MIDLAND, THE SANCTUARY OF THE AMERICAN MARTYRS.

VISITING MIDLAND, THE SANCTUARY OF THE AMERICAN MARTYRS.

The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church – Tertullian.

Faith and heroism planted belief in Christ's cross deep in many parts of the world. The Church in North America sprang from the blood of martyrs. In the 1600's, Jesuits of French origin did considerable missionary work among the Indians of North America, chiefly in what is now Quebec and in upper New York State. Some of them were killed. They are remembered collectively on 19 October. These eight Jesuit martyrs of North America were canonized in 1930. Just some few days after arriving to the new mission in Toronto, Canada, I had the blessed opportunity to visit the martyrs’ shrine in Midland, Ontario. It’s not by chance that in this year, the Consolata missionaries have them as their patron saints.

Patron Saints of Consolata Missionaries In 2013.

The Consolata missionaries chose to imitate the lives of the American martyrs as their patron saints of this year of 2013, in mission and pastoral challenge. The experience of the North American martyrs “helps us understand that holiness is not only a ‘personal affair’ or just the outcome of an individual process. Specifically, our missionary holiness presupposes a process of communion and of community” (Letter of P. Stefano and Sr. Simona, November 30, 2012).

Keeping the Cross Standing.

The experience of the martyrs of North America speaks to us of continued support made ofmaterial help, but also spiritual, of a ceaseless work of encouragement and support to withstand all the hardships of a tough mission. The most tragic and moving examples relate to the moment of martyrdom, their wanting to replace the weaker brother at the moment of trial. Biographers of the eight martyrs do not cease to tell their untiring zeal for the salvation of souls.

Mission is what guides them from start to end of their apostolate. The gift of self in everyday work, in the fatigue of travel, in the hours of prayer (because so much walking did not affected the time allocated to a personal and community encounter with the Lord) were already warning signs of their complete self-giving, even to the shedding of blood.  A further element of interest is represented by the extension of holiness lived in common by Jean de Brebeuf, Isaac Jogues and their companions. It is the spiritual communion that transcends the poles of the religious community but it opens up to the laity.

If we know the names of the Jesuit martyrs (eight recognized by the Church but many more are those who died in New France because of their apostolate), there are many unknown names of native catechists who accompanied the Jesuits in their work of evangelization and that, indeed, continued their missionary work in their lands. The strength and endurance of the martyrs impressed even the Iroquois who, materially, caused their death, inspiring among them exemplary and holy Christians, like the first American saint of Indian origin, Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha. Born in Ossernenon five years after the destruction of the Hurons, she died at age 23 in the Indian reserve of Kahnawake (Quebec).

Challenged and Inspired.

The challenge is that, are we as eager to keep that cross standing in our midst? Do we bear witness to deep-seated faith in us, the Good News of the cross (redemption) into our home, our work, our social world? “My confidence is placed in God who does not need our help for accomplishing his designs. Our single endeavor should be to give ourselves to the work and to be faithful to him, and not to spoil his work by our shortcomings” (from a letter of Isaac Jogues to a Jesuit friend in France, September 12, 1646, a month before he died).

 

Fr. Michael Mutinda, Imc.