Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 3.djvu/275

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CANADA


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CANADA


an illegitimate pretension. When M. de Queylus was sent to Montreal by M. Olier, he received from the Archbishop of Rouen (1657) the title of vicar-general, nor did anyone in Canada think of questioning his authority. The arrival (1659) of Francois de Mont- morency-Laval, appointed by Alexander VII titular Bishop "of Petrsea and Vicar Apostolic of New France, caused a conflict of jurisdiction between the new and the old authority, resulting in the suspension of M. de Queylus for disobedience and obstinacy, and in his consequent return to France. When he came back five years later Bishop Laval received him with open arms, and conferred upon him the tit le of vicar-general (cf. Aug. Gosselin. "Venerable Francois de Laval- Mont morency", Quebec, 1901, 286-87). The new bishop encountered many difficulties. They arose in the first place from the sale of intoxicating liquors, a traffic which the governors, d'Argenson, d'Avaugour, and Mesy abetted, or at least did not prohibit, and which was a perpetual source of conflict between the civil and the ecclesiastical authorities. The Church braved the disfavour of those in power rather than surrender the interests of souls and of Christian morality. Bishop Laval had other dissensions with M. de Mesy on occasions when the episcopal rights of the former clashed with the despotic administration of the governor. The governor had recourse to violent measures. He forced Maisonneuve to return to France, where he died at Paris, poor and unknown (1677).

Mrsv, who was reconciled with Bishop Laval be- fore his death, was succeeded by Courcelles. He had come to Canada in the company of Tracy, who bore tin- litle of Viceroy, and the Intcndant, Talon. They came to a satisfactory understanding with the bish- op, carried on two campaigns against the Iroquois (1665-66), whom they reduced to an inaction of twenty years, and promoted in many ways the col- ony's interests, above all by attracting to it new settlers. In 1668 Bishop Laval had begun a pre- paratory seminary (petit srminaire). Ten years later he opened a seminary (grand si minaire) for the train- ing of his clergy. The increase in population neces- sitated a more numerous clergy as well as a better arrangement of parishes. In 1672 outside of Quebec the parishes numbered twenty-five, each wit ha reside nt

Eriest. To provide for the support of the clergy the isliop imposed a tax on the faithful, which by an act of 1663 was fixed at a thirteenth pari of the crops : later this was reduced to one twenty-sixth, the king agreeing to make up the rest. The parish priests then formed with the seminary of Quebec a sort of corporation, the respective rights and duties of whose members were legally established. The progress of the missions had not ci ased between 1661) and 1680. The Jesuit, Father Allouez, penetrated to Lake Supe- rior and there founded two missions ( 1665 I. bathers Dablon and Marquette planted the cross at Sault Sainte Marie. Other Jesuits, allying themselves with the discoverers Saint-Lusson and Cavclier de la Salle, took possession of the western shores of Lake Huron; two years afterwards lather d'Albanel pierced the wilderness as far as Hudson Bay. The Jesuits also restored the Iroquois missions south of Lake Ontario, and founded, south of Montreal, the permanent mission of "La Prairie de la Madeleine". This was the home of Catherine Tegakwitha, the "Lily of Canada", who died at the age of twenty- three in the odour of sanctity. The Third Council of Baltimore asked to have the cause of her beatifica- tion introduced. This Christian community, trans ferred to Sault Saint Louis (Caughnawaga). is still flourishing, and numbers more than 2000 souls. After many changes it was once more placed under the care of the Jesuits (1902). We may note here that it was from Canada that L. Jolliet and the fa- mous Father Marquette set forth for the discovery of


the Mississippi (1673). The missions of the Sulpi- cians, who were already engaged in evangelizing the savages, will be treated in the articles Silpicians and Montreal. The Recollects (Franciscans) had re- turned to Canada in 1670. and from their establish- ment at Quebec had founded four missions: Three Rivers, He Percee, Rivei St. John, and Fort Fron- tenac on Lake Ontario. In 16S2 M. Dollier de Casson invited them to Montreal. Later Bishop Saint- Val- lier entrusted to them the Cape Rreton mission and that of Plaisance in Newfoundland.

During this development of the missions, Bishop Laval had prevailed upon Clement N to make Quebec an episcopal see (1674); he had confirmed the affilia- tion of his seminary with that of the Missions Etran- gdres in Paris, had erected a chapter of canons, organ- ized his diocese, and maintained a struggle against Governor Frontenac for the rights of the Church and the prohibition of the sale of liquors to the savages. In 1684 he placed his resignation in the hands of Louis XIV. On his return to Quebec in 1688, he lived twenty years in retirement and died (1708) in the odour of sanctity. In 1S78 his body was removed from the cathedral to the chapel of the seminary, where he wished to lie, and a process for his canoniza- tion was begun and submitted for the approbation of Leo XIII. Bishop Laval was succeeded by Bishop Saint- Vallier, to whom Quebec owes the founda- tion of its General Hospital, a work of no little labour and expense. He freed the seminary from the paro- chial functions imposed upon it by his predecessor, so that it might be thenceforth devoted solely to the edu- cation of the clergy- Meanwhile the English admiral, Phipps, had attacked Quebec (1690) with thirty-two ships. While Frontenac made preparations for its defence the bishop in a pastoral letter exhorted the Canadians to do their duty valiantly. After fruit- less attacks the enemy withdrew, whereupon the bishop, in fulfilment of a vow, dedicated to Our Lady of Victory the church in the lower town. It is still standing. The era of the great missions had come to an end, yet de la Mothe-Cadillac with a hundred Canadians and a missionary founded, in 1701, the city of Detroit. The Seminary of Quebec sent apos- tles to the Tamarois, between the Illinois and the Ohio rivers. The Recollects took over the missions of the He Royale, or Cape Breton. The Jesuits on their part evangelized the Miamis. the Sioux, the Outaouais (Ottawas), and the Illinois.

In the meantime England continued to cast envious eyes on the Catholic colony of Canada, which France, with her lack of foresight, was neglecting more and more. After the close of the seventeenth century there was scarcely any emigration from the mother- country to New France, and Canada was forced to rely on her own resources for her preservation and growth. Her population, which in 1713 was 18,000, had increased to 42,000 by 1739, the year of the last census taken under French administration. This was a small number at best to stand out against the colonists of New England, who numbered 262,000 in 1706. Acadia was especially weak, having only 2000 inhabitants, and against her the efforts of England and her American colonies were first directed. Port Royal was taken in 1710. and three years later, by the Treaty of Utrecht (1713), France ceded to England Acadia, Newfoundland, and the Hudson Hay territory. As early as 1 604 Cat holic missionaries had gone to Aca- dia and converted to the Faith its native Indians, the Micmac and the Abnaki. The English conquest did not interrupt their missionary activity, but it often rendered their labours more difficult. Forti- fied bv them, the Acadians increased in number, de- spite English persecution, and about 1750 their num- ber had risen to 15.0110. The Company of Saint- Sulpice and the Seminary of Quebec supplied them with their principal missionaries. The incredible