Jean de Lalande

Saint Jean de Lalande was born in Dieppe, Normandy, and as a young man felt drawn to serve Christ in the missions of New France. He crossed the Atlantic at about nineteen, offering himself to the Jesuits as a donné, a lay assistant who shared the hardships of missionary life at Sainte-Marie among the Hurons. In late September 1646 he accompanied Father Isaac Jogues on a delicate journey to the Mohawk as an envoy, hoping to safeguard a fragile peace. During the trip, hostility flared, and both men were seized and taken to the Mohawk village of Ossernenon near present-day Auriesville, New York. Though some urged their release, Father Jogues was killed on October 18. The next day, moved by reverence and love, Jean attempted to recover the priest’s body from the path; for this act of mercy he was slain, sealing his witness with blood. Counted among the North American Martyrs, he is honored as patron of Saint-Jean-de-la-Lande. His feast day is October 19.