Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 12.djvu/668

 QUEBEC

594

QUEBEC

Breton, Acadia, lie St. Jean, all New France from the Atlantic to the plains of the far West, the valley of the Mississippi and Louisiana, a territory much larger than Europe, .\fter the treaty of Paris (17S3), the Bishop of Quebec kept Xewfoundland and what now forms the Dominion of Canada. That immense dio- cese was successively diminished by the erection of new sees until by the formation of Chicoutimi (1878) it was reduced to its present boundaries (see Canada, Catholicity in).

Bishops. — (1) Frangois de Montmorency Laval (q. v.), consecrated (16.58) Bishop of Petrsea and Vicar ApostoUc of New France, landed at Quebec

(1659) and, ha\'ing happily overcome the pretensions of the Archbishop of Rouen, set about the organiza- tion of his diocese. His first report to the Hoh' See

(1660) states that there were onlj' twenty-six priests, of whom sixteen were Jesuits; eight churches or chapels in Quebec and the neighbourhood, with three others in Montreal, Three Rivers, and Tadoussac; about 2000 inhabitants. No house, no revenue for the bishop, no cathedral, and no income for churches. Two orders of nuns applied themselves to the instruc- tion of girls: the Ursulines (founded in 16.39 by Ven- erable Marie de I'Incamation, and the Congregation of Notre Dame founded bj' Ven. Marguerite Bour- geoys (1659) and gj-anted approba- tion by Bishop Laval in 1669 and 1676. The Sisters ■ if St . Joseph of La Flechekept the hospital estab- lished i n Mont- real (1642) by Jeanne Mance, and the Quebec Hotel-Dieu (1639) was entrusted to the order of St. Augustine, the Sisters of the

Mercy of Jesus. Bishop Laval founded the semi- narj- of Quebec (1663), which became a lower semi- nary in 1668, but had no classes before the Con- quest. The pupils attended the lectures of the Jesuit college opened in 1635, and where, on the bishop's request, classes in theology were soon added to philosophy. For its maintenance the institution was granted the tithes established in 1663; parish priests and parishes were to be served by its members; what remained of tithes was devoted to the building of churches and priests' houses. The first parish erected was that of Quebec (1664) which, sup- pressed by the Bull of erection of the diocese, was re- estabUshed by the bishop in 1684 and tmited to the seminary; he also instituted a chapter. The parish church of Quebec, begun in 1647, consecrated in 1666 by the prelate, became and remains the cathedral. Eleven other parishes were erected in 1678. In 1683 eighteen priests of the seminary did parish work along the St. LawTence. The Montreal parish, with Our Lady of Bon-.Secours, was united to the seminary of the Sulpicians (1678). In .\cadia, Port -Royal was served by the Abbe Petit, sent in 1676, and the .\bbe Thury founded the Pentagoet mission in 1684. There were numerous Indian missions, some residential, some among wandering tribes, almost all in the hands of the Jesuits. Bishop Laval, in spite of material obstacles, faithfully visited his diocese and confirnicil nearly 5000. The population (1683) was 10,278 in Canada, 600 Acadiaas, and 1512 converted Indiana.

L, First Bishop of

Quebec

The census of 1686 states that there were 44 priests, 12 students in theologj', -13 Jesuits, 12 Recollets (re- turned in 1670), 28 L'rsulines, 26 Hospitallers of the Mercy of Jesus, 16 HospitaUers of St. Joseph, and 13 Sisters of the Congregation of Notre Dame.

(2) Jean-Baptiste de la Croix Che\Tiere de St. ValUer, b. 1653; d. 1727, \-isited Canada as vicar- general of Bishop Laval (168.5-6) and became his successor in 1688. A yearly grant of eight thousand francs from the king enabled him to increase the num- ber of parish priests from twenty to thirty-si.x. The Jesuits were entrusted with the mission of the Illinois (1690) and other Indians of that region; the Recol- lets, with the Royal Island (Cape Breton), and the Seminary of Quebec with Acadia and the mission of the Tamarois on the left shore of the Mississippi, which it kept until after the Conquest. Two of its members, the Abbes St. Cosme and Foucault, fell victims there to their zeal. Parishes were rendered independent of the seminary (1692). For (he im- jjrovement of science in the clergj' and of church discipline, ecclesiastical conferences were organized (1700), four synods held, and a ritual with a catechism published. The General Hospital of Quebec was foimded (1693), also the Ursuline convent at Three Rivers (1697), which was in the meantime a hospital and a school. He approved (1688) the Charron Brothers, foimders of the General Hospital of Mont- real (1694). They were Hospitallers and school- masters and, until their extinction, half a century later, kept schools in Montreal, Three Rivers, and a few other places. Instruction was more common at that epoch than is generalh- admitted by historians. The Jesuits and the Sulpicians early established primarj' schools, teachers went about from place to place, and mostly all parish priests were school- masters. Though a most charitable man, he was not amiable. He had hurt the feelings of many, chiefly in the separation of parishes from the seminary (1692), and complaints had reached France. His resignation was called for by the king and, upon his refusal, he was retained in Paris several years (1694-7), and again from 1709 to 1713, after ha^^ng been five years a prisoner in England (1704-9). During that voyage he had gone to Rome and obtained the canonicaJ union to the See of Quebec, chapter, and seminary, of the abbeys of Maubec, Lestrees, and Benevent, granted by the king to Bishop Laval.

(3) Louis-Frangois Duplessisde Momay, b. 1663; d. 1741, coadjutor of Bishop St. Vallier (1713), and his successor (1727-33). He never went to Canada, send- ing, to administer in his stead, his coadjutor, Bishop Dosquet.

(4) Pierre-Herman Dosquet (q. v.), consecrated (1725) Bishop of Samos, bishop from 1733 to 1739. His chief acts were the establishment of the sisters of the congregation of Notre Dame at Louisburg (1735) and the resignation to the king of the abbey of Benevent, more a burden than a source of revenue for the Quebec bishops. A yearly allowance of nine thousand francs was granted in return. He resigned his see in 1739, and received the abbey of Breine with an income of six thousand francs.

(5) Frangois-Louis Pourroy de L'Auberi\n6re, b. 1711; d. 1740, consecrated in Paris (1739) by Bishop Mornay, unfortunately died a few days after landing at Quebec.

(6) Henri-Marie de Pontbriand, b. 1708; d. 1760, was consecrated in Paris (1741). A man of great science and zeal, most devoted to his pastoral duties, he visited several times his diocese, even the distant missions of the Presentation (Ogdensburg) and Detroit, occasionally taught theology in the seminary, and established yearly retreats for priests. The new order of Grey Nuns, recently founded in >Iontreal by Madame" D'Youville and entrusted with the General Hospital, received his encouragement aad