Saint Noël Chabanel | |
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| Born | (1613-02-02)February 2, 1613 Saugues (Haute-Loire),France |
| Died | December 8, 1649(1649-12-08) (aged 36) Sainte-Marie among the Hurons (Midland, Ontario,Canada) |
| Beatified | June 21, 1925[1],Rome byPope Pius XI |
| Canonized | June 29, 1930, Rome by Pope Pius XI |
Noël Chabanel (February 2, 1613 – December 8, 1649) was aJesuitmissionary atSainte-Marie among the Hurons, and one of theCanadian Martyrs.[2]
Chabenal was born February 2, 1613 in the village ofSaugues, France,[1] the youngest of four children. His brother Pierre entered the Society of Jesus in 1623.
Chabanel entered the Jesuit novitiate atToulouse at the age of seventeen, and became a professor ofrhetoric at several Jesuit colleges. He was highly esteemed for virtue and learning. In 1643, he was sent toNew France along with Leonard Garreau and Gabriel Druillettes. Although he studied theAlgonquin language for a time, he never made much headway.[3] He was appointed to the mission at Sainte-Marie.[4] In his apostolic labours he was the companion ofCharles Garnier.
As he felt a strong repugnance to the life and habits of theHuron, and feared it might result in him withdrawing from the work, he bound himself by vow never to leave the mission except under obedience.[5] Chabanel was sent to assistJean de Brébeuf at the mission of Saint Louis (near the present day hamlet ofVictoria Harbour), but was replaced in February 1649 byGabriel Lalemant. Chabanel was sent to helpCharles Garnier among thePetun. One month later, Brébeuf and Lalemant were captured in an Iroquois raid on the St. Louis mission and taken to the nearby mission off St. Ignace where they were killed.[3]
After the deaths of Brébeuf and Lalement, the Jesuits decided to abandonSainte-Marie among the Hurons and burned the mission rather than risk it being desecrated or taken over by Iroquois. In early December 1649, Chabanel was directed to go toSt. Joseph Island.[3]
Chabanel was martyred on December 8, 1649, by what is described as a "renegade" Huron.[6] There was a strong presumption that he was killed by the man who offered to carry him across. Paul Ragueneau, Provincial Superior, noted that Louis Honarreennha was known to have believed and spread a false rumor that the French had betrayed the Huron and made a secret treaty with the Iroquois; and later admitted that he killed Chabanel.[2]
Noël Chabanel was canonized byPope Pius XI on 29 June 1930.[2]
Spillane, Edward (1908)."Noel Chabanel". In Herbermann, Charles (ed.).Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 3. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved6 February 2014.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Noel Chabanel".Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
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