haton, Author at The Archive of the Jesuits in Canada

April 16, 2025
News

The Archive of the Jesuits in Canada (AJC) is seeking a candidate for the position of Project Archivist, under the Young Canada Works Program. This is a 24-week position projected to begin on September 22, 2025, and run through March 20, 2026. The AJC is located in Montreal, Quebec. The internship will be on-site, at Maison Bellarmin, in Montreal. The hourly wage for the internship is $22.00 (35 hours per week; 24-week project; unpaid statutory holidays and 10–12-day seasonal break in December/early January).

The AJC provides an access point to its collections, as well as resources concerning the history of the Jesuits in Canada. It supports the research of members of the Jesuit community, genealogists, academic researchers, Indigenous researchers, artists, and students from a variety of disciplines. The archival collection holds more than 1.5 km of textual records, more than 500,000 photographs, more than a thousand maps and cartographic material, hundreds of audio-visual records, as well as born-digital records.

The main objective of the project is the processing of one fonds and one collection that testify to various encounters between Jesuits of Canada and Indigenous peoples. This includes the appraisal, the processing, and the creation of finding aids for the selected collection and fonds. The project also includes the digitization of selected records – mostly textual – pertinent to larger research undertaken at The AJC, related to its commitment to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada with Indigenous peoples, as well as more explicit initiatives in collaboration with Indigenous communities.

The fonds, titled Native Peoples Apostolate, contain correspondence that puts forward initiatives, activities, and relationships between Jesuits and various Indigenous communities. In addition, it includes various reports, studies, and commission reports that offer details about the Jesuit presence alongside Indigenous communities, mostly in Northern Ontario. Moreover, the fonds comprises information about the Anishinable Spiritual Centre and different committee reports. The fonds is comprised of approximately one metre of textual records. The dates of the material range from the early 1900s to the end of the 1990s.

The second project involves the processing of materials created and compiled by Jesuits about Indigenous languages. The collection includes, for example, a vast array of manuscript grammar notes, sermons, prayers, and catechisms in Anishinaabemowin, other Indigenous languages to be identified, and English. The collection also contains annotated published materials. The selected candidate will need to appraise the material and decide, with the help of the Processing Archivist and the Director, if these are included in the collection. Most of the records seem to be from the first part of the twentieth century. The collection contains approximately 2.5 metres of textual records.

TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION WITH INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

The AJC is engaged in a process of truth and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. The AJC supports Indigenous resurgence. The selected candidate will need to demonstrate an understanding of the main challenges regarding archival concepts and practices. The candidate must be familiar with the principles stated in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Calls to Action, the Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Taskforce of the Steering Committee on Canada’s Archives as well as demonstrating a knowledge of national and international strategic orientations and principles concerning Indigenous peoples and associated archival records.

QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES

University-level education in Archival/Information studies or a related field with a demonstrated interest in archival theory and practice, with preference for candidates with a master’s degree in
Information studies with a specialization in Archival studies;
Demonstrated ability in the use of collections management tools and the Rules of Archival Description (RAD);
Interest in digital archives, including digitization practices and processes;
Ability to communicate information to small and large groups;
Oral and written fluency in English, with a working knowledge of French, is required;
Ability to work independently and as part of a team on collaborative initiatives;
Ability to develop objectives and to implement procedures.

The material to be processed is in Anishinaabemowin, English, French, and a diversity of Indigenous languages. The selected candidate will need to be able to write in English, as the documentation and the finding aids that concern the project is in English. The working environment of the AJC is in French. Operational activities are delivered in French, English, or both, depending upon the researcher, the initiative, and the intended audience. The selected candidate will need to be comfortable working in a bilingual environment.

The position is in Montreal, Quebec, a city with a diverse population. It is an urban environment with a significant number of universities and cultural institutions.

Preference will be given to Indigenous candidates. Candidates from the Government of Canada’s job equity groups are encouraged to apply / Les candidat.e.s visé.es.

To find more information about the AJC, please visit our website: https://archivesjesuites.ca/

The deadline for applications is May 23, 2025.

Applications, which must include a letter of interest and a curriculum vitae in one Word of PDF file, should be sent to François Dansereau, Director of The Archive of the Jesuits in Canada: CANAJCdirection@jesuites.org.

