North American Martyrs Novena
Contents
Show HideThe North American Martyrs were eight Jesuits who served as missionaries in North America. They ministered to Native Americans in Canada and New York during the 1600s. During conflicts between warring tribes, the North American Martyrs were tortured and killed.
The eight North American Martyrs were very courageous in choosing to suffer and die for their Faith. You can use this novena to seek intercession from these holy martyrs in your life!
About the North American Martyrs
The eight North American Martyrs were St. Isaac Jogues, St. Jean de Brebeuf, St. Rene Goupil, St. Jean de Lalande, St. Gabriel Lalement, St. Antoine Daniel, St. Charles Garnier, and St. Noel Chabanel. Of the eight men, six of them were priests. Rene Goupil and Jean de Lalande were lay brothers.
During the 1600s, French Jesuits traveled to North America to work as missionaries among the Native American tribes. The North American Martyrs worked among the Huron tribe, who were farmers, tradesmen, and farmers.
After working among the Huron for many years, the Jesuits began to make some progress in their missionary work. But many of the Native Americans still mistrusted the Jesuits and blamed them for the spread of disease among their people.
When French colonists attacked the Iroquois Confederacy, the Iroquois chose to retaliate against the Jesuits and the Huron tribe who were nominally allied with the French colonists.
In 1642, Sts. Rene Goupil and Isaac Jogues were captured by members of the Mohawk tribe. Both of them were ritually tortured, and Rene Goupil was killed by a tomahawk after he taught a young child how to make the Sign of the Cross.
St. Isaac Jogues was held as a prisoner for thirteen months. He suffered greatly during this captivity. His captors cut several fingers off of his hands. He was eventually ransomed by a group of Dutch traders, and he returned to his native France for a time. There, he was heralded as a hero. But he chose to return to the dangerous mission work in North America, where he was soon killed by a tomahawk attack.
St. Charles Garnier was ministering to some Hurons when their village was attacked. As the cabins of the village burned, Charles Garnier ran to minister to the dying people. He was shot and lost consciousness, but when he regained consciousness he attempted to get up and minister to a dying man. But an Iroquis man saw him and killed him.
St. Antoine Daniel was finishing celebrating Mass when the Huron village he was in was attacked. He ministered to the dying and then courageously demanded that the Iroquis stop their attempt to burn down the church. They killed him with arrows and muskets.
St. John de Brebeuf was the first missionary to the Huron people. He courageously chose to remain with the Huron people and die with them when Iroquis attacked. St. Gabriel Lalemont chose to remain with him and the Huron as well. They both endured brutal tortures for hours before they died.
All eight of the missionaries were canonized in 1930. They are also known as the Canadia Martyrs.
The North American Martyrs’ Feast Day: September 26th
Why Pray the North American Martyrs Novena?
The North American Martyrs are the patron saints of Canada. You can ask them to pray for you if you live in Canada or are traveling to Canada. You can also ask them to pray for someone you know who lives in Canada or is traveling to Canada. Or you can ask them to pray for the government of Canada.
The North American Martyrs are also great saints to seek intercession from if you are working as a missionary, since they devoted their lives to missionary work. You can also ask them to pray for someone you know who is working as a missionary.
You can pray the North American Martyrs Novena for any intention!
North American Martyrs Novena Prayers
North American Martyrs Novena - Day 1
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us the North American Martyrs as examples of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You they showed in choosing to serve you in the Jesuit religious order.
North American Martyrs, you chose to enter the Jesuit religious order as priests and lay brothers. You wished to devote yourself wholeheartedly to God as members of the Jesuit religious order.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you served so wholeheartedly!
You devoted yourself to missionary work among hostile native peoples. Though you faced great dangers and sufferings, you persevered in your love for God and your holy work.
Pray for me, that I may devote myself as wholeheartedly to serving God as you did. Pray that I may never weary of doing all I can to serve God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
North American Martyrs, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
North American Martyrs Novena - Day 2
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us the North American Martyrs as examples of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You they showed in their tireless work as missionaries in North America.
North American Martyrs, you chose to serve God as missionaries in the distant lands of North America. Though you faced many difficulties in this work, you persevered.
Please persevere in bringing my petitions before the throne of God!
Your work as missionaries was not easy. Many of the Native American people were hostile to you and thought you meant to harm them. You suffered a great deal as you worked to bring souls to God.
Pray for me, that I may never allow obstacles to deter me from serving God. Pray that I may persevere in holiness, no matter what sufferings I might face.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
North American Martyrs, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
North American Martyrs Novena - Day 3
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us the North American Martyrs as examples of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You they showed in their openness to Your will in their lives.
