The sign of the cross...

can be deadly

St. Rene Goupil

"I gave Rene' this title of martyr, not only because he had been killed by enemies of God and His Church, and also while engaged in obvious charity on behalf of his neighbor, placing himself in evident danger for the love of God; but, especially, because he had been killed for his prayers and the sign of the cross.
     He had been living in a cabin where he had nearly always openly said his prayers. This did not please at all a superstitious old Iroquois who was there. One day, on seeing a little child of four years of age in the cabin, in an excess of devotion and love and with a simplicity we others - more wise in the ways of the flesh than he! - would not have practised, he removed his head covering, placed it on the child's head and made a large sign of the cross over his body.
     The old Iroquois, seeing this, ordered a young Iroquois in the cabin who was on the point of going on the warpath to kill Rene'. And the young man did just that, as we have explained.
The mother herself of this child, on a trip that I made in her com-pany, told me that it was because of the sign of the cross that Rene' had been killed. And the old Iroquois who had given the order for his death, one day when he had called me into his cabin, said to me when he saw me blessing myself before eating: "There you have exactly what we hate! Now you know why they killed your companion and why they will kill you. Our neighbors the Dutch do not make this sign." "

ST. ISAAC JOGUES account of of his death



There is more that could be said of this saint.

He was blind .

He had a desire to join the Jesuits but was  rejected by Jesuits .

 Not one to give up , He studies to become a medic .

 Then later joins the Jesuits as a layperson and willingly receives no pay for his work.

Becomes a missionary .

Suffers greatly for  showing the  love of Christ to the Huron people when He is captured by the Iroquois.

 "His body was livid with bruises so that one could see in his face only the white of his eyes."

Was given an opportunity to escape..refused it .

Later is killed for making the sign of the cross .

Dies with the Holy name of Jesus on his lips. 

 The first martyr of North America .