Saint Jean de Brébeuf, Saint Isaac Jogues and companions

<p><strong>[Antoine Daniel, Gabriel Lalemant, Charles Garnier, Noël Chabanel, René Goupil and Jean de la Lande]</strong></p>
<p>This day honours the eight martyrs of North America who died between 1642 and 1649. All came from Europe in response to a call for "missionaries to the Indians," and all showed great courage in life and in facing death. Six men were Jesuit priests and two were lay assistants. One group met their death in the United States and the other in Canada. In the first group were Isaac Jogues and the laymen, René Goupil and Jean de la Lande. In the second group were Jean de Brébeuf, Antoine Daniel, Gabriel Lalemant, Charles Garnier, and Noël Chabanel.</p>
<p>These men were aware of the dangers involved and of the fate of captives. Some of them were captured and escaped, but returned. These men persisted in their efforts to preach the Gospel to the aboriginal peoples.</p>
<p>Reliable accounts of the gruesome martyrdom of Brébeuf and Lalemant survive today in the Jesuit <em>Relations</em>. At Auriesville NY and at Midland ON, the shrines erected to the memory of the martyrs attract thousands of pilgrims annually.<br /></p>
<p>©2011 <em>Living with Christ, </em>Novalis - Bayard Press Canada Inc., <strong>http://www.livingwithchrist.ca/</strong&gt;. Reprinted with permission.</p>