Candidates must be eligible to the Young Canada Works Program. For more information: https://jeunesse-canada-travail.canada.ca/

We thank all applicants for their interest in this position. Only those selected for the short list will be contacted for an interview. Personal information received from prospective candidates will be used only for this recruitment process.

January 27, 2025
Blogs

By Noami Mercier, Project Archivist

*E. L’espérance, Séminaire de Gaspé, between 1926 and 1948. GLC C-8.4.3.1.*

On the 25^th of November, 1922, François-Xavier Ross (1869-1945) was named the first bishop of Gaspé, a region he already had plans to develop by founding a small seminary. He approached various religious organizations to find one that would accept to take on this responsibility. In 1923, Mgr. Ross wrote to the Jesuit Provincial, Father John Milway Fillion, regarding their potential interest in the project, and a few days later, the latter proposed an arrangement to the bishop, which he also submitted to the Superior General of the Society of Jesus. In January 1924, the Superior General accepted the offer and an agreement was reached: the Jesuits would assume responsibility for the Séminaire de Gaspé.

Architect Pierre Lévesque (1880-1955) was commissioned to design the seminary. The foundations for the building were laid in November 1923, but the work was delayed and only began in 1924.

Mgr Ross surrounded by Jesuit and secular priests, 1929 or 1930. GLC C-8.4.1.1.

On September 11, 1926, the Séminaire de Gaspé welcomed its first classes. Four young Jesuits took on teaching duties, assisted by secular priests.

The Séminaire de Gaspé fonds is made up of correspondence that reveals the inner workings of this enterprise and the difficulties it faced in its early years. In the late summer of 1926, Father Olivier H. Beaulieu, rector of the seminary, shared the challenges faced by the seminary with the Provincial, in particular its need for personnel. The bishopric of Gaspé’s difficulty with recruiting personnel was matched by the Jesuits’ struggles to send men who could teach.

Correspondence between Mgr. Ross and the Jesuit provincials over the years highlight these difficulties, but also underscore a sense of pride in the accomplishments of the students and the creation of the seminary. The seminary, despite the obstacles it faced, welcomed students who excelled in intercollegiate competitions. One such successful graduate was the famed journalist and Quebec premier René Lévesque (1922-1987), who appears during his student years in two photographs in the fonds.

In 1938, Mgr. Ross released the Jesuits from their duties and gave the Clercs de Saint-Viateur responsibility over the Séminaire de Gaspé, which they operated until 1947, from which point the diocesan fathers took over responsibility. In 1967, following the recommendations of the Parent Commission (1961-1964), the seminary was replaced by the Cégep de la Gaspésie et des Iles.

Séminaire de Gaspé, circa 1930-1932. GLC C-8.4.3.19.1.

The cégep is still housed in the now 100-year old seminary building today–additions were made to the original pavilion, and some facilities were converted to meet new needs. The cégep thus carries the legacy of the Bishop of Gaspé and the Jesuits, who paved the way for access to post-secondary education in a remote, rural region.

To learn more about the Séminaire de Gaspé fonds, please consult the entry in our catalogue.

External sources

Dupuis, S. (2020). La Commission royale d’enquête sur l’enseignement dans la province de Québec (Commission Parent). L’encyclopédie canadienne. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/fr/article/la-commission-royale-d-enquete-sur-l-enseignement-dans-la-province-de-quebec-commission-parent

Lavoie, L. (1995). Mgr François-Xavier Ross. Cap-aux-Diamants, (41), 82. https://www.erudit.org/fr/revues/cd/1995-n41-cd1041903/8713ac.pdf

Gouvernement du Québec. [s.d.] Ancien séminaire de Gaspé. Répertoire du patrimoine culturel du Québec. https://www.patrimoine-culturel.gouv.qc.ca/detail.do?methode=consulter&id=233311&type=bien

Assemblée nationale du Québec. (2016). René Lévesque. https://www.assnat.qc.ca/fr/deputes/levesque-rene-4219/biographie.html

October 2, 2024
News

When the Jesuits returned to Canada at the start of the 1840s, they responded to an invitation from the Bishop of Montreal, Mgr Bourget, who dreamed of a new college that would serve the city’s Catholic population. Education, in fact, is a fundamental mission and age-old area of expertise for the Society of Jesus. As the new school year begins, we have decided to share with you some stories unearthed from the archives of the colleges founded by the Jesuits.

Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf [194-?]. GLC C-6.103.19.1

On October 24, 1929, the New York Stock Exchange crash marked the beginning of the Great Depression. Throughout the 1930s, the crisis spread throughout the world, and Quebec did not escape from the storm. The Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf–founded barely a year earlier–was not exception, as evidenced by the traces left by the crisis in archival records.

Concerns about the crisis

At the consulte of September 3, 1932, reading financial statements provided an opportunity to take stock of the first four years of the College’s activities. As far as spending was concerned, prudence was the word:

The Fr. Minister finds this severity reasonable, given the Collège’s enormous debt, the economic crisis that could be prolonged, the expenses incurred to make the College appealing, and also given the prospect of constructing the academic hall, which could only be undertaken after a signiticant reduction in debt.
Consultation Registre, 3 September 1932. GLC C-6.S1.SS4.2.1.1.1

The Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf Consultation Registre

The consulte was a body usually made up of three or four experienced members of the Jesuit staff, charged with advising the rector on various matters relating to running the College. From 1928 to 1968, the consultors met with varying frequency–about once or twice a month during the school year–and the minutes from these meetings were recorded in a large registre.

Among other things, they discussed the management of material resources, as well as legal, pedagogical, and disciplinary issues. Between March and July 1934, however, the consultants were mainly preoccupied by financial issues.

Consultation Registre, 1928-1968. GLC C-6.S1.SS4.2.1.1.1

On June 3, 1934, concern was expressed about the decline in attendance at the College.

The decrease in the number of students, along with the arrears, complicates the problem of our finances. What can be done to attract students or to avoid losing those who do show up? — Obviously, the high cost of boarding scares off some parents, would it be appropriate to cut our prices?
Consultation Registre, 3 June 1934. GLC C-6.S1.SS4.2.1.1.1

Impacts on the daily life on the College’s students and Jesuit community

To guard against the crisis, the consulters proposed various solutions. On January 19, 1932, the registre reports a decision by the consulte to lighten the budget. There are no small savings and the sacrifices involve going without soft drinks… and ketchup!

2.- To comply with the Most Reverend Father General's circular, which appeals, in these times of great suffering, for a more serious economy, with a view to help the poor and relieve the budget of each house, here is the decision of the consulte: 1) eliminate bottled tomato sauce. 2) " the small glass of wine on countryside days and BB fetes. 3) eliminate carbonated water, except mineral water. 4) " the 3rd class. 5) parties for the 1st and 2nd go down a notch. 6) saving on butter was a failure. — *Consultation Registre, 19 January 1932. GLC C-6.S1.SS4.2.1.1.1*

On March 2, 1933, for similar reasons, the consultors opposed the installation of a new furnace to provide hot water during the vacation.

Is it worth installing a new furnace to supply hot water for vacations? Again, for the purposes of saving, all declared themselves against the installation. We will keep using the steam furnace for the duration of the housekeeping period, until around July 15, and then we will content ourselves with the small furnace installed near the residence elevator.
Consultation Registre, 2 March 1933. GLC C-6.S1.SS4.2.1.1.1

If these measures concerned first and foremost all members of the Jesuit community, others also had an impact on students’ lives. On June 1, 1933, for example, the consultors proposed that, due to the economic crisis, the award ceremony for sports, which aimed to honor the athletic achievements of students, should be eliminated. Just a few months earlier, on March 2, 1933, the consultors questioned, due to economic worries, the importance of printing the Palmarès, an annual publication that listed the winners of prizes awarded to deserving students. On November 1, 1934, the expenses linked to the conventum of Rhetoric students were called into question:

[…] portraits, rings, banquets, we would like to lower these costs. The portrait and the banquet are authorised by custom, rings less so […].
Consultation Registre, 1 November 1934. GLC C-6.S1.SS4.2.1.1.1

Prosperity returns

The consequences of the crisis went beyond quotidian inconveniences and delayed projects to expand the college. Indeed, despite the vagaries of the crisis, attendance remained high and the need for additional facilities, including an academic hall, a larger library, and a gymnasium, became apparent in the early years. However, thanks to post-war prosperity and a major fundraising campaign led by the Collège, it was not until 1956 that the first step towards this goal was taken with the start of construction work on a new annex, the Pavillon Lalemant.

