Background
He was born at Montigny-sur-Avre, France (now the Department of Eure-et-Loir), Apr. 4, 1623. Despite his noble descent, his parents were not considered to be wealthy. Laval had five other brothers and two sisters.
He was born at Montigny-sur-Avre, France (now the Department of Eure-et-Loir), Apr. 4, 1623. Despite his noble descent, his parents were not considered to be wealthy. Laval had five other brothers and two sisters.
Ordained in 1647, he was in 1658 consecrated bishop and appointed Vicar Apostolic of New France with jurisdiction over all North America except the English and Spanish colonies. He soon organized in Quebec an educational system including an industrial school and (1663) a seminary from which developed the modern Laval University. He was named first Bishop of Quebec in 1674. Having tendered his resignation at Paris in 1684, he lived in Quebec without office from 1688 until his death, May 5, 1708.
Laval struggled a great deal throughout his career to defend the church’s power against state intrusion. Being the first Bishop of Quebec, Laval was adamant in asserting his primacy over the governor.
Laval University, founded 1852, was named in his honor. The city of Laval, Quebec, north of Montreal, is also named after him.
His dream was not only to expand the Catholic Church in New France, but also to train and teach its future leaders. On 26 March 1663, the Grand Séminaire was opened in Quebec, and thus the Séminaire de Quebec was born. Its main goal was to train missionary priests and it was affiliated with Laval’s own institution, the Séminaire des Missions Étrangères, in Paris.
a member of the House of Laval
from a family of hereditary officers of the Crown in Normandy
entered the Congregation of Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament
entered the Benedictine Order
