History of the Fort St. Joseph Jesuit Mission

Hello ladies and gentlemen… my name is Alexander, and today I will be writing about the Jesuits, including their founder, who they were, and their involvement in New France. My interests in this subject, besides being a lover of history, is that I am a lover of ancient Christian traditions (both east and west), its symbolism and mysticism, as well as learning from the good and the bad. Before we speak about the Mission at Fort St. Joseph (the earthly father of Jesus as well as the patron saint of New France), we must first start with the founder of the Jesuit order, that being saint Ignatius of Loyola (Catholic saint). Ignatius was born October 23, 1491, in Azpeitia, Spain, and died July 31, 1556, in Rome Italy, where he is now entombed. He originated as a military leader, on his way to glory and fame, when it all came to a sudden halt when a cannonball shattered his leg, thus forcing him to a hospital, where he would eventually recover. This time in rehab was spent not only to recover physically, but spiritually as well, as he spent many of his days not only reading the Bible, but the Lives of the Saints as well (this is a book that shows that the everyday person, if they try, can be god-like too). This, over time, caused him to turn his life around and start anew. After going through much personal growth and trials, Ignatius (at the age of 43), with the blessing of Pope Paul the III, formed the Society of Jesus, with its focus being on the Trinity, Christ, and the Holy Eucharist. Besides running the order, Ignatius also spent his time building homes for orphans, catechumens, as well as penitents. He was a true mystic, and is best well remembered for his book, the Spiritual Exercises.

Saint Ignatius of Loyola.

From Brittanica Online

With the Jesuits being one of the best educated missionaries next to the Dominicans (another Catholic Order) their education would serve them well as they were to be sent to the lands of New France, and thus become the principle religious order in charge of converting Native Americans. Successful missions required funds, with many of these coming from private donations, landholdings (such as missions in Canada), and government allotments. In the case of the mission at Fort St. Joseph, it was the needs of the mission that came first, then the fort (this would vary from place to place). Many of the missionaries found the lack of converts frustrating, and the potential danger intimidating, as this was an unknown world to them. They encountered issues with native languages, in their attempts to put down superstitious beliefs, and of course, cultural barriers. Many native groups converted only in times of extreme hardship, such as baptizing a dying child, or when faced with military, demographic, or economic turmoil. One group, the Algonquians (who were the French’s allies), were found receptive to the Catholic Christian faith, as they saw the Jesuits to be representatives of the French crown, whom the Algonquians needed to help fight the Iroquois and the British, thus forming the link between religion and trade.

Baptismal records during the 17th century.

From the Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project

In terms of knowing certain information about some of the Jesuit activities around the Fort St. Joseph area, we cannot only look at artifacts (with many religious memorabilia being found, especially crosses) but also the missionaries’ records as well. From these often incomplete documents, we can decipher a couple important things, those being: missionaries did not stay long at the fort/were not continuously present and there was a persistent call for priests (to baptize the inhabitants of the fort), which gives us an idea of the amount of marriages, births, and deaths that happened within the community, with a total of 5 marriages, 141 baptisms, as well as 17 if not more deaths being recorded within a 40 year time span.

The Jesuit missionaries left an integral mark on Fort St. Joseph, as well as on the native inhabitants, thus preparing the way for French and native relations, and that of the Fur Trade itself.

Sources Utilized:

Nassaney, Michael S. and Jose Antonio Brandao

2019. Measuring Success in the Jesuit Cause. Paper presented at the annual Conference on                  Historical and Underwater Archaeology, St. Charles, MO, January.

https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-ignatius-of-loyola/