Francois De Montmorency Laval
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature [1]
a noted prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, was born at Laval, France, March 23, 1622, and early decided for the priesthood. He was ordained priest at Paris September 23, 1645; became archdeacon of Evreux in 1653, and bishop of Petrea and vicar apostolic of New France in 1658. In the year following he went to Quebec and assumed the government of that see; while there, founded the Seminary of Quebec in 1663, and in 1666 consecrated the parochial church of Quebec. He returned to France in 1674. In 1688, however, he returned again, and retired to the seminary he had founded, and to this school made over all his private possessions. He died at Quebec May 6, 1708. Laval is said to have exercised as powerful an influence over the civil as he did over the ecclesiastical affairs of the colony. See Drake, Dictionary of American Biography, s.v.
