St. Jean de Brebeuf, 1593 - 1649, was a french born Jesuit missionary and martyr of New France who  arrived in America in 1625 to evangelize Native Americans.  He lived among the Huron for over 15 years under difficult  and challenging circumstances. In 1648 the Iroquois  launched a war of extermination against the Huron, their  traditional enemies. Refusing to flee when their Huron  villlage was attacked, Brebeuf and his assistant, Gabriel Lalemant, were captured the following year and tortured to death by the Iroquois.

On entering the village, they were met with a shower of stones, cruelly beaten with clubs, and then tied to posts to be burned to death. Brebeuf is said to have kissed the stake to which he was bound. The fire was lighted under them, and their bodies slashed with knives. Brebeuf had scalding water poured on his head in mockery of baptism, a collar of red-hot tomahawk-heads placed around his neck, a red-hot iron thrust down his throat, and when he expired his heart was cut out and eaten. Through all the torture he never uttered a groan. The Iroquois withdrew when they had finished their work. The remains of the victims were gathered up subsequently, and the head of Brebeuf is still kept as a relic at the Hôtel-Dieu, Quebec.

Jean de Brebeuf converted seven thousand Indians and composed a dictionary and catechism in the Huron language.

Brebeuf was canonized in 1930 with seven other missionaries who are collectively called  the North American martyrs.

He is the patron saint of  Canada. His feast day is October 19th.

sources: catholic.org + newadvent.org