In the mid-1600s, a small band of Jesuit missionaries set out from Sainte-Marie among the Hurons, a settlement in Ontario, Canada, to work among the Indian tribes of the Huron in upstate New York and the territories in Canada. The Jesuits’ goal was to bring Christianity to the Huron but they found themselves in the precarious position of not being trusted by them as there was conflict and wars between the Huron and the neighboring Iroquois. It was this mistrust that resulted in eight of them being killed between 1642 – 1649. Today, in Auriesville, New York, the Shrine of the North American Martyrs is dedicated to the Jesuits who sacrificed their lives and remain the only canonized martyrs of the United States.

Tonight on EWTN, the four part “Footprints in the Wilderness” miniseries highlights one of these Jesuit martyrs, Saint Rene Goupil, a Jesuit brother who was captured and killed by the Iroquois as they believed he was a spy for the French. With interviews with Jesuit author and artist Father William Breault, the series was filmed in three countries on two continents with insights from French, Canadian and American experts, and delves into the experience of Goupil in this new land.

The series starts tonight at 6:30pm Eastern Time. Check your local listings to find ETWN on your television and check out the promo for “Footprints in the Wilderness” below.

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