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| Jean De Brebeuf was born near Saint Lo France in 1593. He was ordained a priest of the Jesuit order in 1622. | |
| Brebeuf first arrived in the New World in 1625 as a member of the expedition led by, the French explorer Samuel de Champlain. | |
| Soon after the expedition landed, Brebeuf founded a Jesuit mission. The purpose of missions, such as Brebeuf's, was to convert the native Indian population to Christianity. He worked primarily among the Huron Indians with much of his time being spent in the area where present day Midland, Ontario is situated. | |
| In 1649, his mission site was captured by a neighboring hostile tribe. Brebeuf and his associate, French Jesuit missionary Gabriel Lalement (1610-1649) were taken prisoner and tortured to death. The tortures are considered to be amongst the most hideous in the history of Christian martyrdom. | |
| The Martyr's Shrine is located in Midland, Ontario. This shrine was built in commemeration of martyrs, such as Brebeuf, who died for their faith. | |
| Visitors to the shrine will also find nearby a replacation of an Indian village of the early 1600s. Brebeuf's grave can be found just outside of this village. | |
| Every year the graduating class of St. Jean De Brebeuf has a retreat to the Midland shrine to visit the grave site of the school's patron saint. | |
| Jean De Brebeuf was canonized in 1930. His feast day is September 26. | |
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