St. Isaac Jogues
French missionary, born at Orléans, France, 10 January, 1607; martyred at Ossernenon, in the present State of New York, 18 October, 1646. He was the first Catholic priest who ever came to Manhattan Island (New York). He entered the Society of Jesus in 1624 and, after having been professor of literature at Rouen, was sent as a missionary to Canada in 1636. He came out with Montmagny, the immediate successor of Champlain. From Quebec he went to the regions around the great lakes where the illustrious Father de Brébeuf and others were labouring. There he spent six years in constant danger. Though a daring missionary, his character was of the most practical nature, his purpose always being to fix his people in permanent habitations. He was with Garnier among the Petuns, and he and Raymbault penetrated as far as Sault Ste Marie, and "were the first missionaries", says Bancroft (VII, 790, London, 1853), "to preach the gospel a thousand miles in the interior, five years before John Eliot addressed the Indians six miles from Boston Harbour". There is little doubt that they were not only the first apostles but also the first white men to reach this outlet of Lake Superior. No documentary proof is adduced by the best-known historians that Nicholet, the discoverer of Lake Michigan, ever visited the Sault. Jogues proposed not only to convert the Indians of Lake Superior, but the Sioux who lived at the head waters of the Mississippi.
His plan was thwarted by his capture near Three Rivers returning from Quebec. He was taken prisoner on 3 August, 1642, and after being cruelly tortured was carried to the Indian village of Ossernenon, now Auriesville, on the Mohawk, about forty miles above the present city of Albany. There he remained for thirteen months in slavery, suffering apparently beyond the power of natural endurance. The Dutch Calvinists at Fort Orange (Albany) made constant efforts to free him, and at last, when he was about to be burnt to death, induced him to take refuge in a sailing vessel which carried him to New Amsterdam (New York). His description of the colony as it was at that time has since been incorporated in the Documentary History of the State. From New York he was sent; in mid-winter, across the ocean on a lugger of only fifty tons burden and after a voyage of two months, landed Christmas morning, 1643, on the coast of Brittany, in a state of absolute destitution. Thence he found his way to the nearest college of the Society. He was received with great honour at the court of the Queen Regent, the mother of Louis XIV, and was allowed by Pope Urban VII the very exceptional privilege of celebrating Mass, which the mutilated condition of his hands had made canonically impossible; several of his fingers having been eaten or burned off. He was called a martyr of Christ by the pontiff. No similar concession, up to that, is known to have been granted.
In early spring of 1644 he returned to Canada, and in 1646 was sent to negotiate peace with the Iroquois. He followed the same route over which he had been carried as a captive. It was on this occasion that he gave the name of Lake of the Blessed Sacrament to the body of water called by the Indians Horicon, now known as Lake George. He reached Ossernenon on 5 June, after a three weeks' journey from the St. Lawrence. He was well received by his former captors and the treaty of peace was made. He started for Quebec on 16 June and arrived there 3 July. He immediately asked to be sent back to the Iroquois as a missionary, but only after much hessitation his superiors acceded to his request. On 27 September he began his third and last journey to the Mohawk. In the interim sickness had broken out in the tribe and a blight had fallen on the crops. This double calamity was ascribed to Jogues whom the Indians always regarded as a sorcerer. They were determined to wreak vengence on him for the spell he had cast on the place, and warriors were sent out to capture him. The news of this change of sentiment spread rapidly, and though fully aware of the danger Jogues continued on his way to Ossernenon, though all the Hurons and others who were with him fled except Lalande. The Iroquois met him near Lake George, stripped him naked, slashed him with their knives, beat him and then led him to the village. On 18 October, 1646, when entering a cabin he was struck with a tomahawk and afterwards decapitated. The head was fixed on the Palisades and the body thrown into the Mohawk.
Murph,
Thanks for the post. Have you been to Auriesville, NY (North American Martyrs Shrine) for the SSPX pilgrimage. I went to the very first one in 1993...terribly rainy day. And then, the second one in 1994 was scorching hot. I haven't been since. I heard the Shrine authorities don't allow the TLM anymore inside the "Colliseum" .
I would add a minor correction to the posting. The Feast of the North American Martyrs is a Feast of the Third Class (not second) per the 1962 Calendar. Unfortunately, and I don't know why, some of the American feasts were downgraded in rank when the calendar was revised in 1960.
One more thing that may humor you and other here:
When I went to the Shrine in 1993 (I was 14 then), I asked one of Jesuits who is staffed there if he had any old Breviaries that he didn't want. He looked very perplexed, but actually took me seriously after a minute, and asked me "Are you a Lefebvrist?". I said, well, yes, Father, if that is what you call a traditionalist. Then he asked me why I wanted them. And, I told him that I would like to be able to pray the Office in Latin just like the priests do. And, I guess that answer sufficed for him.He was very nice (maybe a little too nice!), and led to me to a private library and gave me a partial set of traditional Breviaries who belonged to his superior. The superior had meanwhile given him permission to give them away.
I still have them. Unfortunately, they were dated from 1954 and 1958, so not quite in accordance to the pray the Office of 1962.
I have to say, the Jesuit priest was more forthright and welcoming in aiding this former teenage boy in praying the Divine Office than all the SSPX priests, save one, who I had come into contact with.
Compliments to the post! I heard the Shrine was updated with the Church changes, and much of the impression of its beauty of Catholicism lessened. Wonder what the Holy Martyrs think?
May they pray for us all!
BTTT on the Memorial of St. John de Brebauf and Issac Jogues, priests and martyrs, and their companions, October 19, 2006!