Why Our Son Chose Antoine Daniel as His Patron Saint

Here is our 13-year-old son's report on Saint Antoine Daniel, S.J. Thank you, John Janaro, for recommending the wonderful book from which we both studied the Jesuit Martyrs of North America.  Pentecost is right around the corner and that is when Lucas will be confirmed.
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Name Chosen: Antoine Daniel

Brief Biography of the saint: Born in France in 1601, Antoine Daniel was a Jesuit missionary among the Hurons in Canada and one of eight Jesuit martyrs. He studied the Huron language before becoming a missionary.

Unique accomplishments of this saint. How this person did God's will in his life.

He brought the faith to the Hurons in Canada. This was difficult work because every time something went bad, such as small pox, the people blamed him.  A large part of the Hurons became Catholic and he also built a school for the children. He was willing to be martyred by the Iroquois because of his belief in God.

On July 4, 1648 the Iroquois assaulted the village as he was celebrating Mass.  He urged the Hurons to defend themselves and then ran throughout the village, baptizing the sick and the old.  He told them "Brothers today we shall be in heaven." *

He went to the church and baptized all the other Hurons. The Iroquois broke through the walls around the village. They came toward the church. Antoine Daniel walked out of the church to face the Iroquois and forbade them to enter. "For a moment they paused in amazement at such a spectacle. Then they rained a shower of arrows upon him and a bullet pierced his heart." *  As he faced the Iroquois, parishioners were able to sneak out the back of the church to safety.

Characteristics of the saint I admire:

I admire that he started a choir and a school and that he was a persuasive speaker.  He was able to make peace between the French missionaries and the Hurons. I admire his bravery in the face of death.

Ways I think this saint could be a role model for me or the world around me today.

When he was in the church as the Iroquois were attacking, Saint Antoine Daniel told his parishioners: "I shall remain here while there is a soul to save. My life is of no account if I can help you."*

He thought of others before he thought of himself.  A lot of problems in the world come from  selfishness. Saint Antoine Daniel's selflessness can be a model for me and  the world. His belief in God gave him the ability to be selfless.

*Quotes from  Saints Of The American Wilderness by John A. O'Brien