Saint Isaac Jogues, 1607–1646
October 19

Saint Isaac Jogues was a Jesuit priest in France. He was an explorer and wanted to bring the Gospel to North America. He sailed across the ocean to Canada. There, he was a missionary to the Native Americans where he spent six years preaching the Gospel. Saint Isaac was captured and tortured by some people who were afraid of him. They made him a slave. He was freed by Dutch settlers and went back to France. He still wanted to spread the Good News, so he returned to Canada. Sadly, Saint Isaac was killed by Native Americans who thought he was practicing bad magic.

Discuss: Talk about a time when you told someone about Jesus.

Before Isaac became a missionary to the Americas, he taught literature in France. People in that country heard about his work in America, and when he returned after being saved by the Dutch settlers, even the queen of France asked to see him. Saint Isaac wrote letters and kept journals from his time as a missionary. A statue of him stands in the village of Lake George, New York.

Activity
A Story of Good News
Verbal/Linguistic, Visual/Spatial

Invite your child to write a short story about two third-graders who find an opportunity to share the Good News with someone who has never heard of Jesus.

• Encourage her/him to describe the setting, name each character, and include dialogue.
• Supply colored pencils or markers so that he/she can illustrate his/her story.
• Schedule a storytelling night where your child can share her/his story with the rest of the family.
• Discuss ways that your family can be mindful of opportunities to share the Good News.