CrucisSt. Charles Garnier
St. Charles Garnier was born about 1606 in Paris, France, into a well-to-do family, and entered the Society of Jesus, sailing to the missions of New France in 1636. Of gentle and refined temperament, he gave himself wholeheartedly to the Huron people, enduring the hardships of the wilderness with cheerful patience and becoming known for his tenderness toward the sick and the young.
He was serving the mission of the Petun, or Tobacco Nation, when the Iroquois attacked the village of Saint-Jean in December 1649. Rather than flee, Garnier remained to baptize and absolve the dying, and he was struck down by gunfire on 7 December 1649 while crawling to help a wounded convert. Canonized in 1930, he is honored among the eight North American Martyrs, celebrated in Canada on 26 September and elsewhere on 19 October.
Selected quotes
“Stay with your flock to the very end, for the shepherd does not abandon the sheep.”
“Trust God amid every hardship, for he never abandons those who labor for him.”
“Even in the hour of death, the priest's thought is for the souls in his care.”