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On the eve of Corpus Christi, 1646, Father Isaac Jogues, a Jesuit missionary, discovered a beautiful lake and named it the Lake of the Blessed Sacrament. He is believed to be the first European to see Lake George.

The cornerstone of this Church was laid in September 1874 in a ceremony which drew 800 onlookers, including Americans, French, and scores of Indians in full tribal dress.

The stained glass windows were created by J.R. Powell & Sons, London, England, and the "White Friar" trademark appears in the right panel below, on each side window. Each of the ten windows is divided into two panels and each panel portrays a chapter in the life of this devoted priest, who was canonized in 1930.

Panel 1. (on the right) The main figure shows the Saint holding up the Cross in one hand and carrying his missal. In the base in a small medallion he is being ordained a priest with the words "Thou art a Priest forever."

Panel 2. Jogues leaves Dieppe, France, for New France which included the land of the Huron, French Quebec, upper eastern New York, with missions extending to the Great Lakes and into many Midwestern states bordering those lakes. An Angel holds an open book inscribed with the first words of the rules of the Jesuit Order written by its founder, St. Ignatius Loyola, "To the Greater Glory of God."

Panel 3. Jogues arrives in Quebec, and is greeted by the Governor and his Jesuit superiors. He celebrates his first Mass in New France in a log Chapel.

Panel 4. Missionary work and preaching among the Huron tribes begins. Although the Hurons were friendly confederates of France, they were a savage people, and it took much courage and fortitude for French missionaries to live among them. The Hurons ridiculed the faith of the men who tried to preach the Gospel of love and brotherhood. A small child is pictured for it was through the children the greatest progress was made.

Panel 5. Baptism, the first Sacrament in the life of a Christian, is administered to a dying child, while the parents grieve in the background. One of the corporal works of mercy is presented with the words "Anyone given a cup of water in My Name and you have your reward."

Panel 6. Father Jogues travels the wilderness, going from encampment to encampment, doing his share of carrying the only means of transportation, the canoe. From one body of water to another, he struggled with his load as did his Indian guides.

Panel 7. The Iroquois attack a mission in a Huron village. This was one of many raids of the Iroquois who, with the Mohawks, were part of the Five Nations.

Panel 8. In one such raid, Jogues was captured, tortured, beaten and submitted to many indignities. All prisoners thumbs were cut off with a clam shell. In addition, the Iroquois chewed off two fingers of the priest's right hand. They were suspicious of the priests consecrated hands and intended to subjugate him in the eyes of his converts.

Panel 9. Rene Goupil, a Jesuit lay brother, friend and companion to Jogues, is pictured teaching the Sign of the Cross.

Panel 10. Goupil was tortured and drowned. His body was purposely left to be discovered by Jogues to further his emotional torture.


Panel 11. Jogues spent hours of prayer on his knees in the snow after his day's work as a slave. He fashioned a cross on a tree trunk so that he could at least have the image of the crucifixion before him.

Panel 12. With the assistance of a Dutch Reformed Minister from Albany, (New Orange) Jogues escaped. Manhattan Island where Jogues awaited a ship to France is seen in the small window. On his knees, a young Lutheran honors the priest.

Panel 13. On Christmas Day, 1643, Jogues landed on his native soil, thanked God for his return, joyfully attended Mass and received the Eucharist for the first time in over a year. The Jesuits, knowing of Jogues' great courage, granted him special permission to resume his priestly duties despite his missing fingers.

Panel 14. An interesting scene in French history.... Anne of Austria, Queen Regent after the death of Louis XIII, received Jogues and was moved to tears as he related his ordeal. Fully aware of the imminent danger, but yearning for his Indian converts, Jogues embarked for New France in the Spring of 1644 for his second mission, as show by the ship in a small part of this panel.

Panel 15. Brother Jean Lalande accompanied Jogues on this mission to the Mohawks.

Panel 16. Lalande and his Huron guide were tomahawked and their bodies thrown into the river. In the first three small panels are the emblems of Mohawk tribes: Bear, Tortoise and Wolf. The fourth is the chest containing Jogues' vestments.

Panel 17. Portrays Jogues' discovery and naming of the Lake of the Blessed Sacrament with its likeness to a sunlit ostensorium and the islands resembling the Host. In 1755 Sir William Johnson named the Lake for a forgotten English King. Below, on the left, a young Christian Huron girl, Theresa, is shown as a captive; while, on the right, an Ursuline Nun with a Rosary, its depicted. These were the Nuns who educated Theresa.

Panel 18. In a spirit of peace and love, Jogues barters heads for the release of Theresa and a young Frenchman at a peace conference on June 10, 1646. Small panels portray symbols of Jogues trust and love, with the lamb lying with the lion and other symbols of peace, and Indians sitting around the Council Fire.

Panel 19. Jogues is lured into the Chief's lodge under pretext of a great feast. The medicine man, jealous of Jogues influence, had plotted his execution and he was tomahawked from behind on entering the lodge. Below in the two small panels are the Saint's signature and his missal.

Panel 20. Although not of Jogues' time, Kateri Tekawitha, known as the Lily of the Mohawks, is well known for her goodness, her care for the aged and sick and her work among her people. This saintly young girl, who died at the age of twenty-four, lived her early years along the Mohawk River. Despite the paganism around her, she dedicated her life to God. She was so ridiculed by her fellow tribesmen, the Jesuits sent her to a reservation on the banks of the St. Lawrence River for her safety. It was here that she shared a life in prayer and service to others. Sacred Heart’s pastor, Rev. George Phillips, was invited by Bishop Howard Hubbard to attend the June 1980 Beatification ceremony in Rome.

Symbolizes the cause for which Father Jogues and his brave companions gave their lives. It shows Christ, the High Priest, surrounded by a multitude of people, Indians, whites, blacks, Asians and Arabs, and a woman, which expresses the universality of the Church and Christ's love for us all. Some great teachers are depicted: St. Jerome, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Gregory the Great and, in green, possibly St. Patrick.

is a type of Rose, full of musical symbols. Top - Christ with a harp. Below - St. Cecilia Patroness of Music. Left - St. Gregory of the Gregorian Chant. Right - an unidentified Saint.

in Fort George Park on a grassy knoll which commands a splendid view of the Lake he discovered and named. It is a symbol of his greatness, his importance to this area, and a monument to a man who, with his companions, were the first to bring Christianity to this area.

is the site of Jogues martyrdom and a place revered today for its bloody but sanctified ground. It is located in Auriesville, N.Y., southwest of Lake George, along the Mohawk River.

"Jesuit Relations" - daily diary of their work

"Jesuits of North America" 17th Century - Francis Parkman (Re-print 1967)
"Lake Chaplain and Lake George" Frederick Van De Water 1946
"History of Warren County" William Brown, Editor 1963
"Lake George Mirror" Page 15,16 & 18 June 24,1916
Rev. Fr. Kilduff June 14, 1942
General Information Aug. 31, 1951
Cassette Tape Rev. James McVann, CSP

Special Thanks to:

Credits:

This project is made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts under the aegis of the Decentralization Program. In Warren County the Decentralization Pilot Program is administered by the Warren County Board of Supervisors and the Lake George Arts Project.

First Printing, July 1980
Second Printing, Sept. 1994
Third Printing, Nov. 2006
Fourth Printing, August 2007