GAËLLE TERTRAIS 15 PORTRAITS OF FAITH AND COURAGE MISSiONARIES Great throughout the Ages
Under the direction of Romain Lizé, CEO, MAGNIFICAT Editor, MAGNIFICAT: Isabelle Galmiche Editor, Ignatius: Vivian Dudro Translator: Janet Chevrier Proofreader: Kathleen Hollenbeck Layout Designers: Armelle Riva, Patrick Leleux PAO Production: Thierry Dubus, Audrey Bord Original French edition: Le grand livre des missionnaires © 2021 by Mame, Paris. © 2022 by MAGNIFICAT, New York • Ignatius Press, San Francisco All rights reserved. ISBN MAGNIFICAT 978-1-63967-009-3 • ISBN Ignatius Press 978-1-62164-601-3 Illustrations: Arnaud Clermont Maps: Chloé Gautier
MAGNIFICAT ● Ignatius MISS iONARIES Great throughout the Ages GAËLLE TERTRAIS 15 PORTRAITS OF FAITH AND COURAGE
Contents Paul, Apostle of Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Martin of Tours, From Soldier to Bishop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Augustine of Canterbury, Founder of the Church in England . .18 Cyril and Methodius, Evangelists to the Slavs . . . . . . . . . . . .24 John of Montecorvino, Missionary to China . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Pedro de Gante, Father to the Aztecs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Francis Xavier, First Missionary to Japan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 4
Manuel de Nóbrega, Founder of the Brazilian Missions . . . . . . 48 Matteo Ricci, Scholar in the Middle Empire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 Roberto de Nobili, Innovator in India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Marie of the Incarnation, Mother of New France . . . . . . . 66 Junípero Serra, Founding Father of California . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 Lucille Mathevon, Pioneer Sister on the Great Plains . . . . . . . .78 Suzanne Aubert, Mother to the Māoris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 John Bradburne, Vagabond of God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 5
Paul Apostle of Christ (died A.D. 64) After his stunning encounter with the Risen Jesus on the road to Damascus, Paul became a tireless apostle of Christ. Nothing stopped him. Despite storms, shipwrecks, stonings, and beatings, he spread the Gospel throughout the Roman Empire. “Death to the imposter! Out with him!” The Jews of Lystra (in modern-day Turkey) drove Paul out of town under a hail of stones, leaving him half-dead in a ditch. They wanted nothing to do with this man who kept going on and on about a certain Jesus. Yet, just hours earlier, after Paul had healed a paralyzed man, the non-Jewish people, or Gentiles, of the town had applauded him. They had acclaimed him as the god Zeus, and his companion Barnabas as the god Hermes. Paul had great success with them, but not with his fellow Jews. He was trying to conTurkey, Greece
vince everyone he met that Jesus is the Savior long promised by God. In fact, he claimed that Jesus is the Son of God, which many Jews believed was going too far! Paul had once been a model Jew—a Pharisee who knew the Jewish laws and Scriptures better than most. Only a few years earlier, in fact, he had been just like the men of Lystra who today wanted him dead. With great zeal, he had hunted down Jews who had become Christians. Then one day, on the road to Damascus, he was blinded by a dazzling light. He fell to the ground and heard a voice asking him: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” Right away, Paul had understood it was Jesus speaking to him. After three days without eating or drinking, he regained his sight and asked to be baptized. Reborn in Christ, he changed his name to Paul. From that day on, he devoted his whole life and all his strength to Jesus. He began preaching the Gospel (the Good News about Jesus) in Antioch, the city inwhichChrist’s followerswere first referred to as Christians. From there, he set sail with Barnabas for the island of Cyprus, where he demonstrated the power of Godby confronting a sorcerer. Trouble began when Paul arrived in the region of Pisidia. The many conversions he inspired as he traveled from city to city aroused suspicion and jealousy—until that fateful day when he was stoned in Lystra and left for dead. But Paul was not dead. He stood up before the eyes of his companions and set off again. He wasn’t about to stop! He returned to the cities he had visited before to strengthen the new faith of the Christians there. Then he traveled to new places, where storms, shipwrecks, and arrests awaited him. Never surewhere his journeysmight take him, he let the Holy Spirit guide him. Paul sailedwithSilas toGreece, where he brought the Good News to the cities of Philippi, Thessalonica, Athens, and Corinth. In Philippi, the two men were thrown into prison. But did that stop them? No! The guard heard them singing songs of praise in their cell. He could hardly believe his ears. During the night, an earthquake shattered the prison walls and broke the chains. Paul and Silas were free again! Shaken and filledwith faith, the guardasked themto baptize him and his whole household. In Athens, Paul gave a great speech before the Areopagus, the assembly of 7