Promotional brochure for the fundraising campaign to build the Lalemant pavilion, 1955.
GLC C-6.S3.SS2.2.2.2.3

The AJC holds the Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf fonds, from its foundation by the Society of Jesus in 1928 to the ceding to a secular corporation in 1986. To read more, please consult our catalogue.

July 23, 2024
Blogs

By Noami Mercier, Project Archivist

Louis-Adolphe Huguet-Latour (1812-1904) is one of the few lay people whose archives are held by the AJC. Bequeathed to Collège Sainte-Marie on his death, many of his documents have become part of the largest collection held by the AJC—the Collection des Archives du Collège Sainte-Marie. This practice was common among friends of the Jesuits, educated men who moved in the same circles. This article looks at the contents of his personal fonds, acquired a few decades later.

In 1863, Louis-Adolphe Huguet-Latour published the first edition of the Ville-Marie Directory: the origin, utility, and progress of Montreal’s Catholic Institutions [Annuaire de Ville-Marie : origine, utilité et progrès des institutions catholiques de Montréal]. From the very first pages, he emphasized the importance he attaches to the meticulous work of recording information to preserve and build the memory of societies:

“The gaps that we will inevitably be obliged to leave in our plan will perhaps show how important it is for each parish, each mission, each college or community, each society and even, if you like, each respectable family, to have a distinct book, separate from the accounting registers, in which to record, at the appropriate time, everything that is historically linked and, from its point of view, to each body thus constituted. What beautiful pages we would have today, with this method, on the intimate history of Canada!”

Couverture de L’Annuaire de Ville-Marie, Bibliothèque des Jésuites au Canada.

Born to a bourgeois Montreal family in 1812, Huguet-Latour became a notary in 1847. In the 1850s, he joined the Montreal militia, as his father—also a notary—had done before him.

At the same time, he was involved in several cultural societies, including the Temperance Society of the Diocese of Montreal. His personal involvement was part of a wider social phenomenon that began to gain momentum in the late 1840s, with the movement initiated by Father Charles Chiniquy. Huguet-Latour was also involved in the Montreal Historical Society, founded in 1858 by Jacques Viger, and became its first librarian.

Indeed, it was his interest in Canadian history and his desire to preserve its memory that seems to have truly marked Huguet-Latour’s life. The AJC holds an archival fonds that bears witness to his work collecting data on a wide variety of subjects, from observations on Montreal’s meteorology to an inventory of rare books from the Collège de Montréal, as well as lists of notaries, attorneys, surgeons…

Graph of monthly temperatures in Montreal between 1849 and 1852. GLC BO-81.2.7.1.9.

The fonds also contains documents that do not always concern him directly, but which demonstrate his interest in preserving historical witnesses. Indeed, his historical notes on the history of Lower Canada undoubtedly occupy the most space in this collection. Some of these he used to write his Annuaire de Ville-Marie. He also left the Jesuits a relic and two documents signed by Marguerite Bourgeoys.

Chronological list of the introduction of various tree species into Europe, middle of the 19th century. GLC BO-81.2.5.1.7.

His archival fonds also includes extensive correspondence with various scientific institutes, testifying to his interest in the creation of rich repositories of knowledge. For several decades, Huguet-Latour’s mission was to help these institutions build up their libraries and include writings on Canadian history, by sending them a number of books and brochures.

External sources

Brault, J.-R. 1993. La société historique de Montréal 1858-1993 [The Montreal Historical Society 1858-1993]. Cap-au-diamants 34 : 55.

Saint-Pierre, J. 2002. Le mouvement de la tempérance [The temperance movement]. Encyclobec.

June 3, 2024
News

The open-access publication Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal has published an article by AJC director François Dansereau about the AJC’s holdings.

Abstract:

This short article offers information on the scope of archival resources held at The Archive of the Jesuits in Canada (AJC), located in Montreal, Canada. It describes the characteristic of the archival collection, with a focus on historical records that testify to the Jesuits of Canada’s involvement in educational activities and institutions. It concludes by offering reflections on contemporary strategies at The AJC, particularly regarding archival material about Indigenous peoples, and by highlighting The AJC’s support to researchers.

Click here to access the article!

