Saint of the day, October 19
Six Jesuit priests and two lay companions endured captivity, torture, and death while bringing the Catholic faith to Indigenous peoples in present-day Canada and New York.
October 19 – Saints John de Brébeuf, Isaac Jogues, and Companions, Martyrs
Date: Oct. 19 (U.S. memorial)
Location: Present-day Canada and New York
Known for: Eight missionaries who gave their lives for the Catholic faith
Canonization: June 29, 1930, by Pope Pius XI
The memorial of Saints John de Brébeuf, Isaac Jogues, and their companions honors missionaries whose love for Christ sustained them through hardship, captivity, and death as they brought the Gospel to North America. The Catholic Church in the U.S. remembers them together as the North American Martyrs.
The group included six French Jesuit priests and two companions who assisted their mission. Alongside Saint John de Brébeuf and Saint Isaac Jogues, the Church honors Saint Gabriel Lalemant, Saint Antoine Daniel, Saint Charles Garnier, Saint Noël Chabanel, Saint René Goupil, and Saint Jean de la Lande. All eight died between 1642 and 1649.
Saint John de Brébeuf arrived in Quebec in 1625 and devoted years to serving the Huron, or Wendat, people. He learned their language and customs, sharing the difficulties of their daily lives while teaching the Catholic faith. His missionary work included preparing a catechism in their language.
Saint Isaac Jogues’ mission brought a different trial. In 1642, he and Saint René Goupil were captured by an Iroquois war party and taken to a Mohawk village. Saint René Goupil was killed, while Saint Isaac Jogues endured captivity and torture that left his hands permanently injured. After escaping and returning to France, he received permission to celebrate Mass despite his mutilated hands. He then returned to North America to continue his mission.
Saints Isaac Jogues and Jean de la Lande were killed by Mohawk captors in 1646. Saint John de Brébeuf and Saint Gabriel Lalemant were captured by Iroquois attackers in March 1649 and died after prolonged torture. Pope Pius XI canonized all eight martyrs on June 29, 1930.
Their witness extended beyond the circumstances of their deaths. Visiting the Martyrs’ Shrine in Ontario in 1984, Saint John Paul II recalled that Saint John de Brébeuf envisioned a Church that was fully Catholic and fully Huron.
As Catholics remember these martyrs, we can ask for the courage to remain faithful amid difficulties, the generosity to serve our neighbors, and the perseverance to share the Gospel through both our words and our lives.
Saints John de Brébeuf, Isaac Jogues, and companions, pray for us!
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