Charles Lallemant

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Charles Lallemant (Lalemant), (November 17, 1587 – November 18, 1674) came from France in 1625 as the first superior of the Jesuit missions in Canada. His letter to his brother dated 1 August, 1626, inaugurated the series Relations des Jésuites de la Nouvelle-France about the missionary work in that country.

Thwarted by the Trading Company at Quebec in his efforts to evangelize the Indians, Lallemant went to France to protest. Attempting to return to America his vessel was captured by Kirke who was then blockading the St. Lawrence and he was sent as a prisoner to England. A second attempt resulted in shipwreck off Cape Canso, and on his way back to France in a fishing smack which picked him up he was wrecked a second time on the coast of Spain. He finally reached America in 1632 after Quebec was restored to the French. He was the friend and confessor of Champlain, who died in his arms.

He returned again to France in 1638, where he became procurator of the Canadian missions, vice provincial and superior of the “Professed house” in Paris. It was he who obtained the concession of the Island of Montreal for the colony of Dauversière, and he also recruited Maisonneuve and Jeanne Mance to engage in the undertaking. When there was question of appointing the first Bishop of Quebec, his candidacy was urged. He is the author of a spiritual work, which was not widely known by 1911, entitled “La vie cachée de Notre Seigneur Jésus-Christ”, and is not to be confounded with Louis Lallemant who is the author of “Les Conferences Spirituelles”.

He had two close reatives in the Jesuit missions: Jérôme Lalemant, his brother, and Gabriel Lallemant, a nephew.