Catholic saint biography
St. René Goupil
- Lived:
- 1608–1642 — France; New France (historical region)
A Catholic liturgical calendar date has not yet been verified for this entry. Dates of death are not treated as feast days.
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Biography
René Goupil trained as a surgeon after poor health interrupted his first attempt to become a Jesuit. He nevertheless sought a way to serve the missions and went to New France as a lay helper. His medical skills offered a practical form of service to the missionary community.
In 1642 he accompanied Isaac Jogues on a journey from Quebec and was captured when their travelling party was attacked. He suffered in captivity and was killed that year. The Jesuit source records his reception into the Society shortly before death. Its geographical description is inconsistent, so this account does not assign an exact modern location to his journey.
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What will you carry with you?
After reading about St. René Goupil, take a moment to consider:
- Which event or decision in this life stood out to you?
- What virtue would you like to understand or practice more deeply?
- What small action could you take today in response?
These are reflection prompts from Saint Discovery, not quotations from the saint.
Sources and further reading
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What the recorded review covers
Individual Catholic institutional source review; original concise factual summary. Compared canonical name, alternate names, life dates and individual institutional source against the 486 legacy records and reviewed identities; no matching person found.
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