leading citizens. He noted that, among the great number of altars toGreek gods in the city, there was one dedicated to “an unknown god.” Paul explained to them: “I know this unknown God! It is the Christ!” His speech wasn’t a big success, but one city leader, Denys the Areopagite, converted after that. Paul then continued his journey to Corinth, where a wonderful married couple welcomed him: Priscilla and Aquila. Their home became the shining hub of the local Christian community. Paul remained with them in Corinth for a year and a half, plying his trade as a tentmaker. In Troas, Paul brought a young boy back to life after he had fallen from a third-floor window. Paul then established a sizeable Christian community in Ephesus, a great city on the coast of AsiaMinor (modern-day Turkey). Christians there had great affection for Paul. They wept when he decided to return to Jerusalem as the Holy Spirit had directed him. Paul knew he would never see his friends again. In Jerusalem, Paul met with other apostles, including Peter. Some disagreements had arisen among them about whether Gentiles needed to become Jews before becoming Christians. Paul didn’t think so. The apostles held a council and decided to agree with Paul. 8
One day, while Paul was in the Jerusalem Temple preaching about Jesus, the Jewish leaders who were trying to stop the Christian faith arrested him and put him in prison. As a Roman citizen, Paul insisted on his right to be sent to Rome for trial. During the journey, he narrowly escaped shipwreck during a big storm that left him beached on the island of Malta. There he converted many people, including the Roman governor. After more dangerous travels, Paul finally arrived in Rome, where he was placed under house arrest as he awaited his trial. He fearlessly proclaimed the Gospel and wrote many letters to the Christians in the cities he had visited. Paul was released. But, during the persecutions of Emperor Nero, he was imprisoned again. He was put to death, but not on a cross like Peter; as a Roman citizen, he was beheaded by the sword. Paul, with remarkable endurance, had run the race right to the end without faltering, thereby winning the victor’s crown of life everlasting with God. Paul is known as the “Apostle to the Gentiles.” 9
TO LEARN MORE... Saint Paul Outside the Walls Paul’s tomb lies under the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome. His sarcophagus can be seen beneath the altar bearing the inscription: Paulo apostolo martyr. The Letters of Saint Paul Saint Paul wrote 13 letters to encourage the Christian communities he had founded. His letters, called epistles, can be found in the New Testament: Letter to the Romans (Rom) First Letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor) Second Letter to the Corinthians (2 Cor) Letter to the Galatians (Gal) Letter to the Ephesians (Eph) Letter to the Philippians (Phil) Letter to the Colossians (Col) First Letter to the Thessalonians (1 Thess) Second Letter to the Thessalonians (2 Thess) First Letter to Timothy (1 Tim) Second Letter to Timothy (2 Tim) Letter to Titus (Tit) Letter to Philemon (Philem) MONTENEGRO LIBYA Rome TUNISIA MALTA ITALY 10
Antioch How to recognize Paul? Saint Paul is represented bearing a sword, the symbol of his martyrdom, and carrying a book, a symbol of the many letters he wrote. The Apostle to the Nations Paul is known as the “Apostle to the Gentiles” (that is, the non-Jews) or as the “Apostle to the Nations,” because he carried the Gospel to pagan peoples of the Roman Empire. TURKEY (Asia Minor) EGYPT JORDAN Mediterranean Sea Jerusalem Damascus SYRIA CYPRUS LEBANON ISRAEL Paphos Lystra Ephesus Troas Black Sea BULGARIA SERBIA ALBANIA NORTH MACEDONIA GREECE Corinth Athens Thessalonica The missionary voyages of Paul First voyage Second voyage Third voyage Fourth voyage 11
TO LEARN MORE... Confucius Confucius (c. 551-479 B.C.) was a philosopher born of a poor family. He occupied political o ices before being exiled for thirteen years. He traveled from province to province o ering counsel to princes and teachings to his disciples. He developed a system of education with the aim of improving man’s virtue and happiness, as well as society. His disciples gathered his teachings in many books. Confucianism is not a religion, but it contains certain rituals. It was to become o icial state doctrine for a thousand years, until the fall of the empire in 1911. Matteo Ricci’s world maps Matteo Ricci o ered Emperor Wan Li an incredibly complete map for the time. He wrote it in Chinese and included European, Chinese, and Arab knowledge of the world. For the first time in China, he depicted a world that was round, and he included America. He positioned China in the center in relation to the rest of the world. The dispute over the Chinese rite Matteo Ricci tried to combine some Confucian customs with Catholic worship. After him, other Jesuits copied his way of doing things. But this practice has been controversial. Franciscans and Dominicans arrived in China in 1631 and disapproved of the Chinese elements that had been added to the Mass. Pope Innocent X banned the Chinese rite in 1645. In return, the emperor, furious, chased away all missionaries in 1724. It was not until 1939 that Pope Pius XII allowed Chinese Catholics to practice the Chinese rite. An astronomical honor In 1935, the International Astronomical Union gave the name Riccius to a lunar crater in honor of Matteo Ricci. 58
