The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-04-05
.MARTYRDOM OF FATHER JOGUEs

A PIONEER MISSIONARY AMONG
THE HURoNS-MUTILATED BY
THE MoHAWKs-AFTER A VISIT
TO FRANCE HE FOUNDED A MIS-
SION AMONG THE MoHAWKs IN
1646-MARTYRED BY INDIANS.
In that beautiful city of France,
made famous by it's association with
the name of the immortal Joan of Arc
was born the sanity Jesuit mission
airy and martyr, Father Isaac Jogues,
described by the historian Parkman,
s~"one of the purest examples of
Catholic virtue which this Western
continent has SEEN" He was born on
the 10th of January, 1907, and became
a Jesuit at the age of II.
Father Jogues earnestly desired to
engage in missionary labors amongst
the Western Indians, and entered upon
his heroic lifework before he had at
tanned his thirtieth year. He went to
Quebec in 1886 and was assigned to
the Huron missions. He penetrated
the Western forests to the western
shores of Lake Huron, and was the
first to plant the Catholic cross on
the soil of Michigan. After six years
he went to Quebec for supplies for
his new mission.
| Returning with a party of about
forty Huron warriors, they we're set
rnoTa Nv or+1r rs Twnn Tndfo G
and nearly all killed or taken prison
ers. Father Jogues was amongst the
prisoners, and was treated with most
savage cruelty. When permitted to
proceed, the survivors went by canoes
through Lake Champlain, and at its
Southern extremity they were again
set upon by a band of Mohawks and
forced to run the gauntlet.
Father Jogues fell, drenched in
blood, and fire was applied to his
naked body by his savage torturers.
Nearly all his fingers and toes were
cut off, joint by joint, and other I'M
speakable tortures inflicted upon him
by the furious Mohawks. His young
French companion, Goupil, underwent
the same cruel experience. His re.
lease was finally effected by the Dutch
at Albany by the payment of large
ransom in the Fall of 1913, and he
was permitted to sail down the Hud.
son to New York, where he was most
kindly received by Governor Kieit.
He found on Manhattan Island, now
the great metropolis of America, just
two Catholics, an Irishman and a
Portuguese woman, and was the first
priest to administer the Holy Sacra
ments where the great City of New
York now stands. The kindly Cover
nor procured him passage back tC
France, where he arrived after under
going the perils of shipwreck. Reach
ing the Jesuit College at Rennes al
last, ragged and footsore, the rector
admitted the haggard and mutilateG
stranger on hearing that he had beer
in Canada.
His first question was: do yor
know Father Jogues?" The stranger
answered, Every WE'LL"
''The Iroquois have taken him." con
tinued the rector; ''is he dead? Have
they murdered him."
mo-" answered Jogues, ''he is alive
and at liberty, and 1 am he" AS he
uttered these words he fell on his
knees, asking his Sdperior's blessing
That was day of joy at the College
of Rennes. Great was the rejoicing
in the Society of Jesus over all France
It was supposed Father Jogues was
dead, and his sudden reappearance
amongst them was something extra
ordinary. At the French Court he
was received as a saint and martyr
Queen Anne of Austria kissed his
mutilated hands.
The nobility and ladies of the
Court We'd in exhibiting their deer
sentiments of respect and veneration
Indeed, the slave of the Mohawks be
came the revered and admired of al
admirers" The Pope granted him {
special dispensation to celebrate Mass
with his mutilated hands, saying: IT
would be unjust to refuse martyr o
Christ the privilege of drinking thu
blood Of Christ"
1t was the desire of all that Fathe
Jogues should remain in France; blu
he sighed after his American missions
and returned to Canada in 1915. II
July of the next year he was presen
at the peace negotiations at Three
Rivers, between the French and Hur
ons and the Mohawks This event LEI
him to conceive bright hopes of found
ing permanent mission among tn,
Iroquois.
In May, 1916, he set out with ;
companion for the Mohawk towns, tt
confirm the peace already made OF
this journey he again passed by LAKE
George, to which he gave the name o
Lake of the Holy Sacrament. Havin,
established peace on what he con
sidered a firm basis, Father Joguei
returned to Canada with the intention
of making all the necessary prepare
tions for the conversion Of the Fiv,
Nations
He returned a second time with hi
young companion, Lalande, in Ser
TENDER, 1916. The venerable mai
had singular presentiment of hi
fate, for previous to his leaving Can
ada, he wrote to friend: IT shall GO
and shall not return" He ha'
scarcely reached the confines Of tn
; Mohawk nation when his danger be
lcame apparent. A little box which h,