From collection Kosti Ruohomaa Collection
Monument of Issac Jogues at Auriesville
This statue of Isaac Jogues at Auriesville was made in 1930, the same year the Catholic Church canonized him as a saint. He is depicted with mutilated hands, attempting to indoctrinate Native children into Christianity. Auriesville was mistakenly thought to be the site of Osserneonon, the Mohawk town where Jogues was killed. This photo was published in the November 12, 1945 issue of LIFE Magazine on p. 104. The monument is on the grounds of the Chapel of the Martyrs, which sits in a parklike setting in Auriesville, New York. The chapel is dedicated to three 17th century Jesuit Missionaries, including Isaac Jogues. Around the grounds are other monuments and statues.
Isaac Jogues (1607-1646) was a Jesuit missionary who hoped to suffer martyrdom; in 1636 he traveled to Quebec in pursuit of that end. He spent several years amongst the Huron near Quebec, but the majority of locals were not interested in the Jesuit’s persistent attempts to convert them. As European diseases spread and devastated Native populations, anger at the missionaries grew. Captured by Mohawks, Jogues was tortured. He escaped back to France, but regretted having left Quebec: "I would be happy if our Lord were willing to finish the Sacrifice where he has begun it" p. 113. Eventually, Jogues insisted on returning, and was killed in 1646.
Cramoisy, Sebastien et Gabriel. Jesuit Relations of 1647 Vol. XXXI. Edited by Thwaites G. Reuben. (Cleveland: Burrows Brothers. 1998.)
The article is a history lesson, touching on Mohawk Native Peoples, brutal 17th and 18th century wars, and the construction of the Eerie Canal. Kosti Ruohomaa took over 500 photographs for this assignment for LIFE Magazine. Ruohomaa's images include rolling farmland, historic structures, memorial monuments, and dramatic natural wonders. Over 20 of Kosti Ruohomaa’s photographs were published in the November 12, 1945 issue of LIFE Magazine on pages 103-111.
