A fleet that sailed from France in the year 1636 carried a small band of newly ordained Jesuits who had volunteered to work in the wilderness of North America. These well-educated, cultured Frenchmen were leaving home, family, safety, and comfort to work among the savages of New France. They knew they faced greater hardships and possible martyrdom. Father Isaac Jogues and Father Charles Garnier were two members of this band.
St. Isaac Jogues was a French Jesuit missionary, martyr and saint. He was one of the first European explorers to navigate the Mohawk River in the Mohawk Valley of what is now upstate New York and was known for his efforts to convert the Native American people to Christianity.
Isaac Jogues was born in 1607 in Orléans, France, and entered the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in 1624. In 1636, he was sent to the New World as a missionary and landed in Quebec, Canada. He was then sent to the Huron-Wendat mission, where he worked with the Huron people for four years, learning their language and customs.
In 1642, Jogues and his companions were captured by the Mohawk people, who were traditional enemies of the Hurons. Jogues and his companions were treated brutally and tortured, but Jogues was able to maintain his faith and continue to minister to the Mohawks, even though he was held in captivity for 13 months.
In 1643, Jogues and his companions were able to escape and returned to France, where he was greeted as a hero and spent time recuperating from his injuries. However, he wanted to return to the New World and continue his mission among the Native Americans. He returned to North America in 1646 with a new group of Jesuits.
Jogues and his companions were able to establish a new mission among the Mohawks, but they met with intense resistance from the Mohawk people and other tribes. In 1646, Jogues and his companion were killed by their captors. He was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1930, and is considered a martyr for his efforts to spread Christianity among the Native American peoples.
Jogues’ devotion to the native people of America and his will to continue his mission despite facing immense danger and suffering, even unto death, has made him a symbol of selflessness, courage and faith.
St. Isaac Jogues is the patron saint of North America and is also considered the patron saint of ecologists, geologists, and of the Mohawk nation. His feast day is celebrated on October 19th, by the Catholic Church. His legacy lives on through the many schools and parishes named after him, as well as the annual pilgrimage to the site of his martyrdom in Auriesville, New York.
(Adapted from ChristianApostels.com)