Witness of the Canadian Martyrs

When I was younger, Martyrs’ Shrine in Midland was just another church where my family and friends would visit. It had no personal meaning for me, until I learned about the story of the Canadian Martyrs, and more specifically St. Jean de Brebeuf. The speaker shared that St. Jean de Brebeuf’s love for God and the people he served was clear even as he was being tortured and martyred. His love struck me and I desired to love those around me as he did.

From then on, St. Jean de Brebeuf and his companions, as well as  Martyrs’ Shrine, were tied to significant moments in my faith journey. In June 2021, shortly after becoming a campus missionary for the Office of Catholic Youth, I visited the Shrine with some friends. We had a private tour of the Shrine, listened to a talk about the Canadian Martyrs, and had Mass offered for our intentions. There, I touched my crucifix necklace to the relics of the Martyrs, invoking their intercession for me that I might become a witness to the students I would be serving in ministry, just as they were a witness to the Indigenous communities they served. Two months later, I returned to Martyrs’ Shrine to do the walking pilgrimage from Martyrs’ Shrine to St. Ignace II, the site of the martyrdoms of St. Jean de Brebeuf and St. Gabriel Lalemant, with the students whom I served. Both of these helped me see that the Canadian Martyrs, and especially St. Jean de Brebeuf, were interceding for me as I followed God’s call and will for my life.

In subsequent years, Martyrs’ Shrine was where I heard God’s clear call for my vocation, which He continues to unfold today. I still go there to meet God intimately, to bless Him, to rest and to discern His will for my life. It was there I discerned that God was calling me to go out into the deep with Him for my career, to leave behind the job that I had after my mission year and to trust that He would provide for me. This call eventually led me to be the campus minister for Toronto Met Catholics, where I get the privilege of accompanying students to walk with them towards Jesus, just as St. Jean de Brebeuf and his companions did as missionaries.

My faith has been nourished by the witness and intercession of St. Jean de Brebeuf and his companions, and I am so grateful that Martyrs’ Shrine, where their legacy is lived out and felt, has become a spiritual home for me. This summer, it can also become a spiritual home for you, a place to encounter the living God, and to see the fruits of the labours and martyrdom of the Canadian Martyrs. Join us on July 26-28 at the Martyrs’ Shrine, for a retreat led by CCO Founders André and Angèle Regnier and the Director of Martyrs’ Shrine, Fr. John O’Brien, SJ. There will be talks from them, as well as opportunities for worship, adoration, Mass and reconciliation. This will be a beautiful opportunity to gather with fellow young adults and TMC students to pray with the Canadian Martyrs. We are planning a carpool to attend the main retreat day on July 27, so if you are trying to figure out how to get there, contact us via social media, and we will arrange something!

I hope that you are able to attend and see the living legacy of the Canadian Martyrs, which continues to inspire countless Catholics to this day, including your very own campus minister! St. Jean de Brebeuf and Companions, pray for us!