St. Jean de Brébeuf, St. Isaac Jogues & Companions: Our Canadian Martyrs
September 26 – Secondary Patrons of Canada
When we think about the history of Canada, we often think about explorers, pioneers, fur traders, and people travelling through forests and across rivers with very questionable maps. But among the earliest people to travel into the heart of what is now Canada were men carrying something even more important than a map: the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
On September 26, the Church in Canada celebrates St. Jean de Brébeuf, St. Isaac Jogues, priests, and their companions, martyrs—the Canadian Martyrs and secondary patrons of our country. They were proclaimed secondary patrons of Canada by Pope Pius XII in 1940, with St. Joseph remaining our principal patron.
There were eight martyrs: six Jesuits—Jean de Brébeuf, Isaac Jogues, Antoine Daniel, Gabriel Lalemant, Charles Garnier and Noël Chabanel—and two lay missionary companions, René Goupil and Jean de La Lande. They served among Indigenous peoples in the missions of New France during the 17th century.
They Didn't Come for an Easy Assignment
These priests did not exactly receive what we would call a comfortable parish assignment.
No rectory.
No heated church.
No parish office.
No Wi-Fi.
And definitely no coffee machine.
They lived among the people they served, learned their languages and customs, travelled through difficult country, endured hunger, cold, illness, isolation and danger. Their mission was not simply to build churches. They wanted to introduce people to Jesus Christ and to live the Gospel among them.
St. Jean de Brébeuf spent years among the Wendat (Huron), learning their language and culture. He even composed a grammar, dictionary and catechism in the Huron language. His famous Christmas hymn, traditionally associated with the Huron people, is remembered today as the Huron Carol.
St. Isaac Jogues experienced terrible suffering after being captured and tortured. Yet after escaping and returning to France, he eventually chose to return to the missions.
Imagine that conversation:
"Father, you escaped! You are safe!"
"Yes."
"Wonderful! So where are you going now?"
"Back."
That is missionary courage.
“I Go, and I Shall Not Return”
St. Isaac Jogues understood something that is difficult for us to understand today: following Christ does not always mean choosing the easiest road.
His famous words were:
“I go, and I shall not return.”
He knew that returning to the mission might cost him his life. And it eventually did. Jogues and Jean de La Lande were killed in 1646. Other companions suffered martyrdom over the following years. St. Jean de Brébeuf and St. Gabriel Lalemant were killed in 1649, followed later that year by St. Charles Garnier and St. Noël Chabanel.
They were beatified in 1925 and canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1930.
What Do They Have to Say to Us Today?
We might think: “Father, that was 400 years ago. What does this have to do with me?”
Quite a lot.
The Canadian Martyrs remind us that faith is not something we are meant to keep safely inside the church building.Faith is something we carry into our homes, workplaces, schools, friendships and communities.
They also remind us that evangelization requires patience. They spent years learning how to communicate the Gospel across languages and cultures. They did not simply arrive, preach for ten minutes and ask everyone to fill out a registration form!
They had to listen, learn, build relationships and persevere.
And perhaps most importantly, they remind us that Jesus must remain at the centre of our lives. The Priests of Canada today continue to point to the martyrs' self-giving love as an important part of their spiritual legacy.
A Mission Still Unfinished
Canada has changed dramatically since the time of Brébeuf and Jogues. But the mission of sharing Christ has not ended.
Our country needs saints today just as much as it did in the 1600s.
We need parents who teach their children to pray.
We need young people who are not afraid to live their faith.
We need grandparents who pass on the faith they received.
We need priests and religious who serve generously.
And we need ordinary Catholics who are willing to say, “Lord, here I am. Send me.”
The Canadian Martyrs remind us that holiness is not about having an easy life. It is about giving our lives to Christ wherever He has placed us.
So on September 26, let us ask St. Jean de Brébeuf, St. Isaac Jogues and their companions to pray for Canada, for our families, for our Church, and for all of us.
And perhaps we can make one small missionary decision ourselves.
Invite someone to Mass.
Return to Confession.
Pray with your family.
Speak about your faith.
Forgive someone.
Help someone who is struggling.
You don't have to cross the wilderness of Canada like they did.
Sometimes the mission field is simply the person sitting beside us at the dinner table.
St. Jean de Brébeuf, St. Isaac Jogues and companions, pray for us!
