Just today the Church throughout the world celebrated World Mission Sunday. We took time today to focus on the valuable work of evangelization done by missionaries past and present. And the Church gives us tommorrow a Feast Day in honor of brave Jesuit missionaries from 360 years ago. Imagine these spiritual men willing to come to the new world, the Americas and bring the Gospel to the native people.
After arriving in Quebec around 1625, the missionaries ministered to settlers around relatively safe areas like trading posts. They met many Indians and longed to go out to the countryside and bring the Good News to the larger native population. They met with great success in the Huron tribe but also caught the attention of the more hostile Iroquois.
The Iroquois eventually attacked the Hurons and capture or killed the missionaries. Over a period of seven years, the 8 Jesuit missionaries became martrys. In America, their Feast Day is October 19th. It is officially referred to as the Feast of Isaac Jogues and John De Brebeuf, Priests and Martyrs, and Companions, Martyrs.
The missionaries who gave their lives for Chirst and the Gospel area:
St. Rene Goupil - September 29, 1642
St. Isaac Jogues - October 18, 1646
St. John de Laland - October 19, 1646
St. Anthony Daniel - July 4, 1648
St. John de Brebeuf - March 16, 1649
St. Gabriel Lalemant - March 17, 1649
St. Charles Garnier - December 7, 1649
St. Noel Chabenel - December 8, 1649
May the North American Martyrs be an example of missionary zeal and enthusiasm and we invoke their powerful intercession.
No comments:
Post a Comment