North American Martyrs, you answered God’s call to serve Him as missionaries in North America. Though you faced many obstacles in this work, you never wavered in your determination to serve God faithfully.
Please never waver in bringing my petitions before God!
You faced tortures and imprisonment on account of your Faith and your holy work. Though some of you had the opportunity to abandon your work and save your life, you continued following God’s call.
Pray for me, that I may always strive to follow God’s call in my life. Pray that I may be open to serving God in whatever ways He calls me to.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
North American Martyrs, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
North American Martyrs Novena - Day 4
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us the North American Martyrs as examples of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue they showed by continuing in their missionary work as You called them to, despite great dangers and difficulties.
North American Martyrs, you suffered a lot on account of your Faith. Despite these many sufferings and obstacles you faced, you continued to hold fast to your Faith and to work as missionaries.
Please continue to bring my petitions before the throne of God!
Some of you had the opportunity to save your lives and avoid sufferings by leaving behind your holy work. But you persevered and chose to follow God’s call, even to the point of death.
Pray for me, that I may choose to serve God no matter the cost. Pray that I may always do what is right, no matter how difficult it may be.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
North American Martyrs, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
North American Martyrs Novena - Day 5
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us the North American Martyrs as examples of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You they showed in working tirelessly to bring souls to the Faith.
North American Martyrs, you chose to work as missionaries in North America. Though you faced many obstacles, you did all you could to bring the Native American people to the Faith.
Please do all you can to bring my petitions before the throne of God!
You suffered many hardships and even torture as you worked to win souls for God. You did not allow these sufferings to deter you from your holy work.
Pray for me, that I may always do all I can to bring those around me to God. Pray that I may never allow sufferings to deter me from working to win souls for God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
North American Martyrs, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
North American Martyrs Novena - Day 6
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us the North American Martyrs as examples of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue they showed in persevering in their Faith despite great persecution.
North American Martyrs, you faced a lot of suffering on account of your Faith and your holy work. Though many of the Native American people mistrusted you and persecuted you, you persevered in your Faith.
Please persevere in bringing my petitions before the throne of God!
You suffered terrible tortures and imprisonment because of your Faith and your work as missionaries. Ultimately, you all chose to give up your lives for God.
Pray for me, that I may never allow sufferings or persecution to deter me from serving God. Pray that I may never waver in my Faith, no matter what sufferings I might face.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
North American Martyrs, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
North American Martyrs Novena - Day 7
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us the North American Martyrs as examples of holiness. Help us to imitate the love of You they showed in choosing to minister to the dying even when their own lives were in danger.
North American Martyrs, you faced many dangers and difficulties in your work as missionaries among the Native American people in North America. You chose to faithfully continue your holy work out of love for God.
Please bring my petitions before God with such faithfulness!
Some of you courageously chose to minister to the dying around you, despite immediate danger to your own lives. You chose heroic virtue and gave up your lives for God.
Pray for me, that I may choose to love God and neighbor even when it is very difficult. Pray that I may persevere in virtue even to the point of death if necessary.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
North American Martyrs, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
North American Martyrs Novena - Day 8
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us the North American Martyrs as examples of holiness. Help us to imitate the virtue they showed in courageously holding fast to their Faith to the point of death.
North American Martyrs, you were persecuted and tortured on account of your Faith and your holy work. Despite your great sufferings, you did not waver in your Faith or your commitment to God.
Please do not waver in bringing my petitions before the throne of God!
You suffered imprisonment, the severing of your fingers, and other physical attacks because of your Faith. You ultimately gave up your lives for God and his Church.
Pray for me, that I may always practice my Faith courageously. Pray that I may hold fast to my Faith even to the point of death if necessary.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
North American Martyrs, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
North American Martyrs Novena - Day 9
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us the North American Martyrs as examples of holiness. Help us to imitate the devotion to You they showed in serving Your Church, and in ultimately giving up their lives for You and Your Church.
North American Martyrs, you devoted your lives to serving God and His Church as missionaries to the Native American people. Despite many hardships and sufferings, you continued to hold fast to your Faith and to your calling.
Please continue to bring my petitions before the throne of God!
You brought many souls into the Church during your time working as missionaries in North America. You ultimately gave up your life for the Church in martyrdom.
Pray for me, that I may always be eager to devote my life to God and His Church. Pray that I may never allow sufferings to cause me to waver in my Faith.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
North American Martyrs, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.