In 2019, I went on a pilgrimage for the first time with four of my eldest children. The destination: The National Shrine of the Our Lady of Martyrs. The route: the same route that the North American Martyrs took to arrive at the place of their martyrdom. Transportation: our feet.
Every year the National Coalition for Clergy and Laity organize this walking pilgrimage to the shrine. It is called The Pilgrimage for Restoration. It's a three day walking pilgrimage dedicated to the restoration of The Catholic Faith in America. Or, as the website says:
“Our purpose is to honor Christ Our King publicly, to pray for the restoration of His Kingship in the family and civil society, and to make reparation for sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”
Pilgrims walk in brigades, sing songs and pray prayers for the intention of the pilgrimage and for their private intentions.
At the tail end of the pilgrimage, with sore feet and legs, we wandered around the shrine. In our meandering, we came upon the gift shop for the shrine. The merchandise was the typical kind of thing found in Catholic book stores all over the country. In amongst the usual items, signifying the sacred to the saccharine, one item stood out. A comic book entitled Triumph of the Cross: Jesuit Martyrs and Shrines.
The book appears to be a European comic album, except reprinted a little smaller and with a soft cover. For those not familiar, the term “European comic album” refers to comics made in Europe that have large pages and thick, hardbound covers. In contrast to American comics, European album comics usually come out annually and have higher production values. Based on this, my thought is that the comic is a reprint translated from another language, probably French. Research into the artist's other work supports this idea.
In this comic, starting on page 17, there is also a section that does not look like it's part of the original book. Part of it contains short biographies of the North American martyrs. The next part contains write ups about their shrines. From a pragmatic publishing perspective, it makes sense that this portion exists in the middle of the book. From a story perspective, it is mildly distracting, but easy to skip. It's great for a later read. I'm not complaining.
The writing for the comic comes off a little choppy at times, but that's not too problematic. I figure this has to do with it being a translation.
The artwork is quite accomplished and screams European cartooning. The artist applies the comics medium in a moderate way. There are as many “show me, don't tell me” sequences as there are “tell me, and show me” sequences.
The art looks like it is painted with watercolor with inks overlaid on top. This was a standard of European cartooning for a long time. This contrasts with the American practice of mechanical or computer coloring.
The comic, as a whole, is the true story of missionary Jesuits priests who attempt to evangelize the native tribes of what is now upstate New York. These brave men risked life and limb to follow Christ's commands to “Baptise all nations.” They met with some success, but ended up giving up their lives for their faith. The depiction of their martyrdom is just about perfect in this book. It's neither a gore fest, nor does it shy away from the reality of what happened.
When I asked my kids what they thought of it, each of them had the same answer.
One word.
“Brutal.”
-George Tautkus
Triumph of the Cross: Jesuit Martyrs and Shrines is available for purchase at the The National Shrine of the Our Lady of Martyrs gift shop. At least, I think it is. It has a spot on Amazon but it's sold out. If one becomes available, here's the link.
Yes, I just reviewed a book that's almost impossible to purchase! Like the book? Great! YOU CAN'T HAVE IT! HA HA HA HA!.
For more information on The Pilgrimage for Restoration, go here. I highly recommend it.
Just train for it better than I did.
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