Canadian Martyrs
Encyclopedia
The North American Martyrs, also known as the Canadian Martyrs or the Martyrs of New France, were eight Jesuit missionaries from Sainte-Marie among the Hurons, who were martyr
ed in the mid-17th century in Canada, in what are now southern Ontario
and upstate New York, during the warfare between the Iroquois
and the Huron. The Martyrs are St. Jean de Brébeuf
(1649), St. Noël Chabanel (1649), St. Antoine Daniel
(1648), St. Charles Garnier (1649), St. René Goupil
(1642), St. Isaac Jogues
(1646), St. Jean de Lalande
(1646), and St. Gabriel Lalemant (1649).
By the late 1640s the Jesuits appeared to have been making more progress in their mission to the Huron, and they claimed to have made many converts at this time. Nevertheless, within Huron communities, the priests were not universally trusted. Many Hurons considered them to be malevolent shamans who brought death and disease wherever they travelled. Their arrival had coincided with epidemics after 1634 of smallpox
and other infectious diseases, to which aboriginal peoples had no immunity. (Epidemiological studies have shown the diseases were likely carried by the increased number of children immigrating after 1634 with families from cities in nations where smallpox was endemic
, such as France, England and the Netherlands
). The Iroquois considered the Jesuits legitimate targets, as the missionaries were nominally allies of the Huron. They had often helped organize resistance to Iroquois invasions.
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
ed in the mid-17th century in Canada, in what are now southern Ontario
Southern Ontario
Southern Ontario is a region of the province of Ontario, Canada that lies south of the French River and Algonquin Park. Depending on the inclusion of the Parry Sound and Muskoka districts, its surface area would cover between 14 to 15% of the province. It is the southernmost region of...
and upstate New York, during the warfare between the Iroquois
Iroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
and the Huron. The Martyrs are St. Jean de Brébeuf
Jean de Brébeuf
Jean de Brébeuf was a Jesuit missionary, martyred in Canada on March 16, 1649.-Early years:Brébeuf was born in Condé-sur-Vire, Normandy, France. He was the uncle of the fur trader Georges de Brébeuf. He studied near home at Caen. He became a Jesuit in 1617, joining the Order...
(1649), St. Noël Chabanel (1649), St. Antoine Daniel
Antoine Daniel
Saint Antoine Daniel was a Jesuit missionary at Sainte-Marie among the Hurons, and one of the eight Canadian Martyrs....
(1648), St. Charles Garnier (1649), St. René Goupil
René Goupil
René Goupil was a French missionary and one of the first North American martyrs of the Roman Catholic Church....
(1642), St. Isaac Jogues
Isaac Jogues
Isaac Jogues was a Jesuit priest, missionary, and martyr who traveled and worked among the native populations in North America. He gave the original European name to Lake George, calling it Lac du Saint Sacrement, Lake of the Blessed Sacrament. In 1646, Jogues was martyred by the Mohawks near ...
(1646), St. Jean de Lalande
Jean de Lalande
Saint Jean de Lalande was a Jesuit missionary at Sainte-Marie among the Hurons and one of the eight North American Martyrs....
(1646), and St. Gabriel Lalemant (1649).
By the late 1640s the Jesuits appeared to have been making more progress in their mission to the Huron, and they claimed to have made many converts at this time. Nevertheless, within Huron communities, the priests were not universally trusted. Many Hurons considered them to be malevolent shamans who brought death and disease wherever they travelled. Their arrival had coincided with epidemics after 1634 of smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
and other infectious diseases, to which aboriginal peoples had no immunity. (Epidemiological studies have shown the diseases were likely carried by the increased number of children immigrating after 1634 with families from cities in nations where smallpox was endemic
Endemic (epidemiology)
In epidemiology, an infection is said to be endemic in a population when that infection is maintained in the population without the need for external inputs. For example, chickenpox is endemic in the UK, but malaria is not...
, such as France, England and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
). The Iroquois considered the Jesuits legitimate targets, as the missionaries were nominally allies of the Huron. They had often helped organize resistance to Iroquois invasions.
Honors
- The martyrs were canonized by Pope Pius XIPope Pius XIPope Pius XI , born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, was Pope from 6 February 1922, and sovereign of Vatican City from its creation as an independent state on 11 February 1929 until his death on 10 February 1939...
in 1930. - The Martyrs' ShrineMartyrs' ShrineThe Martyrs’ Shrine is a Roman Catholic church in Midland, Ontario, Canada, which is consecrated to the memory of the Canadian Martyrs, six Jesuit Martyrs and two lay persons from the mission of Sainte-Marie among the Hurons. It is one of nine National Shrines in Canada,including, among others, St...
church in Midland, OntarioMidland, OntarioMidland is a town located on Georgian Bay in Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada.Situated at the southern end of Georgian Bay's 30,000 Islands, Midland is the economic centre of the region, with a 125-bed hospital and a local airport. It is the main town of the southern Georgian Bay area...
