September 10: The Ajacán Mission

Welcome to the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast. Today is September 10th, and our story is The Ahabican Mission. On September 10th, 1570, a Spanish ship sailed into the Chesapeake Bay and deposited two Jesuit fathers and six Jesuit brothers on shore. The men brought no weapons and no soldiers with them. They had but one mission, evangelization.

Likewise, the only valuable belongings they possessed were the tools of the missionaries' trade, vestments, mass vessels, and the scriptures. One servant and an Algonquian guide named Don Luis traveled with them. The Spanish had captured Don Luis ten years earlier on those same shores, known then as Oaxacan. When they returned to Spain, the Algonquian boy went with them. He met the king, became Catholic, and received a Jesuit education.

He appeared to embrace the faith enthusiastically, and after the Jesuits announced their plan to take the gospel to Ajakan, Don Luis asked to come along, seemingly eager to share his faith with his people. But Don Luis's tune changed after their arrival. Explaining that he wanted to recruit catechumens for the Ajakhan mission and secure food for the Jesuits, the Algonquian asked the party's leader, Father Juan Segura, for permission to travel to his family's village. The priest readily agreed. When several weeks passed, however, with no sign of Don Luis, the Jesuits grew concerned.

Twice, Father Segura sent novices to fetch their guide. With each failed attempt, the missionaries' fears grew. Finally, in February 1571, a third search party ventured out. Don Luis met them on the way and fired arrows into their hearts. The Jesuit's former guide and several of his tribesmen then continued to the encampment. Segura met him with a smile, crying out, Don Luis, you are most welcome.

Don Luis struck the priest's head with an axe. The remaining priests and brothers were dead in minutes. Only the servant boy escaped. A supply ship found him a year later and learned of the missionary's fate. With the ship's departure, Spanish colonization attempts along America's mid-Atlantic seaboard ended. The Diocese of Richmond opened the Jesuits' cause for canonization in 2002.

The Ajakan Jesuits remind us that fidelity to God sometimes comes with immense personal risk. Their courage and dedication, even in the face of betrayal and death, inspire us to examine our own commitment to faith and mission. Consider one area of your life where you can witness to your faith courageously, even if it feels risky or countercultural.

Thank you for listening to the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast. Join us tomorrow, September 11th, for another story of faith and courage in America.