May 13, 2024
News

The Archive of the Jesuits in Canada (AJC) is seeking a candidate for the position of Project Archivist, under the Young Canada Works Program. This is a 24-week position projected to begin on September 23, 2024, and run through March 21, 2025. The AJC is located in Montreal, Quebec. The internship will be on-site, at Maison Bellarmin, in Montreal. The hourly wage for the internship is $21.00 per hour (35 hours per week; 24-week project; unpaid statutory holidays and 10–12-day seasonal break in December/early January).

The main objective of the project is the processing of different fonds that testify to the presence and activities of Jesuits in Northern Ontario, from 1844 onward. This includes the appraisal, the processing, and the creation of finding aids for the selected fonds. The project also includes the digitization of selected records – textual records and photographs – pertinent to larger research undertaken. In total, the selected fonds to be processed include approximately three meters of textual records and about 2,000 photographs. The selected candidate will create file level inventories of the fonds as well finding aids on the fonds level to ameliorate the discoverability of the material. These will be ingested into our online databases. As such, the selected candidate will work with standardized description templates and other standardized processes associated with the processing of the fonds. The Project Archivist will also need to write reports on the project processes and scope.

This initiative of processing and improving the discoverability of material that highlights encounters between Jesuit and different Indigenous nations and communities is being conducted in the context of the AJC commitment to promote access to records for Indigenous researchers about material that concerns them.

TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION WITH INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

The AJC are engaged in a process of truth and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. The AJC supports Indigenous resurgence. The selected candidate will need to demonstrate an understanding of the main challenges regarding archival concepts and practices. The candidate must be familiar with the principles stated in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Calls to Action, the Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Taskforce of the Steering Committee on Canada’s Archives as well as demonstrating a knowledge of national and international strategic orientations and principles
concerning Indigenous peoples and associated archival records.

QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES

Recent graduate. University level education in Archival/Information studies or a related field with a demonstrated interest in archival theory and practice; with preference for candidates with a master’s degree in Information studies with a specialization in Archival studies;
Demonstrated ability in the use of collections management tools and the Rules of Archival Description(RAD);
Interest in digital archives, including digitization practices and processes;
Ability to communicate information to small and large groups;
Oral and written fluency in English, with a working knowledge of French, is required;
Ability to work independently and as part of a team on collaborative initiatives;
Ability to develop objectives and to implement procedures.

The primary language of the archival records that will be handled by the intern is English, with some material in French. The selected candidate will need to be able to write in English. The working environment of the AJC is in French. Operational activities are delivered in French, English, or both, depending upon the researcher, the initiative, and the intended audience. The selected candidate will need to be comfortable working in a bilingual environment.

The position is in Montreal, Quebec, a city with a diverse population. It is an urban environment with a significant number of universities and cultural institutions.

Preference will be given to Indigenous candidates. Candidates from the Government of Canada’s job equity groups are encouraged to apply.

To find more information about the AJC, please visit our website: https://archivesjesuites.ca/

The deadline for applications is June 17, 2024.

The candidates must be eligible to the Young Canada Works program and submit their application through the portal. For more information: https://jeunesse-canada-travail.canada.ca/

March 27, 2024
News

AJC director François Dansereau recently gave an interview to the Association of Canadian Archivists as part of their “In the Field” blog series. He discusses his academic path, how he came to work at The AJC, and the challenges that face religious archives these days. To read the full interview, click here: Association of Canadian Archivists – A Spotlight on Religious Archives with François Dansereau.

March 12, 2024
News

Grâce à la générosité de la famille de Christopher Rupert, S.J., nous sommes heureux de pouvoir partager avec vous sa thèse de doctorat sur notre plateform Omeka. Elle est accompagnée de plusieurs autres textes rédigés par Jean-Marc Laporte, S.J., dont une courte biographie du père Rupert ainsi qu’un résumé de sa thèse. Vous trouverez également des photographies du père Rupert dans les premières années de son ministère comme prêtre jésuite.

Thanks to the generosity of the family of Christopher Rupert, S.J., we are thrilled to share his PhD dissertation on our Omeka platform. The thesis is accompanied by several other texts written by Jean-Marc Laporte, S.J., including a short biography of Father Rupert as well as a summary of his dissertation. You will also find photographs of Father Rupert in his early years as a Jesuit priest.

December 20, 2023
Blogs

This year, we drew from a remarkable item in our collection to illustrate The Archives of the Jesuits of Canada (AJC)’s Christmas card: a scene of the Adoration of the Magi, taken from Philippe de Montholon’s Book of Hours, which dates from the late fifteenth century.

