Pierre-Joseph-Marie Chaumonot

Pierre-Joseph-Marie Chaumonot (aka Joseph Marie Chaumonot) (March 9, 1611 – February 21, 1693) was a French priest and missionary. 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.

Life

Mural at Midland, Ontario harbor depicting history of Sainte-Marie-des-Hurons

Pierre-Joseph-Marie Chaumonot was born 9 March 1611 at Châtillon-sur-Seine (Côte d’Or, Burgundy). He entered St. Andrew’s Jesuit novitiate in Rome on 18 May 1632 at the age of twenty-one, and ordained in late 1637 or early 1638. It was at this time that he added the name "Joseph-Marie".[1]

Leaving Dieppe on 4 May 1639, from the quays of Dieppe, he arrived in New France on 31 July. 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.[1] 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.)[2] Father Chaumonot spent nearly ten years in the Huron missions[3] and worked with many notable priests; Jean de Brébeuf, Simon Le Moyne, Claude Dablon and Antoine Daniel to name a few.

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.[1]

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Surprenant,André. “Chaumonot, Pierre-Joseph-Marie”, Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 1, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003, accessed June 11, 2014
  2. ↑ https://archive.org/details/laviedurppierrej06chau
  3. ↑ The Encyclopedia of Canada, W. Stewart WALLACE, ed., Vol. II, Toronto, University Associates of Canada, 1948, 411p., p. 41.

External links

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