Bishop Francois de Laval: spiritual architect of Canada.

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"It is necessary to put our faith and our power in God ... It is necessary to obey the guidance of Providence."

--Bishop Francois de Laval

Two statues dominate Old Quebec City--those of Samuel de Champlain and Bishop Francois de Laval. But if Champlain was the city's founder, Laval certainly was its spiritual architect. It was through his determination and vision that Canada's earliest beginnings as New France were established on permanent, principled foundations. The UNESCO heritage city of Quebec, as part of the celebration of its 400th anniversary, is also recognizing this great leader and pastor who died here 300 years ago. Several museums and other settings have developed special exhibits honouring Laval, who might be considered one of Canada's "founding fathers."

Visiting these sites gave me a totally new appreciation of Bishop Laval, and a hope that more Canadians will recognize his essential role in Canada's development.

Laval's tomb

My first stop was Notre Dame Cathedral (Basilica). Here, the fourth edifice on this site, visitors can view Laval's tomb and a special centre presenting his life. My knowledgeable guide, Sarah-Michele Couillard, told me Laval's story.

He was born in 1623 into a noble family in the diocese of Chartres, France. From the age of eight, he knew he want ed to be a priest, and went to the point of shaving his head in a monk's tonsure. He was sent to study at the Jesuit College when young. While there, two of his older brothers died in battle and his studies were interrupted so he could return home to take charge of the family's business. His mother urged him to marry but he refused. Finally, he was free to return to his studies and in 1647 at the age of 24 he was ordained, hoping to be a missionary.

Laval arrives in New France

Around that time, Anne of Austria, the Queen Regent of France and mother of the underage King Louis XIV, was eager to have a Jesuit as the first bishop of New France. However, the Bishop of Rouen desired that post. Despite the fact that Laval was not a Jesuit, his entire education had been with the Jesuits, which pleased Anne. Through her influence and her son's petitions to Pope Alexander VII, in 1658 Laval was appointed Apostolic Vicar of New France (which was not considered mission territory). Laval never did get a chance to go to the foreign missions because at that time other Church people were opposed to friends of Jesuits going to the missions.

Arriving in Canada in 1659, Monsignor Laval proceeded to analyse the pressing spiritual needs of the sparsely populated colony. He was technically not appointed bishop until fifteen years later when the diocese was established in 1674. Nevertheless, immediately on arrival he began to confront the logistics of ensuring spiritual care for his vast area of responsibility--stretching from the St. Lawrence River to Louisiana. (My guide showed me a map of this unwieldy area, represented at the base of Laval's tomb. It is a truly staggering expanse!) Laval identified four major needs of the inhabitants--spiritual nourishment, education, hospitals, and a seminary to foster the formation of new priests. In all these areas he moved with amazing speed in the company of brave religious pioneers dedicated to reinforcing the settlers' spiritual fife and bringing the Good News to First Nations peoples.

I heard more about this formidable task at the Francoise Amerique Museum, housed partially in the seminary founded by Laval in 1663. Part of the museum incorporates a now-secularized seminary chapel, built in 1888 to replace one built in 1751 and later burned by fire. It contains the memorial chapel of Laval, built in 1950. This section is a rotunda bearing a cupola completely covered in gold leaf. There are also relics here of St. Clement and St. Modestus brought from Rome to Quebec when Laval was bishop. A beautiful stained glass window here depicts Laval.

Further along in the new section of the building is the highlight of this year's tribute to Laval, executed with French-Canadian imagination and the theatrical world, encouraged and assisted by its talented museum programmer, Dany Brown. Monsieur Brown gave me earphones so I could participate in an audiovisual presentation in which I "become" Francois de Laval. I stood on the centre of a cross shape in the floor and was addressed in rote by several prominent figures in Laval's life who knew him, followed him or stood up to him. On four giant screens, historical figures, depicted by talented actors who studied not only paintings of the people they portrayed but also their lives and stories and relationships with Laval, are projected--the "who's-who" of New France.

Their language and costumes are authentic. As M. Brown explained: "They deliver secrets, reproaches, requests, revelations, admissions and instructions to Laval the bishop, the man, the colleague, the rival." These include Sister St. Augustin, founder (with Laval's permission and encouragement) of the city's second hospital, despite opposition to the notion of two hospitals being necessary, who tells of his piety and work for the poor and sick. Mother Marie " de l'Incarnation, founder of the Ursulines, begs him to withdraw his order prohibiting her congregation from singing vespers and nocturnes. He gives in, only to enact even more severe restrictions to her rule after her death. However, in her lifetime she did write of Laval, stating: "He is a tireless worker. No man is more austere or less attached to worldly goods ... To all these things, he is utterly indifferent."

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Jean Talon and Governor-General Frontenac

The Intendant government official, Jean Talon, who encouraged settlement and worked to make the settlement self-sufficient, had broad powers and did not shy away from interfering in Church affairs, attempting to limit the scope of the Church's authority. He wished to continue the liquor trade with the natives in exchange for furs and in 1668 got the Sovereign Council to authorize the sale of alcohol to the aboriginals; but it prohibited them from getting drunk! We also see Governor-General Frontenac here, backing Talon's wish, declaring that "a prosperous colony is a happy colony." This trade was vehemently opposed by Laval for over 12 years, because of the harm to the natives. Finally in 1674 King Louis XIV came to Laval's aid and ordered Frontenac to desist. Laval declared that anyone who sold liquor to natives was excommunicated! Frontenac was also ordered to stop his practice of sitting in the sanctuary with the bishop while Mass was being celebrated. In retaliation, he ordered the first right front pew to be cushioned and roped off for him and his official party. (This can still be seen at the Cathedral.)

