The 17th century was a time of immense expansion for the Catholic Church as missionaries set sail across uncharted lands, bringing the Gospel to distant peoples. These missionaries faced daunting challenges—hostile environments, cultural barriers, persecution, and often violent opposition. Yet, through it all, one source of strength remained constant: the Eucharist. More than a religious duty and far from political ambitions, the Eucharist became the lifeline of missionaries, sustaining them in suffering, uniting them to Christ’s own sacrifice, and serving as the spiritual heart of their mission. The stories of these missionaries illustrate not only the power of the Eucharist but its profound role in evangelization.
St. Peter Claver: The Apostle to the Slaves
Few missionaries embodied Eucharistic devotion in the face of extreme hardship as fully as St. Peter Claver (1580–1654). A Jesuit priest from Spain, he dedicated his life to ministering to enslaved Africans arriving in the port city of Cartagena, Colombia—one of the busiest slave-trading hubs of the New World. He called himself “the slave of the slaves forever” and sought to bring dignity and the love of Christ to those who were treated as little more than cargo.
Each time a new slave ship docked, Claver hurried aboard, carrying food, medicine, and—most importantly—the Blessed Sacrament. He administered Baptism to the dying, offered prayers over the suffering, and taught through simple signs, ensuring the newly enslaved at least knew the name of Jesus. For Claver, the Eucharist was not just a private devotion but a tangible sign of Christ’s presence among the most abandoned. He celebrated Mass in the filthy holds of slave ships, placing the consecrated Host in the trembling hands of men and women who had known nothing but suffering. Through the Eucharist, Claver communicated a divine love that transcended earthly chains.
The Jesuit Martyrs of North America: Eucharistic Witness in the Wilderness
At the same time, thousands of miles to the north, Jesuit missionaries were bringing the Gospel to the indigenous peoples of present-day Canada and the United States. Among them were the North American Martyrs—Jean de Brébeuf, Isaac Jogues, and their companions—who labored tirelessly among the Huron, Iroquois, and other tribes. Life in the wilderness was brutal: freezing winters, starvation, disease, and ever-present threats from warring tribes. Yet, despite these hardships, the Eucharist remained the heart of their mission.
Jean de Brébeuf, known for his deep spirituality and towering physical strength, often carried the Eucharist with him as he traveled. He would celebrate Mass in makeshift chapels or deep in the forest, sometimes in secret to avoid enemy warriors. His journals reveal a man who saw the Eucharist as his greatest treasure, even as he endured unimaginable suffering. Before his martyrdom at the hands of the Iroquois in 1649, Brébeuf’s final recorded words were a prayer uniting his suffering to Christ’s Passion—an act of Eucharistic surrender.
His companion, Isaac Jogues, experienced firsthand the cost of carrying the Eucharist into hostile lands. Captured by the Mohawks, he was brutally tortured, his fingers cut off to prevent him from saying Mass. Yet, after escaping and briefly returning to France, he longed to bring Christ to the people who had maimed him. Given special permission by the pope to consecrate the Eucharist despite his mutilated hands, he returned to New France, carrying the Blessed Sacrament into the very villages where he had been tortured. He was ultimately martyred in a horrific form, but his devotion to the Eucharist in the face of suffering stands as a testament to the sacrificial nature of the missionary call.
The Eucharist as the Heart of Evangelization
These missionaries understood something profound: the Eucharist was not just a reward for the faithful, but the very source of conversion. For them, bringing the Eucharist into new lands was not an afterthought—it was the mission itself. The Real Presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament was not only their personal consolation but a means of sanctifying the people they served.
This deep Eucharistic understanding shaped their approach to evangelization. Instead of simply preaching with words, they demonstrated Christ’s love through their lives, mirroring the self-giving nature of the Eucharist. They endured suffering willingly, poured themselves out for the sake of others, and sought to draw people not just to an intellectual acceptance of Christianity but to an encounter with Christ in the Eucharist.
One of the most striking aspects of these stories is how the Eucharist sustained these missionaries in suffering. Whether in the stifling holds of a slave ship, the dense forests of North America, or the dangerous streets of Cartagena, the Eucharist was their strength. Their faith was not dependent on success, comfort, or safety—it was anchored in the certainty of Christ’s presence in the Sacrament.
Even when faced with failure or death, they did not despair. They understood that the Eucharist itself was a mystery of suffering and triumph, where Christ’s ultimate sacrifice became the source of new life. In the same way, their own sacrifices, no matter how hidden or painful, were united to Christ’s offering, bearing fruit in ways they might never see.
The Legacy of Eucharistic Missionaries
The work of these missionaries did not end with their deaths. The indigenous Catholics of North America, the Afro-Caribbean communities ministered to by Peter Claver, and countless others around the world carried forward their faith—often at great personal risk. Their devotion to the Eucharist did not fade but took root, becoming the foundation of Catholic life in the lands they evangelized.
Even today, the lessons of these missionaries remain relevant. In a world that often seeks comfort over sacrifice, their stories remind us that the Eucharist is not just a private devotion but a call to mission. Whether in distant lands or within our own communities, we are called to carry Christ’s presence into the world, just as they did.
The Age of Missions was not simply about geographic expansion—it was about carrying the Eucharist to the ends of the earth. For St. Peter Claver, the North American Martyrs, and countless unnamed missionaries, the Eucharist was the source, summit, and strength of their mission. Their stories challenge us to ask: How do we carry the Eucharist into the world today? Are we willing to endure discomfort, misunderstanding, even suffering, to bring Christ to others?
Their mission did not end in the 17th century—it continues with us. Just as they found their strength in the Eucharist, so too must we. Every office, hospital, and kids baseball park is our missionary land. For in every tabernacle, in every Mass, in every Host lifted on the altar, Christ remains among us, waiting to be carried into the world to be shared with all humanity.
Photo by Sylvain Brison on Unsplash