Antoine Daniel

Antoine Daniel (; 27 May 1601 – 4 July 1648) was a French Jesuit missionary in North America, at Sainte-Marie among the Hurons, and one of the eight Canadian Martyrs.

Life Daniel was born at Dieppe, in Normandy, on 27 May 1601. After two years' study of philosophy and one year of law, Daniel entered the Society of Jesus in Rouen on 1 October 1621. He was a teacher of junior classes at the Collège in Rouen from 1623 to 1627.

In 1632, Daniel and Ambroise Davost set sail for New France. Daniel's brother Charles was a sea-captain in the employ of the De Caen Company of France, representing Protestant-Huguenot interests. Captain Daniel had a French fort on Cape Breton Island in 1629. They arrived at St. Anne's Bay, Cape Breton, where the two Jesuits remained for a year ministering to the French who had settled there.

He returned to Teanaostaye, the chief town of the Huron, in July 1648. Shortly thereafter on 4 July, the Iroquois made a sudden attack on the mission while most of the Huron men were away in Quebec trading. The priest rallied the defenders. Before the palisades had been scaled, he hurried to the chapel where the women, children, and old men were gathered. He gave them general absolution and, immersing his handkerchief in a bowl of water, he shook it over them, baptizing the catechumens by aspersion. The liturgical celebration of the Holy Martyrs of Canada takes place on 26 September in Canada and 19 October in the universal Church.

St. Anthony Daniel Roman Catholic church and parish, Kitchener, Ontario, is named for him. Elementary schools in Victoria Harbour, Ontario and Willowdale, Ontario are also named after the saint.