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, also called the Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs, is a special Roman Catholic place in Auriesville, New York. It honors three Jesuit missionaries who were killed there in 1642 and 1646. These brave men were martyred in a Mohawk Indian village called Ossernenon.
This shrine is owned and 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, a religious group called the Jesuits took care of the shrine.
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History of the Martyrs
In 1642, a small group of Jesuit missionaries traveled from Sainte-Marie in Canada. They wanted to work with the Huron tribe in upstate New York and Canada. But on their journey, they were captured by a group of Mohawk people. The Mohawks were enemies of the Huron tribe.
Two of the captured men were Rene Goupil, who was a surgeon and later a Jesuit brother, and Father Isaac Jogues. They were taken to the Mohawk village of Ossernenon. Rene Goupil was seen teaching a child the sign of the cross. He was then killed with a hatchet. He was the first Jesuit to die as a martyr in the Canadian missions.
Father Jogues was held captive for 13 months. Later, Dutch traders from Fort Orange (now Albany) paid money to free him. They helped him travel by boat to New Amsterdam (now New York City). From there, he went back to France.
Father Jogues' Return
Father Jogues returned to New France (now Canada) in the spring of 1644. He named a large body of water "Lake of the Blessed Sacrament." Today, this lake is known as Lake George.
In 1646, Father Jogues went on a mission to make peace with the Iroquois people. He was joined by another missionary, John LaLande. In late September, Father Jogues began his third and final trip to the Mohawk lands.
Around this time, many people in the Mohawk tribe became sick. Their crops also failed. Some Mohawks believed that Father Jogues, whom they thought was a sorcerer, caused these problems. Father Jogues knew it was dangerous, but he kept going to Ossernenon. All his companions except LaLande ran away.
The Martyrs' Deaths
The Mohawk people captured Father Jogues near Lake George. They beat him and took him to their village. On October 18, 1646, as he entered a cabin, Father Jogues was killed with a tomahawk axe.
John LaLande was killed the next day. He was trying to get Father Jogues' body. Father Jogues, Rene Goupil, and John LaLande are the only canonized (officially recognized as saints) Roman Catholic martyrs from the United States.
The Shrine Today
Auriesville is located on the south side of the Mohawk River. It is about 40 miles (64 km) west of Albany, New York. It is also about 9 miles (14 km) east of where experts believe the old Mohawk village of Ossernenon once stood. That village was destroyed and left empty in the 1600s.
In the 1800s, a Catholic historian named John Gilmary Shea and General J. S. Clarke studied old Native American sites. They believed they had found the exact spot of Ossernenon, where Father Jogues and his friends died.
A priest named Rev. Joseph Loyzance, S.J., was very interested in the lives of these early missionaries. He wanted to honor them at this special place, which became Auriesville.
Building the Shrine
In 1884, Father Loyzance bought 10 acres (4.0 ha) of land on the hill where the village had been. He built a small shrine there, calling it Our Lady of Martyrs. Father Loyzance then led a pilgrimage of 4,000 people from Albany and Troy to the shrine. Soon, other churches also started visiting Auriesville in the summer.
In 1930, a large building called a coliseum was built at the shrine. It overlooks the Mohawk Valley. This coliseum was one of the first round churches built in the United States. It can hold about 6,000 people for Holy Mass (a Catholic church service). Today, the shrine's grounds cover about 600 acres (240 ha).
Inside the Shrine's Visitor Center, there is 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
