Steven Wood Collins's Blog: The Writing of Steven Wood Collins - Author of "Puramore - The Lute of Pythagoras" - The Patricians: Saint Francis-Xavier de Montmorency-Laval, M.E.P. (1623 - 1708) - 1st Bishop of New France, Founder of Séminaire de Québec and Université Laval, Member of Missions Étrangères de Paris, Cannonised Saint - Author's 12th Cousin 14x Removed

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The Patricians: Saint Francis-Xavier de Montmorency-Laval, M.E.P. (1623 - 1708) - 1st Bishop of New France, Founder of Séminaire de Québec and Université Laval, Member of Missions Étrangères de Paris, Cannonised Saint - Author's 12th Cousin 14x Removed

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Francis, who was beatified by Pope Jean Paul II in 1980, is a candidate for canonisation. In 2014 Pope Francis cannonized him by Equipollent canonization.

Laval was appointed a canon of the Cathedral of Évreux by the Bishop of Évreux at the age of 14. He later studied philosophy and theology at the University of Paris. After receiving the appointment as the first Vicar Apostolic of New France from Pope Alexander XII, he sailed from La Rochelle to Quebec in 1659. Acting in that capacity, he was empowered to develop the Catholic church under the aegis of the papacy.

In 1663, as one of his most noteworthy acts, he built the Grand Séminaire to house the Séminaire de Quebec. Queen Victoria granted the missionary training academy a Royal Charter to establish a university in 1852. Université Laval was then founded and named after Francis in his honour.

The Diocese of Quebec was the first Roman Catholic bipshopric in North America. Francis was consecrated as the first Bishop of Quebec in 1674 by Pope Clement X. He reported directly to the Holy See. As the sole Prelate in Quebec, he was by any standard one of most powerful and influential men in New France.

To fully understand the scope and magnitude of French colonial empire from the 17th century onward, it's necessary to study the history of Missions Étrangères de Paris. It maintained, a priori, Catholic missions in each of the far-flung French colonies around the world. Created in 1658 as a secular missionary society, it nevertheless placed key Catholic prelates in positions of power within bishoprics in partibus infidelium. Francis was a charter member of the organisation.

Saint Bishop Francis-Xavier de Montmorency-Laval
Birth 30 April 1623 in Montigny-sur-Avre, Perche, Kingdom of France
Death 6 May 1708 (aged 85) in Quebec, Viceroyalty of New France, French colonial empire

12th cousin 14x removed MONTFORT-NESLE-FLAVY-LE ROY-LA POINTE-MOREAU-GIROUX-BRULE http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/465887...

17th cousin 14x removed BEAUMONT-CAPET-ROHAN-LANDRY-CYR-BRULE
http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/465887...

15th cousin 11x removed CRAON-BEAUMONT-HOWARD-WOOD
http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/465887...

22nd cousin 12x removed HOWARD-WOOD
http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/465887...

15th cousin 17x removed GRANDMESNIL-BEAUMONT-VERE-WARREN-HOLLAND-SIMMONS-COLLINS
http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/465887...

22nd cousin 12x removed NORMANDY-HAINAUT-DEMAREST-OUTWATER
http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/465887...