For the past several years I have served with the Company of St. Rene Goupil on the annual Pilgrimage for Restoration. It isn't too late - even today, Thursday, early afternoon - to look them up and sign up to take the pilgrim road from Lac du Saint Sacrement (,Lake George) to Ossernenon (Auriesville) and stand on the very ground where Saint Rene Goupil, Saint Isaac Jogues, and Saint Jean de Lalande split their blood for Christ!
Hi there, the Pilgrimage for Restoration is happening this weekend. If you're still interested for the future, here is the website. https://pilgrimage-for-restoration.org/
In a world gone mad like that which faced these martyrs? Tradition, rooted deeply in Christ's Sacred Saving Presence, is the necessary companion of sanity....
How providential that this article comes out on the very EVE of the 30th annual Pilgrimage of Restoration!!!
Please consider looking up the Pilgrimage Website even NOW - Thursday morning - and stepping onto the pilgrim road tomorrow from Lac du Saint Sacrement (Lake George) to Ossernenon ,(Auriesville), itself!!!
I've have the great privilege of visiting Ossernenon (which St. Isaac called, "The Land of Crosses") many times since boyhood. I've had the great privilege for the past few years of serving in the Company of Saint Rene Goupil on this Pilgrimage and attending to the medical needs of my fellowship w pilgrims. Please come!
We pray for the Restoration of Tradition, to be sure, but I'm sure I'm not alone in realizing that we pilgrims are begging the merciful God for the Restoration of our own Catholic souls!
"So the Faith was planted," St. Edmund Campion, SJ, would say, "so it must be restored!"
I had the Pilgrims of Restoration in mind when I wrote this homage to the North American Martyrs. May God bless you for your sacrifices, and know that I will be praying for you all as you follow the footsteps of the Martyrs!
Such an inspiring article. I truly believe the North American martyrs likely enjoy some of the highest places in heaven due to the mind-boggling extent of their sacrifices to bring the Catholic Faith and salvation to souls in the New World.
I do have a few questions regarding the liturgy celebrated by the Jesuits, which they describe as having a profound impact on the natives due to its solemnity. Obviously, it would have been the TLM, but do we know whether they would have been celebrating what we now call a Sung Mass (i.e., with chanted propers and ordinary)? Or are they referring to a Low Mass with hymns? I'm very curious what the actual liturgical practices of the day would have been, especially under such conditions. Were the proper chants of the Mass compiled and readily available? Also, would Holy Communion have been received during Mass like we do today?
The Jesuits provided copious and fascinating details about their liturgies in The Relations. They were very cautious and wise about their method of celebrating Mass and administering the Sacraments, and often their decisions in this regard were dictated by practical concerns, for example, the number of priests, the permanence of the location, and the availability of trained singers.
It seems that on mission, their preferred method of saying Mass was a Low Mass with hymns. They instructed the Native Americans to sing hymns and to recite prayers during Mass, which they said with notable enthusiasm. One entry in the Relations humorously describes the volume inside the chapel...apparently they had yet to learn about Western notions of volume control.
Dr. Kwasniewski will have to help us with information about the availability of the Proper chants. Certainly, when it was possible, the Mission priests sought trained singers for the Liturgy, so I assume that they were singing the Propers, especially on great feasts.
The Mission priests were very careful about admitting anyone to the Sacraments, since they wanted to make sure that the person was sincere and fully catechized. They always describe Confession and Communion in the same passages, so I assume that both were given outside of Mass. Some passages mention that the Priests try to distribute once a month, but they are certainly saying Mass every day, and having a Sung Mass (Low Mass with hymns) on Sundays.
The Relations are free online and are very inspiring. It was a blessing to read them in the process of writing this essay. I had often heard that the Jesuits were responsible for the movement towards Liturgical minimalism, but that just really doesn't hold water in light of the great efforts they exerted to provide the Native Americans and Immigrant Frenchmen with Liturgy that was solemn and beautiful, to the utmost of their power. Thanks be to God, and happy feast day!
Based on the descriptions in the Relations, I too would be skeptical of the claim that the Jesuits (at least, of that time) were liturgical minimalists. They were clearly aware of the evangelistic power of solemn liturgy. I read that they adopted recitation of the Divine Office in private (rather than communally), so perhaps that is where the stereotype originated?
I welcome thoughts from those more knowledgeable about these questions than me.
I know that on behalf of the missionaries in England during the time of Reformation, the Jesuits obtained permissions that would allow them to dispense with certain rubrics. As with the Mass, Jesuits in North America exerted heroic efforts to say their breviary, which was often carried with them everywhere by a string on their neck.
For the past several years I have served with the Company of St. Rene Goupil on the annual Pilgrimage for Restoration. It isn't too late - even today, Thursday, early afternoon - to look them up and sign up to take the pilgrim road from Lac du Saint Sacrement (,Lake George) to Ossernenon (Auriesville) and stand on the very ground where Saint Rene Goupil, Saint Isaac Jogues, and Saint Jean de Lalande split their blood for Christ!
I love to take the same pilgrimage. Could you please share how I can proceed? Thank you.
