Canadian Martyrs

Who they were

The 'Canadian Martyrs' are eight French Jesuits - six priests and two lay brothers - killed in the seventeenth century while preaching the Gospel in New France among the Huron and Iroquois. The first three died in what is now New York State, the others about 200 km north of Toronto, so they are better called the North American Martyrs.

René Goupil was killed in 1642 at Ossernenon; Isaac Jogues and Jean de Lalande near today's Auriesville on 18 October 1647; Antoine Daniel in 1648; and Jean de Brébeuf, Gabriel Lalemant, Charles Garnier and Noël Chabanel in 1649, during the war that destroyed the Huron nation and its missions.

The miracles

As martyrs they did not need approved miracles. Pius XII named them patrons of Canada in 1940. A shrine in their honour stands at Midland, Ontario. Their memorial is 19 October.

Why that counted as sanctity

These missionaries went knowingly into danger, and several returned after torture, to bring Christ to peoples who had never heard of Him, and gave their lives for it.

Connected on this site

• Antoine Daniel Saint one of this group
• Charles Garnier Saint one of this group
• Gabriel Lalemant Saint one of this group
• Isaac Jogues Saint one of this group
• Jean de Brébeuf Saint one of this group
• Jean de Lalande Saint one of this group
• Noël Chabanel Saint one of this group
• René Goupil Saint one of this group
• Antoine Daniel Saint
  “Antoine Daniel (French pronunciation: [ɑ̃twan danjɛl]; 27 May 1601 – 4 July 1648) was a French Jesuit missionary in North America, at Sainte-Marie among the Hurons, and one of the eight Canadian Martyrs.” — Wikipedia
• Charles Garnier Saint
  “René Goupil was killed in 1642 at Ossernenon; Isaac Jogues and Jean de Lalande near today's Auriesville on 18 October 1647; Antoine Daniel in 1648; and Jean de Brébeuf, Gabriel Lalemant, Charles Garnier and Noël Chabanel in 1649, during the war that destroyed the Huron nation and its missions.” — this site's research
• Gabriel Lalemant Saint
  “René Goupil was killed in 1642 at Ossernenon; Isaac Jogues and Jean de Lalande near today's Auriesville on 18 October 1647; Antoine Daniel in 1648; and Jean de Brébeuf, Gabriel Lalemant, Charles Garnier and Noël Chabanel in 1649, during the war that destroyed the Huron nation and its missions.” — this site's research
• Isaac Jogues Saint
  “René Goupil was killed in 1642 at Ossernenon; Isaac Jogues and Jean de Lalande near today's Auriesville on 18 October 1647; Antoine Daniel in 1648; and Jean de Brébeuf, Gabriel Lalemant, Charles Garnier and Noël Chabanel in 1649, during the war that destroyed the Huron nation and its missions.” — this site's research