Pierre-Joseph-Marie Chaumonot
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Pierre-Joseph-Marie Chaumonot (March 9, 1611 – February 21, 1693) was from France and from a poor family. A variety of circumstances led to his pursuing a religious path. He completed his studies at the Jesuits’ noviciate in Florence and, after three more years of training, came to Canada in 1639.
There he was immediately involved in the Huron mission being constructed at Sainte-Marie-des-Hurons near Georgian Bay under the leadership of Father Lalemant. It was during the next years that Father Chaumonot was to achieve a mastery of the Huron language that he recorded for others to use in the study of the language. From that time on, he experienced a long series of moves under difficult circumstances. (We have good details on much of his life since in 1688 Father Claude Dablon asked Father Chaumonot to write an autobiography.) We know he worked with many notable priests; Jean de Brébeuf, Simon Le Moyne, Claude Dablon and Antoine Daniel to name some.
One of Father Chaumonot's lasting achievements was the founding of the Huron mission of Notre-Dame-de-Lorette in 1674.
Father Chaumonot retired in 1691 to the Jesuit college at Quebec where he died at the age of 82 years. He had served 52 years in his ministries
