Saint Gabriel Lalemant

Life story

Gabriel Lalemant was born on 3 October 1610 in Paris, the son of a lawyer at the Paris Parlement. He entered the Jesuit novitiate in Paris on 24 March 1630 and in 1632 vowed to devote himself to foreign missions. He then taught and studied at colleges in Moulins, Bourges and La Flèche. Two of his uncles were also Jesuits in New France.

He arrived at Quebec on 20 September 1646 and stayed there until 1648; in early September 1648 he reached Sainte-Marie-des-Hurons to assist Jean de Brébeuf. In February 1649 he replaced Noël Chabanel at the Saint-Louis mission.

On 16 March 1649 about a thousand Iroquois warriors attacked Saint-Ignace before dawn and then Saint-Louis. Lalemant and Brébeuf refused to flee and were captured, then taken back to Saint-Ignace. Brébeuf died on 16 March; Lalemant was tortured from that evening until the next morning and died on 17 March 1649. His body was buried beneath the chapel at Sainte-Marie and moved to Quebec in spring 1650. He is one of the eight Canadian Martyrs, canonised by Pope Pius XI on 29 June 1930. His feast is 26 September in Canada and 19 October in the United States.

Works and witness

• Joined the Jesuits in 1630 and vowed in 1632 to give himself to foreign missions
• Arrived at Quebec on 20 September 1646
• Served at the Saint-Louis mission from February 1649
• Tortured and killed on 17 March 1649 after the Iroquois attack
• Canonised on 29 June 1930

Saints from the same country

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Saint Louis IX of France, Saint Joan of Arc, Saint Francis de Sales

References

• Dictionary of Canadian Biography, 'Lalemant, Gabriel' (biographi.ca)
• Wikipedia article on Gabriel Lalemant (read in full; arrival, deaths, feast days)
• Catholic Conference of Bishops of Canada, North American Martyrs page (via search summary; page not read)

Written by Anawim from documented history. Some details about ancient saints rest on tradition and are marked as such.