in 1930.

The North American Martyrs planted the first seeds of faith on our continent. We thank God for their bravery. They truly lived Jesus’ command, “Make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19).

These eight North American Martyrs were canonized by Pope Pius XI on June 29, 1930. They are patrons of the Americas and Canada. The Shrine to North American Martyrs in Midland, Canada, is located at the Mission of Sainte-Marie among the Hurons, where the Canadian martyrs had their mission.

Reflection

These heroic saints helped lay the foundation of faith not only for the native peoples but also for the European settlers who arrived and populated North America. They epitomize a selfless desire to lay down their lives for others, even those who acted in excessively brutal ways. The torture they received did not lead to bitterness but to praise and thanksgiving to God that they were found worthy to imitate Christ’s death.

As we honor the North American Martyrs, ponder the depth of sacrifice you are willing to make for the good of those around you. Family, friends, community, or workplace, we must continually look out for the good of others in a selfless way. Seek inspiration from today’s saints and strive to follow in their footsteps, through the unique form of martyrdom God asks of you.