Saint Jean de Brébeuf

I was born in France in 1593, joined the Society of Jesus in 1617 and was  ordained a priest in 1623. I went to New France, Canada two years later. I was assigned to evangelise the local Huron Indians. Because of certain dangers, I was forced to go back to France after 4 years. Later I returned to Canada, and continued to work and live in very difficult circumstances. In 1648 the Iroquois (the most powerful Native American population) launched a war of extermination against the Huron, their traditional enemies. As we refused to leave when the Huron village was attacked, I and my assistant, Gabriel Lalemant, were captured and tortured to death by the Iroquois in 1649.