Driving through the Mohawk Valley in Upstate New York, you might miss the turn for Auriesville if you aren't looking for it. It’s quiet. Honestly, it’s one of those places that feels heavy with history the second you step out of the car. We’re talking about the Shrine of the North American Martyrs, a site that sits on the grounds of the 17th-century Mohawk village known as Ossernenon. It isn't just a religious site; it’s a visceral piece of the American frontier story that most history books gloss over because the details are, frankly, quite brutal.
People come here for different reasons. Some are looking for a spiritual connection to the "North American Martyrs"—a group of Jesuit missionaries like Isaac Jogues and René Goupil who met violent ends here in the 1640s. Others come because it’s the birthplace of Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Native American saint. But even if you aren't religious, the sheer scale of the Coliseum—a massive circular church built to hold 6,000 people—is enough to make you stop and stare. It’s an architectural anomaly in the middle of rural New York farmland.
What Actually Happened at Ossernenon?
History is messy. To understand the Shrine of the North American Martyrs, you have to look past the manicured lawns and see the 1640s for what they were: a chaotic collision of European expansion, tribal warfare, and religious zeal. Isaac Jogues didn't just wander into the woods and get captured. He was part of a complex geopolitical struggle involving the French, the Dutch, and the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy.
When Jogues was first brought to Ossernenon as a captive in 1642, he wasn't immediately killed. He was enslaved. He spent months living in the village, witnessing the deaths of his companions, including René Goupil, who was killed for making the sign of the cross over a child's head. Imagine the psychological toll. Jogues eventually escaped with the help of Dutch settlers in nearby Fort Orange (modern-day Albany), went back to France, and then—in a move that boggles the modern mind—decided to come back. He knew the risks. He came back anyway.
In 1646, during a period of high tension and a devastating crop failure that the Mohawks attributed to a "black robe" sorcery box Jogues had left behind, he was killed. A blow to the head with a tomahawk ended his life. The shrine today covers the very ground where these events unfolded. It’s weird to think about such violence happening in such a peaceful-looking meadow, but that’s the reality of the American story.
The Coliseum and the Hill of Torture
Walking the grounds today is a trip. The most striking feature is the Coliseum. Built in 1930, it was designed specifically to handle the massive crowds that began flocking to the site after the martyrs were canonized. It’s one of the first circular churches in the United States. Why a circle? Basically, it allows everyone to see the altar, but it also mimics the shape of a traditional stockaded village.
Then there’s the Ravine.
This is where things get real. The Ravine is a naturally occurring gorge on the property where René Goupil’s remains were hidden by Jogues after his murder. It’s cool, shaded, and holds a sort of natural silence that feels different from the rest of the park. You’ll see people walking the stations of the cross or just sitting on benches. It’s a place for reflection, but you can’t help but think about the desperation Jogues must have felt searching for his friend's body in that creek bed centuries ago.
The Kateri Tekakwitha Connection
You can't talk about the Shrine of the North American Martyrs without mentioning Kateri Tekakwitha. She was born here in 1656, ten years after Jogues died. Her story is a bridge between the European missionary narrative and the indigenous experience. Her mother was a Christian Algonquin, and her father was a Mohawk chief.
Kateri’s life was defined by the smallpox epidemics that decimated her people—a direct result of European contact. The disease left her scarred and with failing eyesight, which is why she was called "Lily of the Mohawks," a name that suggests both purity and fragility. When you visit the shrine, you’ll see her presence everywhere. It creates a necessary balance. The site isn't just about the Jesuits; it’s about the Mohawk people who lived there, their culture, and the complex ways Christianity began to weave into Native lives.
Why This Site is Often Misunderstood
A lot of people think the shrine is just a graveyard. It’s not. In fact, the exact location of many remains is unknown because they were often cast into the Mohawk River. The shrine is a "reliquary" of sorts—a place where the memory of these events is kept alive.
There’s also a common misconception that the martyrs were just victims of "senseless" violence. If you talk to historians who specialize in the 17th century, they’ll tell you it was much more complicated. The Mohawks were fighting for their survival against disease and shifting alliances. To them, the missionaries weren't just priests; they were potential spies or bringers of "bad medicine." Understanding the Shrine of the North American Martyrs requires looking at both sides of that tragic coin. It’s a story of incredible faith, but also one of profound cultural misunderstanding.
Visiting Today: What to Expect
If you're planning a trip, keep in mind that the shrine is seasonal. It generally opens in the spring (around May) and closes in the late fall. It's located in Montgomery County, and honestly, the drive is half the experience. The Mohawk Valley is beautiful, especially in October when the leaves are changing.
- The Grounds: They are expansive. Wear comfortable shoes. You’ll be walking over hills and through wooded paths.
- The Museum: It’s small but packed with artifacts from the 17th century. You’ll see things like trade beads and tools that were actually excavated from the site.
- The Atmosphere: It’s not a theme park. It’s a place of pilgrimage. Even if you’re just there for the history, there’s a level of respect and quiet that’s expected.
Exploring the Mohawk Valley Context
To really "get" the Shrine of the North American Martyrs, you should also visit the Kateri Shrine in nearby Fonda, New York. That’s where the village moved after the French burned Ossernenon in 1666. Visiting both sites gives you a timeline of the 17th-century Mohawk world.
The geography matters here. The shrine sits on a bluff overlooking the river for a reason—it was a strategic defensive position. When you stand on the edge of the property and look down at the water, you see what the Mohawks saw. You see the highway for travel and trade. It makes the history feel less like a story in a book and more like a real, physical reality.
The Enduring Legacy of the Site
Why do people still go? We live in a world that’s increasingly digital and disconnected from the land. The Shrine of the North American Martyrs offers something tangible. It’s a place where the dirt beneath your feet actually witnessed the events people are praying about or studying.
It’s a reminder of the "Blood of the Martyrs" proverb—the idea that the seeds of the church are planted in the suffering of those who came first. But beyond the theology, it's a monument to human endurance. Whether you're looking at Jogues’s return to a place of trauma or Kateri’s survival through a plague, the theme is the same: the human spirit is incredibly hard to break.
The shrine has faced financial struggles over the years. It almost closed a few years back, which sparked a massive local and national effort to save it. That tells you something. It tells you that even in the 21st century, these 400-year-old stories still carry weight. They still mean something to the people of the Mohawk Valley and to the thousands of visitors who descend on the "Coliseum" every summer.
Actionable Steps for Your Visit
If you want to make the most of a trip to the Shrine of the North American Martyrs, don't just wander aimlessly.
- Check the Liturgical Calendar: If you want to see the Coliseum in full use, go during a major feast day or the organized pilgrimages. If you want silence, avoid those days.
- Visit the Ravine First: Start at the bottom of the hill. It provides the most immediate "sense of place" before you head up to the more modern structures.
- Read Up on Isaac Jogues: Grab a copy of Saint Among Savages by Francis Talbot before you go. It’s an older biography, but it’s the definitive narrative of Jogues’s life and provides the context you’ll need to appreciate the landmarks.
- Explore Fonda: Make the ten-minute drive to the National Saint Kateri Tekakwitha Shrine. Seeing the spring where she was baptized completes the historical arc.
- Bring a Picnic: There aren't many food options right on the site, but the grounds are perfect for a quiet lunch overlooking the valley.
The history of the Mohawk Valley is a layered one, and the shrine is perhaps its most complex layer. It’s a site of death, birth, conflict, and peace all rolled into one grassy hillside. You don’t need to be a believer to find value here—you just need to be someone who appreciates the raw, unvarnished story of how America became what it is today.