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Jean de Br?beuf
16
March 1649
"The Indians have a particular devotion for the night that was enlightened by the birth of the Son of God. They built a small chapel of cedar and fir branches in honour of the manger of the Infant Jesus."
Jesuit Relations, 1642
Fr. Jean de Br?beuf
came to Canada in 1625 as a missionary, and was sent to the Huron Indians near Georgian
Bay in 1626. He learned their language and preached there until 1629, when Qu?bec was
captured by the Kirke brothers
from Newfoundland (a little-known event in Canadian history), and he went back to France.
He returned to live among the Huron again in 1633 .
The Huron Carol was written by him in their language, both as gift and to help in his missionary and teaching efforts.. He wrote the words to the music of a 16th century Carol called "Une Jeune Pucelle" (A Young Maid). Fortunately one of the last Jesuit missionaries to the Huron, Fr. de Villeneuve, wrote the old Huron words to the carol and IWC Replica Watches later translated it into simple French. Fr. Br?beuf's carol was translated to English by Jesse Edgar Middleton, and was included in "The Hymn Book of the Anglican Church of Canada and the United Church of Canada" (the ‘Red Book’) in 1971.
On 16 March 1649 Jean de Br?beuf was captured by invading Iroquois and brutally killed. He was canonized by the Roman Catholic Church in 1930.
Acknowledgements:
Text adapted from Kir Shalom,
Huron Carol, Canadian
Encyclopedia
Image from Canadian Heritage Gallery