The Shrine is a place of great significance for the Church in Canada, as the seeds of the faith were sown by the lives of these six French Jesuit martyrs and their two lay collaborators. Though the French explorers often had exploitation and gain on their minds when interacting with the Native population, it was not so with the Jesuits and their lay collaborators. These men gave their lives to preaching the Gospel to those willing to hear it.
The Martyrs burned with a great desire to share with their Native brothers and sisters the greatest treasure that they themselves possessed: Jesus Christ, the God-Man, the one who came to give us life. This was their goal. How could they keep this treasure to themselves? Christ himself told his disciples to bring his words to all nations of the world. The Society of Jesus, that band of companions dedicated to igniting the hearts of men and women with the love of Christ, generously and joyfully embraced the mission given to the Jesuits by King Henry IV of France to come to Canada and evangelize those who have not yet encountered Jesus.
