by Joe (dad)
Despite some rain while we were in the Adirondacks, we made some good hikes and visits that included a visit to Six Flags Great Escape and meeting some terrific people while praying together outside a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic. The people we met recommended a stop at the Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs in Auriesville, NY and I'm glad we were able to make a stop at the Shrine on our way toward Niagara Falls! Several Jesuit priests were martyred by the local Native American tribes in the 1640's for their faith in God and the group of 8 priests became the first North American saints. Tertullian is a Church Father who lived and wrote in the 2nd Century and one of his observations is that "the blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church." In a striking example of Tertullian's prescient observation, Saint Kateri Tekakwitha was also born on this same ground where several of the Jesuit priests were martyred (not all 8 were killed at exactly the same time or place). The Shrine is a beautiful place for prayer and reflection on the rich heritage of the Faith and maintains a witness to the sufferings that previous generations of the Faithful have already endured with Christ's help...which makes many of our sufferings today seem a bit more manageable!
Despite some rain while we were in the Adirondacks, we made some good hikes and visits that included a visit to Six Flags Great Escape and meeting some terrific people while praying together outside a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic. The people we met recommended a stop at the Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs in Auriesville, NY and I'm glad we were able to make a stop at the Shrine on our way toward Niagara Falls! Several Jesuit priests were martyred by the local Native American tribes in the 1640's for their faith in God and the group of 8 priests became the first North American saints. Tertullian is a Church Father who lived and wrote in the 2nd Century and one of his observations is that "the blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church." In a striking example of Tertullian's prescient observation, Saint Kateri Tekakwitha was also born on this same ground where several of the Jesuit priests were martyred (not all 8 were killed at exactly the same time or place). The Shrine is a beautiful place for prayer and reflection on the rich heritage of the Faith and maintains a witness to the sufferings that previous generations of the Faithful have already endured with Christ's help...which makes many of our sufferings today seem a bit more manageable!