A Letter from Fr. Tim

Dear Friends,
 
When I was a young priest, I read a book about the life of St. Isaac Jogues, a 17^th century French Jesuit priest, who came to the New World (southeast Canada) to bring the Good News to the Native American population, primarily the Huron nation of people. While welcomed for a while, he was soon blamed (as were his companions) for disease and famine and tortured mercilessly before escaping and returning to France. After a few years, though, he felt the call to go back to Huron people and continue his missionary work. Captured by the Iroquois, he was martyred with a hatchet blow to the head in 1648.
 
St. Isaac was one of several French Jesuit missionaries in that part of the world, some priests, and some lay men, who felt compelled to bring Catholicism to the Native American population. The other more well-known priest was Fr. Jean de Brébeuf. Fr. de Brébeuf was the first of the French missionaries to arrive in what was called Huronia in 1626. He soon came to be known as the “Apostle of the Hurons.” Fr. de Brébeuf devoted great time to learning the Huron language and was the first to compile it in writing. He was even able to create a basic Catholic catechism in the Huron language.
 
Fr. de Brébeuf was required to return to France for a few years but returned to the Huron people in 1633. At first he was welcomed, but when a smallpox epidemic began after the French missionaries arrived, they were blamed for the disease and their presence was no longer welcomed. As time passed though, the missionaries were slowly allowed to return, but a new threat emerged – the Iroquois, who were very hostile to the French missionaries’ presence. In fact, Fr. Isaac Jogues martyrdom did not deter Fr. de Brébeuf from continuing his missionary work. Eventually, the Iroquois captured Fr. Jean de Brébeuf and his companions. They tortured them mercilessly, and on March 1, 1649, Fr. de Brébeuf and his companions were martyred for their faith. Fr. de Brébeuf was 46 years old and had spent 20 years of his life in the New World, mostly among the Huron people.
 
In 1930, Fr. Jean de Brébeuf, Fr. Isaac Jogues, and six other French Jesuit missionaries were canonized as saints in the Catholic Church by Pope Pius XI. Their Feast Day is October 19^th.
 
Why am I writing about this today? Because on Friday, March 1^st, a relic of St. Jean de Brébeuf was on display at Holy Family Church in Chicago, and Fr. Matt, my brother Jon and I were able to venerate the relic, which is half of the saint’s skull. It is the first time, this revered relic of St. Jean de Brébeuf has ever left its home in Canada to be venerated in the U.S.
 
It is especially appropriate during Lent to reflect on the lives of the martyrs throughout the centuries, who have sacrificed their lives, frequently under horrific torture, in giving witness to the faith. Their lives serve as a beacon of hope for all of us who suffer, that God does not abandon us… ever. They also offer us an example of courage when confronted with challenges to our faith. These ordinary men and women who paid the ultimate price for the expression of their witness to Jesus Christ, offer us an example of holding fast to our faith, no matter what obstacles we are confronted with in life. One of the things I most admire about St. Isaac Jogues and St. Jean de Brébeuf is that they felt they needed to leave the security and comfort of their lives in their native France to come to America because they believed fervently in their desire to bring the Catholic faith to the Native American peoples so that they might be saved. Nothing made them happier than when a new convert was baptized.
 
Let us pray for missionaries who still serve the Church around the world and for all of us, as we do what we can to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to others for the salvation of their souls.
 
May God bless you all.
 
    Fr. Tim