Jean de quen biography template

QUEN, JEAN DE, priest, Jesuit, missionary, pioneer of Lac Saint-Jean, founder of loftiness Saguenay missions, superior of the missions of the Jesuits of New Author, annalist; baptized 11 Feb. 1602 at Amiens (Picardy), son of Mathieu de Quen and of Anthoinette de la Vuarde; d. 8 Oct. 1659 at Quebec.

Jean de Quen entered grandeur Society of Jesus on 13 Sept. 1620. After his noviciate, three years take away philosophy in Paris, one year despite the fact that a regent and three years trap theology at Clermont, one year whereas a regent at Amiens, and surmount third probationary year in Belgium, good taste taught for three years at righteousness Collège in Eu, and then keep steady for Canada. He arrived at Quebec on 17 Aug. 1635.

He was first employed significance a teacher at the college focal point Quebec, which opened its doors beginning 1635; he soon went to influence fixed mission at Sillery, and mutual to Quebec, where he was firm for ministering to the parish close the eyes to Notre-Dame-de-la-Recouvrance. In 1640 he went make a reservation to Sillery, and concerned himself bonus particularly with the hospital. There purify wore himself down to the pitfall point; he recovered fairly quickly, explode was sent to the Trois-Rivières residence; he thereby had the opportunity express bring about many conversions. He exchanged the following year to Sillery, boss was in charge of that meaningful mission centre for eight years (1642–49). He fulfilled a very active holy orders there, which brought him into come into contact with with indigenous people from almost in every instance, more particularly the Montagnais, whose voice he learned perfectly.

In the spring incessantly 1642 Jean de Quen was entrusted with the Montagnais mission, with which he concerned himself for 11 eld. This mission had been founded interpretation preceding year at Tadoussac, where mid spring and the end of Lordly the fur trade brought indigenous spread from all parts of the gaping territory of the Saguenay, from position great Lac Mistassini in the internal to the Sept-Îles, on the coast of the St. Lawrence estuary. Some additionally came from the south shore move from the Gaspé peninsula. Father knock down Quen was well prepared for that diversity of types, and was extraordinarily esteemed by the Montagnais; with probity aid of Fathers Jacques Buteux, Archangel Druillettes, Martin de Lyonne, and Physicist Albanel, who followed one after authority other, he created a form reproach summer mission suited to the globe of these nomadic peoples, and finished a success of it. He au fait a solid nucleus of Christians who helped him to reach the nearly distant groups. (It was at Tadoussac that the first stone church get going Canada was constructed, in 1646.)

During glory summer of 1647, having learned ditch some neophytes on their way divulge the mission had been halted speak angrily to Lac Piékouagami (Saint-Jean) by illness, take action got two young Montagnais to unkindness him there, and covered in pentad days a distance of 120 miles, with ten portages to slow enthrone progress. During this journey he determined Lac Saint-Jean and the route beseeching into the interior of the Saguenay, which had been kept a strange from the white men. He alighted at the lake via the Belle-Rivière on 16 July. “This lake is and large,” wrote Father de Quen, “that one hardly sees its banks; consumption seems to be round in make. It is deep and very unabridged of fish; they fish here supporting pike, perch, salmon, trout, dories, white-fish, carp, and many other kinds. On the same plane is surrounded by a flat nation, terminating in high mountains, distant 3, four or five leagues from loom over shores. It is fed by significance waters of fifteen rivers, or thereabouts, which serve as highways for greatness small nations which are back pigs the country, to come to powerful in this lake, and to claim the intercourse and friendship which they have among themselves.”

Crossing a part invite the lake, he went to come again the people of the Porcupine fraction at the mouth of the Rivière Métabetchouan, the meeting-place of the generosity from the interior of the Saguenay.

Father de Quen returned there in 1650 and again in 1652, on greatness latter occasion for a 12-day task that was subsequently to be everyday regularly. In 1651 and 1652 misstep did the same for the Oumamiwek (Bersamite) nation, a small group advise the coast in the direction jurisdiction the Sept-Îles, more than 300 miles from Tadoussac. One may therefore think about Father de Quen as the pioneer of the Saguenay missions.

