National Shrine of the North American Martyrs facts for kids
Quick facts for kids National Shrine of the North American Martyrs |
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Interior of the Coliseum at the National Shrine of the North American Martyrs, Auriesville, New York, showing the sanctuary and high altar.
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| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Catholic |
| History | |
| Status | national shrine |
| Founded | 1884 |
| Founder(s) | Rev. Joseph Loyzance, S.J. |
| Dedication | North American Martyrs and St. Kateri Tekakwitha |
The National Shrine of the North American Martyrs is a special Roman Catholic place in Auriesville, New York. It is also known as the Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs. This shrine honors three Jesuit missionaries who died there in 1642 and 1646. They were killed in a Mohawk Indian village called Ossernenon.
The shrine is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany. However, it is run by a group called the Friends of Our Lady of Martyrs Shrine, Inc. The first church was built here in 1884. For over 130 years, the Jesuits managed the shrine. In 2017, they transferred ownership to the Friends group.
Contents
History of the Martyrs
The Journey of the Missionaries
In 1642, a group of Jesuit missionaries left Sainte-Marie among the Hurons. This was a settlement in Ontario, Canada. They planned to work with the Huron tribe in upstate New York and Canada. On their journey, they were captured by a group of Mohawks. The Mohawks were a tribe of the Iroquois confederacy and enemies of the Huron.
The First Martyr: Rene Goupil
Rene Goupil was a surgeon and later a Jesuit lay brother. He and Father Isaac Jogues were taken to the Mohawk village of Ossernenon. Rene Goupil was teaching a child the sign of the cross. He was then struck with a hatchet and died. He was the first Jesuit missionary in Canada to die for his faith.
Isaac Jogues' Capture and Escape
Father Jogues was held captive for thirteen months. Dutch traders and a minister named Johannes Megapolensis from Fort Orange helped him. Fort Orange is now Albany. They paid a ransom to the Mohawk to free him. They arranged for him to travel by boat to New Amsterdam, which is now New York City. From there, he returned to France.
Jogues' Return and Second Martyrdom
Jogues came back to New France (now Canada) in the spring of 1644. He named a lake "Lake of the Blessed Sacrament." The Indians called it Horicon, but today it is known as Lake George. In 1646, Jogues went to make peace with the Iroquois. He was joined by another missionary, John LaLande.
In late September, Jogues began his third and final trip to the Mohawk. During this time, sickness had spread in the tribe. Also, their crops had failed. The Mohawks blamed Jogues for these problems, thinking he was a sorcerer. Jogues knew the danger, but he continued his journey to Ossernenon. All his companions except LaLande fled. The Mohawk captured him near Lake George. They beat him and took him to the village.
On October 18, 1646, Jogues was killed with a tomahawk axe. This happened as he entered a cabin. LaLande was killed the next day while trying to get Jogues' body. These three men, Goupil, Jogues, and LaLande, are the only canonized Roman Catholic martyrs from the United States.
The Shrine Today
Auriesville is located on the south bank of the Mohawk River. It is about 40 miles west of Albany, New York. It is also about 9 miles east of where archaeologists believe Ossernenon was. Ossernenon was the Mohawk village where the three Jesuit missionaries died. The village was destroyed in the 17th century and then abandoned.
Finding the Historic Site
In the 1800s, a Catholic historian named John Gilmary Shea and General J. S. Clarke studied old Indian sites. They believed they had found the exact spot of Ossernenon. This was the place where Father Jogues and his friends died. Father Joseph Loyzance, a parish priest from St. Joseph's in Troy, New York, was very interested in the early missionaries. He wanted to honor them at this site, which became Auriesville.
Building the First Shrine
In 1884, Father Loyzance bought 10 acres of land on the hill where the village had been. He built a small shrine there. He named it Our Lady of Martyrs. Father Loyzance then led a pilgrimage of 4,000 people from Albany and Troy to the shrine. Other churches later started visiting Auriesville in the summer.
The Coliseum and Grounds
In 1930, a large coliseum was built at the shrine. It overlooks the Mohawk Valley. This coliseum was one of the first circular churches built in the United States. Its design allows about 6,000 people to attend Holy Mass at once. Today, the shrine grounds cover about 600 acres.
The Shrine's Visitor Center has a chapel. This chapel is dedicated to Our Lady Undoer of Knots.
See also
In Spanish: Santuario Nacional de los Mártires Norteamericanos para niños
- Martyrs' Shrine (Midland, Ontario, Canada)
- North American Martyrs
- Top pilgrimage destinations in the United States
