Saint Who?
Saints Who Are Patrons of Peoples and Places
Saint John de Brébeuf
Priest and martyr († 1649) Feast: March 16
John de Brébeuf joined the Jesuits at 24, spending several years in academic settings before becoming a missionary to New France (Canada). A man of good humor and good judgment, he bore the many hardships of his new life with patience. His writings recall smoke-filled houses, sleepless nights from insects, and the dangers of travel. But, as John noted, “anyone who thinks of his loving Savior taunted by cruel enemies…will find it sheer joy to shoot these rapids.”
He worked primarily among the Hurons, persevering in spite of little apparent success. Fueled by the writings of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Thomas à Kempis, and Saint Paul, John’s spirituality intensified, including a vow to never refuse the grace of martyrdom. This grace came when the Huron’s hereditary enemies, the Iroquois, captured the village where Father de Brébeuf was stationed.
His tortures, which hardly bear describing, included having his lips cut off because he constantly spoke of God. He was so brave that his executioners ate his heart and drank his blood, hoping to gain his courage. Some of the Hurons who escaped brought back a report of his death, which was later corroborated by a fellow Jesuit who found his body. John’s relics were brought to Quebec. He and seven of his fellow martyrs were named patrons of Canada by Pius XII.
Almighty Father, through the prayers of
Saint John de Brébeuf, may I be strengthened
in my resolve to suffer for Christ.
