We celebrate Saint François de Laval

Today, May 6, we celebrate Saint François de Laval! The first bishop of the Americas, he is the father of our Church in Canada. A man of the Gospel, of heart, and filled with the love of the Lord.

The Indigenous peoples called him “Hariaouagui”, meaning “the man of the great affair,” and rightly so.
As the first bishop in this land, he led a diocese that stretched from Québec to Acadia and Louisiana—a vast undertaking!

New France desperately needed a bishop, and François was remembered. The role required a devoted, pious priest and a skilled administrator. On December 8, 1658, he was consecrated as Apostolic Vicar of New France at the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés in Paris. It was Providence that prevented François from being selected for the Tonkin mission, which he was preparing to join.
Instead, he arrived in New France at the age of 36, on June 16, 1659.

It was Bishop Laval who confirmed our Blessed Catherine on August 24, 1659. They became great friends. François developed such trust in her that he often sought her counsel and entrusted her with prayers for his major undertakings. Catherine often assisted Bishop Laval with great success. He said of her: “She was the holiest soul I have ever known.”

A Bishop Close to His People
Despite his noble lineage, he abandoned everything for this mission, demonstrating an exquisite evangelical simplicity that won hearts.
When Bishop Laval arrived, he wasted no time in conducting an extensive visitation of his diocese. He visited every household, meeting each family personally.
“He ventured out on the snow during his first winter to visit his flock, not on horseback or by carriage, but on snowshoes and across the ice.”
Indeed, he rose every morning at 4 a.m. to celebrate Mass for his people by 4:30.

The Indigenous peoples were immediately charmed by him when they met him. His great charity, his closeness to his people, and his love for the poorest likely explain why the First Nations held him in such high regard and affection.

Saint François was a man of immense charity. He helped the Hospitaller Sisters of the Hôtel-Dieu de Québec care for the sick, comforting them. The holy bishop gave everything he had to the poor: clothes, food, money, his garden, his cows, and much more. His life was completely dedicated to his people. He was also deeply patient and gentle. “One must be loved for one’s gentleness, patience, and charity.”

François was also a gifted administrator, bold and capable—everything needed in a good bishop! One of his notable achievements was the founding of the Séminaire de Québec. He became the first bishop of the Diocese of Québec, created in 1674, whose 350th anniversary we celebrate this year! His structured organization proved to endure over time.

Marie de l’Incarnation described how the entire colony admired him for his tireless zeal and the love with which he gave everything to this land.

Even though the new church burned down twice, he was undeterred—rebuilding and starting again each time.

Throughout his life, François fiercely defended the Indigenous peoples and protected their dignity. He opposed merchants who exploited them through the alcohol trade. This relentless battle, which caused François much sorrow, lasted 20 years.

“We have no better friend than Jesus Christ. Let us follow all His advice, especially those concerning humility and detachment of the heart (…). The hand of Our Lord is infinitely more powerful to build. We need only be faithful to Him and let Him act.”

François de Laval passed away at the age of 85 on May 6, 1708. The Apostle of the Americas devoted nearly 50 years to the Church in New France. He was canonized on April 3, 2014, by Pope Francis.

“The Kingdom of God within the soul is what makes us whole and our all.”

Great Saint François de Laval, Hariaouagui, pray and intercede for your beloved Church in Canada and for this world, which so desperately needs love and people like you, who followed Christ to the very end.

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