One of the group of eight Jesuits canonized in 1930 as the Martyrs of North America, St. Charles Garnier (1605-1649) was a missionary to the Tobacco Nation, also known as the Petun or Tionontati. On December 7th 1649, an Iroquois army attacked the undefended town of St. Jean (Etharita). In the slaughter that followed, Garnier refused to flee, instead staying to administer the sacraments to the wounded and dying. Severely wounded by musket fire, he said a quick prayer then dragged himself toward a dying man before finally being killed by an Iroquois tomahawk.

The heartwrenching story of the attack on Etharita is here told by Father Paul Ragueneau, from an eyewitness account of a Christian Indian who escaped with her life. There follows a summation of Garnier’s life and heroic virtues, drawn from Ragueneau’s 12 year personal friendship with his fellow missionary. His "perfect obedience," his prudence, charity, indeed his cultivation of all the Christian virtues led him to devote himself heart and soul to the native Americans. He was, it was said, a man born only for their conversion.

Softcover.
$3.00
Published by Arx Publishing.

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