(LifeSiteNews) — He was beaten with clubs, iron rods, slashed with knives, burned, had his left thumb amputated, his fingernails pulled out, and even had a couple of his fingers gnawed off. (Yes, savagely chewed off by human beings.)
Thus was the fate of St. Isaac Jogues, S.J., when he was captured by a Mohawk/Iroquois war party in the New World in the summer of 1642. Fr. Jogues is the best-known of the indomitable North American Martyrs.
So severe was his torture that he fell unconscious, seemingly lifeless to his Native American tormentors. Yet, in spite of the plethora of unthinkable, excruciating physical abuses, this holy priest somehow survived! God had not given up on Father Jogues. In turn, the future saint had not given up on his mission to the Indians – and the Holy Rosary was an integral part of his ministry.
The tribe then enslaved the holy priest, planning to execute the Blackrobe at an opportune time. Naked and severely injured, Fr. Jogues found himself left with nothing. He was not only a Blackrobe without a black robe, but he was a Blackrobe without elements for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass or supplies of any kind, including clothing. He was relegated to the lowly status of a dependent slave.
Fr. Jogues did possess something – and it was a most powerful something. He still had his Catholic Faith and a burning desire to spread its good Word.
Captured with Fr. Jogues was a group of Huron and Algonquin Indians, some of whom had converted to Catholicism. When Father had the opportunity, he would steal away and encourage, fortify, and console these newly-branded Catholics. He would secretly hear their Confession. He was, in fact, their shepherd. “All remained loyal and steadfast,” one author noted. These converts already knew their Holy Rosary.
Years after Fr. Jogues’ martyrdom, one of the surviving captive Indians of that horrendous ordeal, Joseph Teondechoren, explained their spiritual plight to Father Paul Raguenaeu, S.J., recalling:
Oh how I love the crown, or Rosary, of the Holy Virgin! Never do I tire of reciting it; and She has granted to me all that I have asked of Her when offering Her prayer. It was good Father Jogues who gave me this devotion when we were captives in the country of the Iroquois. We often used to recite our Rosary together, in the very streets of Anniene, the Mohawk village, without those infidels perceiving it!
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So, the Rosary was reverently and courageously prayed by these two men in captivity; whispering the Rosary responses to each other. The implication was that these holy men prayed their Rosary every day, praying together as often as they could.
And then there was Joseph’s niece, Theresa. She had been captured with him that fateful day. Theresa was a bright, outgoing girl of 13 or 14. She had the benefit of being taught in a one-room schoolhouse in Quebec by the first French Ursuline nuns who came to the New World from France. Theresa was an exemplary student and knew all of her Catechism. Moreover, she was in love with Our Dear Lord and His Holy Church. She was most assuredly under the tender guidance of Fr. Jogues during this wretched time.
Joseph reminisced:
Theresa is not ashamed of her baptism. She prays publicly to God. She says that she believes. She often confesses herself to Father Jogues … she speaks to Father Jogues whenever she sees him. But these things do not prevent her from being exceedingly sad, living among our cruel enemies. She has endured the cold and inclemency of the winter. She was very sick, but God restored her to health.
“She has no Rosary,” Joseph said. “She uses her fingers to recite it, or little pebbles which she lays on the ground at each Hail Mary that she says. She often said to me, ‘Alas, if the virgin sisters (Ursuline nuns) should see me in this condition among these wicked Iroquois who do not know God! How they would pity me!’”
How brave was this young girl? Well, heroic in fact.
Publicly praying was a dangerous occupation among this heathen tribe. Rene Goupil, another of the North American Martyr captives had been tomahawked to death merely for making the Sign of the Cross on himself and on the forehead of a small child in public. American University researchers conclude that Goupil was most assuredly praying the Rosary when he was fatally struck!
Although St. Isaac Jogues is not particularly revered as a “Rosary Saint,” how important the Holy Rosary must have been to Fr. Jogues and these other brave, pious Catholics! It is evidence that the Rosary was deeply ingrained in 17th century Catholic teachings and practice.
Without this ingrained teaching and practice, we 21st century Catholics are decidedly poorer. Our Catholic world surely needs it back – and it may be up the laity to do so.
Think of it. Fr. Jogues and his European missionary compatriots were attempting to teach illiterate, primitive people in this brave new world the wonders of the Catholics Faith. Surely, they had to limit what was taught. Of all of the wonders of the Catholic Faith, these inspiring missionaries judged this pious practice as critical. And it is!
While in our 21st century many truly good Catholics have forgotten the power of Our Blessed Lady’s Holy Rosary, these 17th century Catholic European captives and their Catholic Native American converts alike, actively, secretively, and piously prayed Our Lady’s Psalter. And, when it was possible, these holy prisoners prayed it together!
For the skeptic who might argue, “Well, these New World Catholics were under serious duress. They were desperate. Of course, they prayed the Rosary,” one could simply respond, “Look at our current pagan culture and our Modernist Vatican – Are not good Catholics today also under extreme spiritual duress?”
Pray it every day and pray it together with your family. AMDG!
David J. Barton is author of: The Family Rosary, Forgotten Not Lost and The Hawk, The Crow And The Old Man – A Rosary Lesson Taught By God’s Winged Creatures.