One of the group of eight Jesuits canonized in 1930 as the Martyrs of North America, St. Jean de Brébeuf (1593-1649) has long been revered as a giant among the missionaries. Made superior of the Huron mission, he at once trained his scholarly intellect to the study of their language, writing numerous religious and linguistic works including perhaps Jesous Ahatonhia, the first Canadian Christmas carol. Beloved by his Huron flock, who named him Echon, he marvelously adapted himself to their native customs and ways of speech, and gathered to himself a devoted church whose members would seed the Catholic faith throughout North America.

In this short excerpt penned by his fellow Jesuit Father Paul Ragueneau, we learn of the extraordinary virtues and visions that St. Jean was privy to. Using excerpts from Brébeuf’s own writings, Ragueneau describes the saint’s astounding willingness to die a terrible death in order that his beloved Hurons might be brought to the Christian faith. His fervent desire was granted when an Iroquois war party attacked the Huron village of St. Ignace (Taenhatentaron), and carried off Brébeuf and Father Gabriel Lalemant to one of the most gruesome tortures and glorious martyrdoms in the history of the New World.

Softcover.
$3.00
Published by Arx Publishing.

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