The Church in China—yesterday and today The Catholic Church in China—called in Chinese “the religion of the Lord of Heaven”—founded by Matteo Ricci, came to an initial halt over a quarrel about its rites, which ended with the departure of the missionaries in the 18th century. It was revived with the arrival of new missionaries in the 19th century, thanks, in particular, to the Foreign Missions of Paris. But, with the Communist revolution, missionaries were once again expelled between 1949 and 1953, and Christians have been persecuted ever since. Today, the Catholic Church in China includes a double reality: an underground Church, faithful to the Holy See but banned by the government, and the Patriotic Church, which is supervised by the government. Philippine Sea South China Sea Bay of Bengal Indian Ocean CH I NA I ND I A PHILIPPINES MALAYSIA INDONESIA THAILAND CAMBODIA VIETNAM LAOS JAPAN NORTH KOREA SOUTH KOREA MYANMAR BANGLADESH BHUTAN TAIWAN NEPAL MONGOLIA KYRGYZSTAN Goa Cochin Beijing Nanjing (Nanking) Shanghai Hong Kong Macau Zhaoqing Canton (Guanzhou) Taipei Chongqing Chengdu Sea of Japan 59
One night in December 1634, in the Ursuline Convent of Tours, France, Marie had a strange dream. She offered her hand to a lady and traveled through a rugged, misty landscape. Before her lay a steep path leading to a brightly lit church. She felt drawn there. But where was this place? Soon afterward, God told her in no uncertain terms: “I want you to go to Canada and build a church there for Jesus and Mary.” Marie of the Incarnation Mother of New France (1599-1672) At the start of the reign of Louis XIV of France, Mother Marie of the Incarnation set sail for Quebec. She contributed to the birth of the colony of New France, where Jesus sent her to spread the faith. She was one of the first female missionaries there. Canada
Thatwasn’t the first timeMarieGuyart had heard the voice of God speaking to her. Previously—at the age of seven— she had heard him ask her, “Will you be mine?” She had said yes. And ever since that moment, she had wished to be entirely God’s. But her path took many detours. Her parents refused to let her enter the convent, considering her too fun-loving tobecomeanun. Instead, they forcedher to marry a silk weaver. Two years later, her husbanddied. At the ageof nineteen, Marie found herself a penniless widow with a baby boy, Claude. At first, she livedwith her father. Then she livedwith her sister, with whom she worked and raised her son. Yet in her heart, Marie was devoted to God. One day, Marie felt God seize her whole being in his light, showing her all her sins. She was deeply moved and could no longer resist this mysterious call. She confided her wish to her son and her sister and entered the Ursuline convent, taking the name Marie of the Incarnation. During her years in the cloister, one desire grew in her heart: to become a missionary, like the Jesuits who were describing incredible adventures in their letters. Then came that December night’s dream. In a flash, things became clear. She would go to Canada. Yet, there was one obstacle: at the time, there was no such thing as a female missionary! Nuns lived in convents, where they ran schools or hospitals. That was fine with Marie, but she wanted to work among the Native Americans. Amazingly, everything suddenly fell in place for her to leave for Quebec. A rich woman, Madeleine de la Peltrie, wished toplaceherwealth in the service of New France. On meeting her, Marie recognized Madeleine as the woman in her dreams! In 1639, it was decided: Marie would set off with two other Ursulines and three nursing Sisters. Thus they boarded a ship bound for the great American north! Their ship came within a whisker of foundering on an iceberg, but they arrived safe and sound inQuebec, which at the time was no more than a little trading colony of wooden houses. “Welcome! Bienvenue! ” the French colonists exclaimed. TheUrsulinessettledintoalittlehouse near the port. There they welcomed their first boarders, the daughters of French colonists and Native Americans, who trusted the Sisters to give them a good education. As the Sisters soon outgrew their housing, Marie—a remarkably enterprising woman—had a largebuildingmade of stone outside the 67
town. With its park, farm, and chapel, it was the finest building in Quebec. There were many boarders, whom Marie taught well using common sense and good psychology. She became attached to the lively, spontaneous “children of the woods,” as she called the Native American girls, who had a difficult time learning European ways. “They are the joy ofmy heart!”Mother Marie often exclaimed when speaking of them. But on a freezing night, in December 1651, a fire broke out in the boarding school kitchen. The whole building went up in flames! The Sisters and the students found themselves barefoot in the snow. They had lost everything. “We’re not leaving.We’ll rebuild!” said Mother Marie, refusing to give up. But where to find themoney? Mother Marie confided her troubles to the Virgin Mary, whom she called “the real mother superior of the community.” Sure enough, as soon as the thaw came, a new boarding school rose from the ashes. The girls were able to come back amid great joy.
