Isaac Jogues
Beatified Martyred Jesuit Priest
Feast: 19 October (current Roman calendar, optional memorial) · not in the 1962 Missal
Who they were
Isaac Jogues was born in France in 1607, became a Jesuit and went as a missionary to New France, among the Huron and Iroquois peoples. Captured by the Iroquois, he was imprisoned and tortured, but after escaping he returned to continue the mission.
Around 1640 war broke out between the Huron and the Iroquois, ending in the destruction of the Huron and of the missions among them. The Jesuit brother René Goupil was killed in 1642 at Ossernenon; Isaac Jogues and Jean de Lalande were killed near today's Auriesville, New York, on 18 October 1647.
The miracles
He was canonised with seven other Jesuit martyrs of North America, the 'Canadian Martyrs', who share the memorial of 19 October; Pius XII named them patrons of Canada in 1940. As martyrs they did not need approved miracles.
Why that counted as sanctity
Isaac Jogues went back, with his wounds, to the people who had tortured him, to bring them Christ, knowing it would probably cost his life.
Connected on this site
- Canadian Martyrs Saint honoured together
- Canadian Martyrs 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
- Jean de Brébeuf Saint“Jogues, Jean de Brébeuf and six other martyred missionaries, all Jesuit priests or laypeople associated with them, were canonized by the Catholic Church in 1930; they are known as the Canadian Martyrs, or the North American Martyrs.” — Wikipedia
- Jean de Lalande Saint“The Jesuit brother René Goupil was killed in 1642 at Ossernenon; Isaac Jogues and Jean de Lalande were killed near today's Auriesville, New York, on 18 October 1647.” — this site's research
- René Goupil Saint“The Jesuit brother René Goupil was killed in 1642 at Ossernenon; Isaac Jogues and Jean de Lalande were killed near today's Auriesville, New York, on 18 October 1647.” — this site's research
- Vatican News - Saint of the day (Italian): Isaac Jogues
- Wikidata Q588832 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Isaac Jogues (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.