, the site of their missionary work among the Huron, and the National Shrine of the North American MartyrsNational Shrine of the North American MartyrsThe National Shrine of the North American Martyrs, also dedicated as the Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs, is a Roman Catholic shrine in Auriesville, New York dedicated to the Jesuit missionaries who were martyred at the Mohawk Indian village of Ossernenon between 1642 and 1646. St. Rene Goupil, a...
in Auriesville, New YorkAuriesville, New YorkAuriesville is a hamlet in the northeastern part of the town of Glen in Montgomery County, New York, United States, along the south bank of the Mohawk River. It lies about forty miles west of Albany, the state capital. A Jesuit cemetery is located there....
, along the Mohawk RiverMohawk RiverThe Mohawk River is a river in the U.S. state of New York. It is the largest tributary of the Hudson River. The Mohawk flows into the Hudson in the Capital District, a few miles north of the city of Albany. The river is named for the Mohawk Nation of the Iroquois Confederacy...
, are dedicated to them. - They are collectively patron saintPatron saintA patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
s of Canada. - St. René Goupil, St. Isaac Jogues, and St. Jean de Lalande are considered the first three U.S. saints, as they were martyred in New YorkUpstate New YorkUpstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
state. - They form part of the dedication of the Canadian national church in Rome. Their feast day is celebrated on September 26 in Canada and among traditional Roman Catholics.
- The feast day is celebrated in the General Roman Calendar and in the United States on October 19 under the title of "Isaac Jogues and John de Brébeuf, Priests and Martyrs, and Companions, Martyrs."
- The martyrs are the patron saints of Jesuit High School in Sacramento, California, where each building on the campus has been named after one of the saints. The largest building — the Jesuit Residence and Main Office — is named Brébeuf Hall.
- The martyrs are honored at a Catholic Summer Camp in Ozark, Illinois, named Camp Ondessonk. Each unit of cabins is named after the martyrs (Brebeuf, Daniel, etc.)
- The torture of the eight North American Martyrs by North American Indians is the subject depicted in the twelve-light World War I memorial window (1933) by Charles William KelseyCharles William KelseyCharles William Kelsey was a Canadian artist best known for his stained glass work. He was born in 1877 in England.He trained in England. He emigrated to Montreal, Quebec in 1922...
at the Loyola College (Montreal)Loyola College (Montreal)Loyola College was a Jesuit college in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It ceased to exist when it was incorporated into Concordia University in 1974. A portion of the original College remains as a separate entity called Loyola High School....
chapel. - The martyrs are honored by the church and elementary school named for them, North American Martyrs Parish, in Monroeville, Pennsylvania.
- An FSSPPriestly Fraternity of St. PeterThe Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter is a traditionalist Catholic Society of Apostolic Life of priests and seminarians in good standing with the Holy See.-Canonical status:...
parish, North American Martyrs Catholic ChurchNorth American Martyrs Catholic ChurchNorth American Martyrs Catholic Church is a Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter parish in Seattle, Washington, celebrating Mass according to the Tridentine Rite...
, is located in Seattle, WashingtonSeattle, WashingtonSeattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
. - They are also the saints honored at Jesuit High School in New Orleans, Louisiana.
- They are also honored with a side shine at Madonna Della Strada ChapelMadonna Della Strada ChapelMadonna della Strada is the namesake of the chapel motherchurch of the Jesuit Province of Chicago and sits on the campus of Loyola University Chicago in the neighborhood of Rogers Park. It was built on the lakefront with the waters of Lake Michigan directly at its front doorstep...
on the campus of Loyola University ChicagoLoyola University ChicagoLoyola University Chicago is a private Jesuit research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1870 under the title St... - They are the patron saints of American Martyrs Parish in Manhattan Beach, CaliforniaManhattan Beach, CaliforniaManhattan Beach is the wealthiest beachfront city located in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, USA. The city is on the Pacific coast, south of El Segundo, and north of Hermosa Beach. Manhattan Beach is the home of both beach and indoor volleyball, and surfing. During the winter, the...
.
See also
- Jesuit missions in North America
- Christian martyrsChristian martyrsA Christian martyr is one who is killed for following Christianity, through stoning, crucifixion, burning at the stake or other forms of torture and capital punishment. The word "martyr" comes from the Greek word μάρτυς, mártys, which means "witness."...