Many prominent personalities in Quebec, such as Bishop François de Laval, sought out Mother Marie for advice, and she counseled them wisely. She took an interest in native languages and composed a French-Algonquin and a French-Iroquois dictionary. She made friends among the Algonquins and the Hurons, even though their enemies, the Iroquois, would attack her buildings and her Sisters. Often at night, when everyone else was asleep, the candle in her cell continued to burn as she wrote spiritual books and countless letters, most often to her beloved son, who had become a Benedictine monk. Exhausted by a lifetime of self-sacrifice and illness, Mother Marie passed away peacefully in 1672 after bidding a final farewell to her students. As one journalist said centuries later, “The great man of New France was a woman!” Marie of the Incarnation was canonized by Pope Francis in 2014, without having performed any miracles. Her feast day is April 30. 69
TO LEARN MORE... The founding of Quebec The city of Quebec, founded in 1608 by Samuel de Champlain, was at first no more than a fur-trading post. It expanded westward along the Saint Lawrence River, despite attacks by the Iroquois. In 1760, Quebec fell to the English, and New France became a province of Britain and later of Canada when the Canadians won their independence in 1867. It still maintains its French roots and language. Madeleine de la Peltrie Marie-Madeleine de la Peltrie was a wealthy widow who had always wished to consecrate herself to Christ. When miraculously cured of an illness, she vowed to found a school for the Native Americans of New France. Upon learning that an Ursuline Sister from Tours, France, wished to go there, she decided to accompany her. In Quebec City, Madeleine lived in a little house next to the boarding school, always on hand to assist the nuns. She died there in 1671. Bishop François de Laval François de Laval was the first bishop of New France. Though born of a noble family, he lived humbly. A man of prayer attentive to the needs of the poor, he never hesitated to travel his immense diocese even in the dead of winter, whether in snowshoes or on a sleigh. He greatly contributed to the development of Quebec and is called “the father of New France.” He was canonized on April 3, 2014, at the same time as Marie of the Incarnation. CANADA UNITED STATES 70
Iroquois and Algonquins The Iroquois included several tribes of northeastern America. They lived in wood longhouses and practiced agriculture. They attacked the French when the French became friends with Iroquois enemies: first the Algonquins and, later, the Hurons. The Algonquins lived north of the Saint Lawrence River. They were nomadic, lived in teepees or wigwams (round teepees), and survived by hunting and fishing. Their clans were represented by totem animals. They were allies of the French, with whom they traded furs. Three Rivers New France in 1645 At l ant i c Ocean Quebec (New York) New Amsterdam Montreal Boston Quebec City Saint LawrenceRiver 71
MISSiONARIES Great throughout the Ages Paul the Apostle, Martin of Tours, Augustine of Canterbury, John of Montecorvino, Pedro de Gante, Junípero Serra, Lucille Mathevon… Follow the inspiring adventures of great men and women who traveled to faraway lands, often risking their lives, to share their love for Jesus. Discover how they overcame great challenges to spread the Gospel. Full of fascinating stories, maps, and historic information, this captivating book will inspire you to be a great missionary too! AGES 9 AND UP
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