House Patrons: St. Jean de Brébeuf, S.J.

Each week The Blue Jay will highlight the life of one of the four patrons of the newly formed House System. This week, we take a look at St. Jean de Brebeuf, S.J.

The newly created house system has brought about four new houses: Brébeuf, Xavier, Pro, and Canisius. The Blue Jay will highlight each of these four saints of the Society in the coming weeks. Today, we begin with St. Jean de Brébeuf S.J., the patron saint of House Brébeuf. St. Jean de Brébeuf was born in Condé-sur-Vire, France, in 1593. He arrived in America in 1625 to evangelize Native Americans. Living among the Huron for over 15 years under challenging circumstances, he learned their language and customs, later teaching other missionaries their language to improve communication with the Huron.

Brébeuf was unique in his dedication to the Huron people and his unwavering commitment to the Jesuit mission. One historian notes that “Brébeuf’s courage and faith were unshakeable, even in the face of the most brutal adversity.” Brébeuf was known for his compassion, learning the customs and language of the Huron as a gesture of respect and understanding. "To truly reach someone’s heart, one must first seek to understand their soul," Brébeuf was known to have said.

Jesuit Father Juan Ruiz, S.J., recounts the martyrdom of St. Jean de Brébeuf to the gathered student body. St. Brébeuf’s relics, including his skull, were venerated in the Chapel of the North American Martyrs last February.

In 1648, the Iroquois attacked the Huron, their traditional enemies. Despite the danger, Brébeuf refused to flee when the Huron village was attacked. He and his assistant were captured and tortured to death by the Iroquois. St. Jean de Brébeuf, S.J., was canonized in 1930 with seven other missionaries, known as the North American Martyrs. As the patron saint of Canada, his feast day is celebrated on October 19th.

In February, the relics of St. Jean de Brébeuf were brought to Jesuit High School after nearly 400 years of being preserved in Canada, where they had been safeguarded since his martyrdom in the mid-1600s. Students, along with hundreds of parents, alumni, and members of the local Catholic community, were given the chance to venerate the Jesuit saint’s relics in the Chapel of the North American Martyrs.