St. Jean de Brebeuf, 1593 – 1649, was a french born Jesuit missionary and martyr of New France who arrived in America in 1625 to evangelise Native Americans. He lived among the Huron for over 15 years under difficult and challenging circumstances. In 1648 the Iroquois launched a war of extermination against the Huron, their traditional enemies. Refusing to flee when their Huron villlage was attacked, Brebeuf and his assistant, Gabriel Lalemant, were captured the following year and tortured to death by the Iroquois. Brebeuf was canonised in 1930 with seven other missionaries who are collectively called the North American martyrs. He is the patron saint of Canada. His feast day is October 19th.
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I am not sure I am holy enough to say St. Jean de Brebeuf’s prayer. Yet the cancel culture has canceled Columbus and given us Indigenous Native Day, murderers, torturers, and cannibals.
Do you think Canada will really celebrate their patron saints’ feast day today–or any day soon?
His “Huron Carol” is one of my Christmas favorites.
Dennis, in Canada their feast day is normally celebrated in on Sept. 26. Incidentally, that is the date that is in the traditional calendar.
The North American Martyrs are underrated. Y’all know that one of my hobby horses is the need for an American spirituality, based on our history and small-t traditions. We need American saints and pilgrimage destinations.