Oct 20, 2020
Father David Dufresne, a Parochial Vicar at the Basilica of Saint Mary, reflects on the North American Martyrs.
Six Jesuit priests (John de Brébeuf, Isaac Jogues, Noel Chabanel, Anthony Daniel, Charles Garnier, and Gabriel Lalemant) and two lay assistants (René Goupil and Jean de la Lande) evangelized native peoples in North America and were martyred between 1624 and 1649 - five in present Canada and three near Auriesville, New York.
This was recorded on October 19, the Memorial of the North
American Martyrs.
Founded in 1795, the Basilica of Saint Mary in Old Town
Alexandria is the first Catholic parish established in Virginia.
Pope Francis named the church a minor basilica on December 6, 2017
due to its important role in the growth of the Catholic Church in
North America.