Asceticism and the poor

The ascetic side of Laval is conveyed by snatches of speech by his faithful attendant Brother Houssard. After Laval's death in 1708, Houssard published a memoir of his years with him. In it he recounts the high spiritual and mystical values in the Bishop's life. "He would take long pilgrimages on foot, penniless, begging for food and hiding his name." He tells how Lava! would paddle a frail canoe on the St. Lawrence and snowshoe as far as Montreal. He wore a hair shirt and risked his own health visiting patients at Hotel Dieu Hospital where he prayed for them, cared for them and even changed their bedsheets. "Every morning at 4 a.m. he would walk alone to the Basilica, ring the bells and prepare himself for Mass at 4.30 a.m. He slept on boards and did not use his straw mattress. I even begged him to take better care of himself; to give up his habit of eating bad leftover food and praying in the church when it is so cold that the holy water freezes," Houssard relates. At one point in his old age, his foot actually froze and gangrene set in.

The contemplative side of Laval is recalled in this audiovisual by a French layman, Jean de Bernieres de Louvigny who was from a well-to-do, pious family. He financed numerous works of charity and was devoted to the poor and the sick. He founded a hermitage in Caen, France, and was truly Laval's "spiritual brother." In fact, many of France's virtous figures regarded de Louvigny as their spiritual leader. It was back to Caen that Laval undertook four arduous cross-Atlantic voyages for spiritual renewal at de Louvigny's centre.

Even in his later life, Laval and his successor, Bishop de Saint-Vallier, experienced tension. However, when the latter was captured by the British, Laval who had returned to France--now "Monsignor L'ancien"--replaced him despite his venerable age, In contrast to such struggles, one of his greatest joys was witnessing the baptista in 1670 of the Iroquois chief, Garakontie, who had helped forge the French-Iroquois Peace Treaty in 1667. This noble warrior became a Catholic because he hoped to protect Iroquois interests. At his baptism, the humble Laval acted as the servant, offering food and refreshments to those attending.

Laval was also part of the great missionary efforts by the Jesuits and others to evangelize the native peoples, and he bore the sorrow of their martyrdom. He even named his beloved seminary, "The Seminary of Foreign Mission." His admonition to his priests was very direct: "Missionaries should strive to avoid two extremes that are to be feared in those who apply themselves to the conversion of souls: to hope too much or to despair too much."

There are adjoining rooms here in the Laval exhibit. One is devoted to priceless artifacts, many from the seminary archives--an exquisite chasuble intricately embroidered by Maria Teresa of Spain, wife of Louis XIV and given as a gift to Laval; a pair of "liturgical slippers" worn by him; some handwritten letters (beautiful penmanship!) by Laval establishing two new feast days for the liturgical calendar of the colonies--for St. Francis Xavier and St. Anne. Precious letters from the martyred Jesuits, which were then used as the basis from which to produce the Jesuit Relations manuscript, are also on display.

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Bishop Laval, seignior of Cote de Beaupre

The final stop in my journey to understand Laval, the man and churchman, ended on the nearby Cote de Beaupre on the St. Lawrence. This picturesque region of Quebec has some of the oldest existing French-Canadian homesteads. Thirty original vegetable cellars, carved into the earth, can still be seen, as well as personal chapels for the inhabitants. Laval had owned the entire Cote de Beaupre and in fact had been its "seigneur," or "seignior" as in the old Seigniory system. The site of the mill he built there and its original wheel for turning the heavy millstones can be viewed at the more recently built Petit Pre Mill. One can tour the mill and then try some homemade baking from its freshly ground flour. Laval established it in order to use its substantial profits to finance his seminary. (He also owned Ile d'Orleans but later traded it for the Ile de Jesus--now part of the city of Laval, near Montreal.)

Further along Cote de Beaupre was the region's "Interpretation Centre." There I viewed the foundations of the school and convent founded by St. Marguerite Bourgeoys in 1694 for the education of colonial and native girls. It had all been accomplished due to the encouragement and patronage of Laval. Here, too, were family group scenes and family reunion activities, the legacy of Laval's introduction of the devotion to the Holy Family, which has been a distinguishing trait of successive generations of French Canadians.

Finally, I finished my exploration of the great Bishop at St. Anne de Beaupre shrine where Father Guy Pilote, Redemptorist Director of that magnificent pilgrimage site, gave generously of his time to give me a guided tour. In particular I was interested in three depictions of Bishop Laval in that holy place--a painting by Marius Dubois with Laval showing the map of his immense diocese to Garakontie; a stained glass window by Auguste Labouret; and an impressive sculpture by Emile Brunet.

"You know," Pilote told me, "Laval brought here from Carcassonne, France, the first relic of St. Anne in 1670. And in our special museum display we also have the small wooden statue of St. Anne which he gave to the parish church here."

Beatification in 1980

As I concluded the very special personalized tour of St. Anne de Beaupre, I recalled the words of Pope John Paul II at Laval's beatification in 1980. The Pope was quoting Mother Marie de l'Incarnation (who fittingly, along with the Mohawk girl, Kateri Tekakwitha, was beafified the same day as Laval) who said: "I will say in all truth he lives like a saint and like an apostle."

Will Canada ever see another one like him? I hope so. We need more Francois Lavals at this moment in Canadian history.

Editors note:

The exhibits mentioned continue until March 22, 2009. For further information contact www.francoisdelaval2008.org and Quebec City Tourism at toll-free 1-877-783-1608 or www.quebecregion.com

Lorraine Williams is a freelance writer. She lives in Toronto.