remains were reburied together in the same grave. The missionaries travelled to Gahoendoe with the Wendat in an effort to construct a second mission designed especially for defence. It was named Ste. Marie II. A severe winter and the constant threat of Iroquois attack eventually forced the French from the area, and they travelled back to New France. They took along the bones of Brébeuf and Lalemant on both trips. The bones have been held as holy relics at Ste. Marie II, which can be visited across from the Anglican church on Christian Island. Modern reconstruction The site lay dormant until 1844, when Jesuit Fr. Pierre Chazelle conducted initial site excavations. Father Félix Martin continued this in 1855. In 1940 the Society of Jesus purchased the property where Sainte-Marie had stood. In 1941, Kenneth Kidd of the Royal Ontario Museum undertook the first scientific excavations of the site, aided by W.J. Wintemberg. Wilfrid and Elsie Jury of the University of Western Ontario undertook additional excavations. In 1954 Fr. Dennis Hegarty discovered the graves of Brébeuf and Lalemant. Starting in 1964, Sainte-Marie was reconstructed as a historical site and living museum. All of the buildings and their contents are reproductions. A popular tourist attraction, it draws thousands of visitors each week during the summer months. The site is managed by Huronia Historical Parks, an agency of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture. Canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1930, the eight martyred missionaries are collectively known as the Canadian Martyrs. The site adjacent to the Martyrs' Shrine was visited by Pope John Paul II in 1984 as part of his papal visit to Canada. On August 22, 2006, three of the reconstructed buildings—the blacksmith forge, carpenter's workshop and the chapel—were severely damaged in a fire. They have since been rebuilt. Affiliations The museum is affiliated with the Canadian Museums Association, the Canadian Heritage Information Network and the Virtual Museum of Canada. Grounds See also Jesuit missions in North America List of Jesuit sites Sainte Marie among the Iroquois Wyandot people References External links Sainte-Marie among the Hurons official site Jesuit Relations Populated places established in 1639 First Nations history in Ontario Living museums in Canada Midland, Ontario 1639 establishments in New France National Historic Sites in Ontario Museums in Simcoe County History of Simcoe County Catholic missions of New France History museums in Ontario Populated places disestablished in 1649 1649