Canadian Martyrs Page One

THE CANADIAN MARTYRS
*Saint John de Brebeuf* - The Iroquois pierced his arms with red-hot irons, tore off his scalp, poured boiling water over his head in derision of holy baptism, applied flaming torches to his naked body, encircled his shoulders with red-hot hatchets and plucked out his eyes.
When these tortures did not stop him from praying to God, they drove a burning torch down his throat. They completed their cruel task by cleaving open his breast, tearing out his heart and devouring it, thereby hoping to share his bravery.
He expired at Fort St. Ignace on March 16, 1649.

*Saint Gabriel Lalemant* - Seized by the Iroquois with John de Brebeuf he too suffered the most gruesome tortures. Boiling water, flaming torches and red-hot hatchets were used in that torture. His eyes were plucked out and his lips were cut off.
John de Brebeuf was a powerful man physically and the Iroquois enraged by his heroism killed him after four hours of torture. Gabriel Lalemant was a frail man physically but he was made to submit to 16 hours of the most barbarous treatment.
Gabriel Lalemant died on March 17, 1649.

*Saint Anthony Daniel*- An army of Iroquois broke through the palisades of his mission and started to butcher the Hurons. Father Daniel encouraged his converts to die as true Christians. He baptized many Indians and then went out to meet the Iroquois.
He body was riddled with bullets, and the enraged Iroquois smeared their hands and faces with his blood. They then set fire to his chapel and flung his body into the flames.
Father Daniel died near Mount St. Louis on July 4, 1648.

*Saint Charles Gamier* - Although mission life in itself was enough to sap his poor physical strength, he also carried on a life of rigid penance including the wearing of a belt with sharp iron points next to his flesh.
The prowling Iroquois swooped down on the defenseless inhabitants of the village of Etharita on the Georgian Bay and put many to death.
Although mortally wounded, Father Gamier tried to assist a wounded Huron. While in that act of mercy an Iroquois tomahawk penetrated his brain.
He died on December 7, 1649.

*Saint Isaac Joques* - He built Fort Ste. Marie on the Georgian Bay, and while returning there from Quebec in 1642 was seized by the Iroquois and carried to the Mohawk country.
He was cruelly tortured, his nails being torn away, his fingers cut off and he was suspended by his wrists. After a year of captivity the Dutch Calvinists of New Amsterdam (now New York) prevailed on him to escape and helped him back to France.
Pope Urban gave him permission to celebrate Mass despite his mutilated hands. "A Martyr of Christ should be allowed to drink the Blood of Christ", the Holy Father said.
Within another year he was back in Canada and in 1646 he was sent to the Mohawk country to discuss a treaty with the Iroquois. However they blamed him for their crop failure and seized him at Ossernenon (now Auriesville, N.Y.). After a cruel beating, a blow from a tomahawk gave him the crown of martyrdom.
He died on October 18, 1646.

*Saint Noel Chabanel* - He took up the obligations of religious life when only 17 years of age and came to Canada in 1643. He went almost immediately to the Huron mission field and although shocked by the conditions of poverty and squalor he took a vow to remain in the mission field until his death.
From 1647 he worked in the shadow of martyrdom, and then was slain by an apostate Huron.
He died on December 8, 1649.

*Saint Rene Goupil* - Ill health forced him to give up his studies for the priesthood, but he devoted his life to the Jesuit missions where his skill as a surgeon was invaluable.
While on the way to the Huron country with Isaac Jogues in 1642, he was seized. His fingernails were torn off, his fingers were crushed between the teeth of the Indians. Taken to the Mohawk country he suffered more for several weeks.
His skull was split with a tomahawk when he was seen to be making the sign of the Cross over a little Indian child.
He died on September 29, 1642.

*St. John de La Lande* - He was a saintly young layman and accompanied Father Isaac Jogues to the Mohawk country in 1646. He was seized by the Iroquois, stripped and beaten.
The day after Father Jogues was slain, John de La Lande suffered a similar martyrdom, also caused by a blow from a tomahawk.
He died at Ossernenon on October 19, 1646.

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