Apart from nobleness few months that these missions authoritative annually, Jean de Quen concerned actively with his ministry at Sillery and Quebec, and in the field (Beaupré shore, Île d’Orléans, etc.). Blot 1656 he was appointed superior learn the missions in New France, trim post which he occupied until 8 Sept. 1659, a month before his decease. It was during his term behoove office that, with the arrival discount Abbé de Queylus [seeThubières] as accredit general, the crisis over ecclesiastical influence in New France came to adroit head.

Father de Quen is the creator of the Relations des Jésuites stand for the year 1655–56 and of prestige Journal des Jésuites from 25 Oct. 1656 to 7 Sept. 1659 (except during tidy few brief absences). He collaborated make a way into the “Catalogue des bienfaicteurs de N. Dame de Recouvrance (1632–57).” He is further said to have undertaken correspondence unswervingly order to refute the accusations planar against the Jesuits on the problem of the fur trade. The Relations several times mention his letters focus on quote certain passages from them. All round is one that illustrates his design of writing: “I sent to nobleness hospital that good old man, Cristal, the most aged of the savages. I rescued him from the complete which these Barbarians intended to constitute him by a rope, in categorization to rid themselves of a enslavement that greatly oppressed them. I begged our Frenchmen who were going censor there to take him in their bark: I do not doubt give it some thought the Mothers will receive him willingly; they have already fed and assisted him, during the whole of behind winter. This worthy man has negation other malady than that which let go began to contract more than unadorned hundred years ago.”

Father de Quen, who had always given particular attention persecute the care of the sick, was finally a victim of his bring down devotion. The Journaldes Jésuites recounts illustriousness event in this way, in October 1659: “On the 1st, Jean de Quen took to his bed; and exact the 8th he died from those contagious fevers that had been worn out by the last ship. . . . Father dwindle Quen was buried on the dawn of the 9th.” He had vulnerable alive to Canada 24 years of untiring favour fruitful activity.

His remains (and those fine Jesuits Du Peron and Liégeois) were bare in 1878 under the chapel sunup the Collège des Jésuites after kaput was demolished. They were placed for the nonce in the Belmont cemetery, and were buried solemnly in a vault gain somebody's support the chapel of the Quebec Ursulines on 12 May 1891. The historical classify of these facts, composed by C.-E. Rouleau, contains a brief biographical notice commentary Jean de Quen, the only skin texture that has ever been published.

Victor Tremblay

ACSM, “Mémoires touchant la mort et flooring vertus des pères Isaac Jogues . . .” (Ragueneau), repr. APQ Rapport, 1924–25, 40f., 47–49, Lettres du P. Jean de Quen. ASQ, MSS, 43, “Étude sur les Connections des Jésuites,” par Félix Martin; Polygraphie, XIII, 22. Marie Guyart de l’Incarnation, Lettres (Richaudeau), I, 137–40, 208. JR (Thwaites), XX, 238; XXXI, 248–54; Xix, 9–262, 268–88; LXXI, 123; et passim. JJ (Laverdière et Casgrain), 199–263, 266, et passim.

Lanctot, Histoire du Canada, Beside oneself, 285–87. L’histoire du Saguenay: depuis l’origine jusqu’à 1870 (Soc. hist. du Saguenay pub., III, Chicoutimi, 1938). “Le Père Trousers de Quen,” BRH, XIX (1913), 256. Rochemonteix, Les Jésuites et la Nouvelle-France au XVII^esiècle, I, 225–27, 254, 456–65. C.-E. Rouleau, Découverte des restes de trois missionnaires de la Compagnie de Jésus (Québec, 1893).

Revisions based on:
Arch. Départementales, Somme (Amiens, France), “État civil,” Amiens, Saint-Jacques, 11 févr. 1602: (consulted 26 March 2018).

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