Relic of martyred Jesuit St. Jean de Brébeuf to make stop in Omaha

St. Jean de Brébeuf’s skull is visiting Creighton University on Tuesday, February 27, as part of a tour of the saint’s relics sponsored by the Jesuits of Canada and the United States.

Born in France, Father Brébeuf became the first Jesuit missionary in Huronia (present-day Canada) in 1626. Known for his large stature and gentle character, Father Brébeuf worked to spread Christianity among the native Hurons and immersed himself in their culture and language despite immense hardships.

In 1649, during an Iroquois attack on a Huron village, Brébeuf and another Jesuit, Father Gabriel Lalemant, remained with the Christian Huron men. The two were captured by the Iroquois, tortured and martyred. Brébeuf was 46.

Father Brébeuf’s “dedication to his mission, resilience in the face of adversity and commitment to the Christian faith left a lasting legacy in the history of Jesuit missions in North America,” according to the tour’s website.

A presentation on the relic and life of St. Jean Brébeuf will take place at 7 p.m. at St. John Church on Creighton’s campus, where public veneration of the skull relic will be held from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 to 9 p.m. There also will be a public veneration of the relic from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Chapel of St. Peter Faber in the Harper Center on campus.

More information on the tour and Saint Brébeuf can be found here.

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