Hi there, the Pilgrimage for Restoration is happening this weekend. If you're still interested for the future, here is the website. https://pilgrimage-for-restoration.org/
I wish I could share images on this... I'm currently on the pilgrimage, pulled off the pilgrim road with medical team.
Been praying for y'all, Mark! I hope your pilgrimage has been blessed.
Thank you for the information. I will plan for the following year. God's will be done.
God bless you for making this public. Will share this on other social media platforms as well. 🙏🏼
In a world gone mad like that which faced these martyrs? Tradition, rooted deeply in Christ's Sacred Saving Presence, is the necessary companion of sanity....
Absolutely convinced the Jesuits will enjoy renewal at some point. No way such merit remains forever ineffective.
Amen. The true spirituality of St. Ignatius is such a gift for the Church.
Thank you for this wonderful history of the missions in North America.
Thanks be to God! We are blessed to call these men our Spiritual fathers!
Listening to this story inflames my heart anew for the love of the Holy Sacrifice of the Eucharist! Thank you, Dr. Kwasniewski.
This was so beautiful, thank you
How providential that this article comes out on the very EVE of the 30th annual Pilgrimage of Restoration!!!
Please consider looking up the Pilgrimage Website even NOW - Thursday morning - and stepping onto the pilgrim road tomorrow from Lac du Saint Sacrement (Lake George) to Ossernenon ,(Auriesville), itself!!!
I've have the great privilege of visiting Ossernenon (which St. Isaac called, "The Land of Crosses") many times since boyhood. I've had the great privilege for the past few years of serving in the Company of Saint Rene Goupil on this Pilgrimage and attending to the medical needs of my fellowship w pilgrims. Please come!
We pray for the Restoration of Tradition, to be sure, but I'm sure I'm not alone in realizing that we pilgrims are begging the merciful God for the Restoration of our own Catholic souls!
"So the Faith was planted," St. Edmund Campion, SJ, would say, "so it must be restored!"
PILGRIMS! AT THE READY! FORWARD! MARCH!
I had the Pilgrims of Restoration in mind when I wrote this homage to the North American Martyrs. May God bless you for your sacrifices, and know that I will be praying for you all as you follow the footsteps of the Martyrs!
There is a fine mural at Fordham:
https://www.andrewcusack.com/2025/jesuit-gothic/
https://www.hildrethmeiere.org/commissions/fordham-university-wall-map
Extraordinary! Thank you for that!
Such an inspiring article. I truly believe the North American martyrs likely enjoy some of the highest places in heaven due to the mind-boggling extent of their sacrifices to bring the Catholic Faith and salvation to souls in the New World.
I do have a few questions regarding the liturgy celebrated by the Jesuits, which they describe as having a profound impact on the natives due to its solemnity. Obviously, it would have been the TLM, but do we know whether they would have been celebrating what we now call a Sung Mass (i.e., with chanted propers and ordinary)? Or are they referring to a Low Mass with hymns? I'm very curious what the actual liturgical practices of the day would have been, especially under such conditions. Were the proper chants of the Mass compiled and readily available? Also, would Holy Communion have been received during Mass like we do today?
Thank you so much! AMDG.
The Jesuits provided copious and fascinating details about their liturgies in The Relations. They were very cautious and wise about their method of celebrating Mass and administering the Sacraments, and often their decisions in this regard were dictated by practical concerns, for example, the number of priests, the permanence of the location, and the availability of trained singers.
It seems that on mission, their preferred method of saying Mass was a Low Mass with hymns. They instructed the Native Americans to sing hymns and to recite prayers during Mass, which they said with notable enthusiasm. One entry in the Relations humorously describes the volume inside the chapel...apparently they had yet to learn about Western notions of volume control.
Dr. Kwasniewski will have to help us with information about the availability of the Proper chants. Certainly, when it was possible, the Mission priests sought trained singers for the Liturgy, so I assume that they were singing the Propers, especially on great feasts.
The Mission priests were very careful about admitting anyone to the Sacraments, since they wanted to make sure that the person was sincere and fully catechized. They always describe Confession and Communion in the same passages, so I assume that both were given outside of Mass. Some passages mention that the Priests try to distribute once a month, but they are certainly saying Mass every day, and having a Sung Mass (Low Mass with hymns) on Sundays.
The Relations are free online and are very inspiring. It was a blessing to read them in the process of writing this essay. I had often heard that the Jesuits were responsible for the movement towards Liturgical minimalism, but that just really doesn't hold water in light of the great efforts they exerted to provide the Native Americans and Immigrant Frenchmen with Liturgy that was solemn and beautiful, to the utmost of their power. Thanks be to God, and happy feast day!
Very interesting - thank you!
Based on the descriptions in the Relations, I too would be skeptical of the claim that the Jesuits (at least, of that time) were liturgical minimalists. They were clearly aware of the evangelistic power of solemn liturgy. I read that they adopted recitation of the Divine Office in private (rather than communally), so perhaps that is where the stereotype originated?
I welcome thoughts from those more knowledgeable about these questions than me.
I know that on behalf of the missionaries in England during the time of Reformation, the Jesuits obtained permissions that would allow them to dispense with certain rubrics. As with the Mass, Jesuits in North America exerted heroic efforts to say their breviary, which was often carried with them everywhere by a string on their neck.