On the Feast Day of the North American Martyrs, sophomore Joe Accardo takes his final quarter one exam under the watchful eye of one of St. Isaac Jogues S.J., a Jesuit priest martyred while serving the Huron tribe in present day Canada. The North American Martyrs were a group of French Jesuit missionaries who, in the 17th century, ventured into the wilderness of North America to spread the Christian faith. St. Isaac Jogues was captured and tortured by a rival tribe of the Hurons and had his fingers chewed off. After recovering from his injuries in France, Jogues decided to return to North America and continue his work with the Hurons. He served in the missions faithfully until he was captured and killed by the Mohawk tribe. St. Isaac Jogues, S.J. saw his torment, and the anticipated death that would ensue, as a means to emulate and thus share in the suffering of Jesus’ passion. 

October 19th – The Feast of the North American Martyrs