Who is St. Isaac Jogues?

Born in the French city of Orléans in 1607, Isaac Jogues joined the Society of Jesus in 1624. After his ordination in 1636, he was sent, at his own request, to the missions of New France. With his fellow Jesuit Charles Raymbault, Jogues was one of the first Europeans to go as far inland as Sault Ste. Marie on Lake Superior.

In 1642, Isaac Jogues was captured, tortured, and mutilated by Mohawks. Jogues was later freed by Dutch traders and taken to New Amsterdam, which enabled him to return home to France to recuperate. He would be the first Catholic priest to visit the city that would one day be renamed New York.

Isaac Jogues returned to the missions in 1644. During the autumn of 1646, he was once again captured by a band of Mohawks and then martyred on October 18, 1646.

Pope Pius XI beatified Issac Jogues on June 21, 1925. Along with seven other Jesuit missionaries, St. Isaac Jogues was then canonized on June 29, 1930 by Pope Pius XI. These martyrs (St. Isaac Jogues, St. Jean de Brébeuf, St. Noël Chabanel, St. Antoine Daniel, St. Charles Garnier, St. René Goupil, St. Jean de Lalande, and St. Gabriel Lalemant) will forever be remembered as the "North American Martyrs".

St. Isaac Jogues' feast day is celebrated on October 19th.