Jean de Brébeuf
Jesuit missionary and martyr (1593-1649)
Feast: 19 October (current Roman calendar, optional memorial) · not in the 1962 Missal
Who they were
Jean de Brébeuf was born in 1593 to a Norman family, became a Jesuit and went as a missionary to New France, where he worked among the Huron. The Jesuits knew they faced martyrdom; around 1640 war between the Huron and the Iroquois destroyed the Huron nation and its Christian missions.
On 16 March 1649 Brébeuf was killed by the Iroquois, as were Gabriel Lalemant, Charles Garnier and Noël Chabanel that year, about 200 km north of Toronto. A shrine in their honour stands at Midland, Ontario.
The miracles
He was canonised with seven other Jesuit martyrs of North America, 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
Brébeuf gave his life to the Huron people and died for Christ among them, faithful to a mission he knew was likely to end in martyrdom.
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
- Charles Garnier Saint“On 16 March 1649 Brébeuf was killed by the Iroquois, as were Gabriel Lalemant, Charles Garnier and Noël Chabanel that year, about 200 km north of Toronto.” — this site's research
- Gabriel Lalemant Saint“On 16 March 1649 Brébeuf was killed by the Iroquois, as were Gabriel Lalemant, Charles Garnier and Noël Chabanel that year, about 200 km north of Toronto.” — this site's research
- Isaac Jogues 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
- Noël Chabanel Saint“On 16 March 1649 Brébeuf was killed by the Iroquois, as were Gabriel Lalemant, Charles Garnier and Noël Chabanel that year, about 200 km north of Toronto.” — this site's research
- Vatican News - Saint of the day (Italian): Jean de Brébeuf
- Wikidata Q713402 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Jean de Brébeuf (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.