St. Isaac Jogues

Isaac Jogues, a Canadian Jesuit priest, returned from France to continue his missionary work. He was martyred together with Giovanni La Lande on October 18, 1646. In a single celebration, the church brings together eight French Jesuit religious and six priests, as well as two lay brothers, who gave their lives to spread the faith among the indigenous peoples. of Canada, especially the Huron tribe.

Among them there is also Father Antonio Daniel, killed in 1648 by the Iroquois with arrows, arquebuses and other ill-treatment at the end of the mass. All of them were martyred in the context of the hostilities between Father Jean de Brebeuf and Gabriel Lalemant, Charles Gamier and Natale Chabanel, who both belonged to the Huron tribe and where they had exercised their apostolate in 1649. The Canadian martyrs were canonized in 1930 and proclaimed. blessed in 1925. Their common memory is celebrated on October 19th. ROMAN MARTYROLOGIST.

The Passion of Saint Isaac Jogues, priest of the Society of Jesus and martyr, took place in Ossernenon, in the Canadian territory. He was enslaved and finger mutilated by pagans, and died with his head crushed by an ax blow. Tomorrow will be a day to remember him and his companions.

Isaac Jogues, a priest, was born near Orleans in 1607. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1624. He was ordained a priest and sent to North America to preach the Gospel to indigenous peoples. Accompanied by Father Jean de Brebeuf, governor of Montmagny, he left for the Great Lakes. There he spent six years continuously exposed to danger. He explored as far as Sault Sainte-Marie with the brothers Garnier and Petuns et Raymbault.

He went on a canoe trip with Renato Goupil, his brother and doctor, and forty other people, until 1642, when Renato was captured by the Iroquois. Renato and Isaac were killed in the battle for Sault Sainte-Marie. All four of Father Jean de Brebeuf's coadjutors, Gabriel Lalemant and Charles Gamier, were killed during the hostilities. This also happened in the context in which they had carried out their apostolate against the Huron tribe in 1649.

The Canadian martyrs were declared blessed in 1925 and canonized in 1930. Their common memory is celebrated on October 19th.