Book of hours are collections of daily prayers created for the laity. They are counterparts to the breviaries used by clerics, which collect the prayers recited for the eight offices of the day. The first books of hours appeared in the thirteenth century and were widely distributed over the next centuries. Often beautifully illuminated, they were primarily designed for the aristocracy but gradually expanded to other layers of society. The books were generally small, in order to be easily transported.

The launch in 2018 of the exhibition Resplendent Illuminations: Book of Hours from the 13th to the 16th Century in Quebec Collections at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) gave a team of researchers, directed by Brenda Dunn-Lardeau, a professor in the Department of Literary Studies at UQAM, a chance to deepen our knowledge of this precious manuscript. We do not know when and how it entered the AJC collection, but we know it has been with us since at least 1892, the date that Father Arthur E. Jones—Father Félix Martin’s successor as head of the Archives of the Collège Sainte-Marie—lent out the manuscript for an exhibition at the Antiquarian and Numismatic Society of Montreal.

However, it is possible the manuscript arrived in Quebec much earlier. We know that such works were in circulation in New France. The Hospital Sisters of Quebec regularly asked their European benefactors for them for the benefit of the ill, and passages from the Jesuit Relations reveal that the Jesuits also used them in their missions. One hypothesis suggests that the manuscript reached the Ursulines in Quebec through Catherine de Montholon, a descendant of one of the book’s first owners, Philippe de Montholon. After the death

of her husband, Catherine de Montholon retired to the Ursulines of Dijon, who were themselves benefactors of the Ursulines of Quebec. If the manuscript was indeed in Canada before the suppression of the Society of Jesus at the end of the eighteenth century, Father Félix Martin could have recovered it when the Jesuits returned to Canada in 1842. Indeed, before his death in 1800, Father Jean-Joseph Casot, the last surviving pre-suppression Jesuit, entrusted part of the order’s records to the Hospital Sisters of the Hôtel-Dieu in Quebec City. The records that Father Martin retrieved in the nineteenth century became the core of the Collection des Archives du Collège Sainte-Marie, one of the foundational collections of the AJC’s current holdings.

Other hypotheses remain to be explored, however, and we cannot rule out that the manuscript was integrated into the collection at a later date. Philippe de Montholon’s Book of Hours has not yet shared all its secrets! You can learn more about it in the note written by Brenda Dunn-Lardeau, Helena Kogen, and Geneviève Samson in the stunning Catalogue raisonné des livres d’heures conservés au Québec, produced in the wake of the MMFA exhibition.

References:

Dunn-Lardeau, B. (dir.). (2018). Catalogue raisonné des livres d’Heures conservés au Québec. Presses de l’Université du Québec. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvt1shn9

Biron, J. (2016). Enquête sur la provenance et les pérégrinations de deux livres d’Heures enluminés du XVe siècle conservés aux Archives des jésuites au Canada. Renaissance and Reformation / Renaissance et Réforme, 39(4), 19–72. https://doi.org/10.33137/rr.v39i4.28159

Binding of the Heures de Philippe de Montholon, end of 15th century.
MS In-8 Ms 009

October 4, 2023
Blogs

Today at The Archive of the Jesuits in Canada (AJC), we celebrate the birthday of Félix Martin, S.J. (1804-1886), Superior of the Jesuits of Lower Canada, founder of Collège Sainte-Marie, and archivist. Martin’s story is inextricably woven into the history of the Society of Jesus in Canada after its restoration.

Félix Martin (standing center right with crossed arms) among jesuites at the Collège Sainte-Marie.

Though the Jesuits in Canada were not forced to return to Europe when the Society of Jesus was suppressed on the continent and in its missions around the world, new missionaries were prohibited from joining them. When the last of the pre-suppression Jesuits passed away in 1800, it took another forty-two years before the Society of Jesus returned to its missions in Canada. The precious records of the first generation of Jesuits were either destroyed, lost, given to other entities, or brought back to France.

When Father Martin arrived in Canada in 1842, among the first party of missionaries to return post-suppression, he began the work of collecting and preserving the records that survived. The story of how he received documents from the Hospital Sisters of the Hôtel-Dieu in Quebec City—which had been entrusted to them by the last Jesuit in Canada—is part of the AJC’s origin story. Eventually, when he founded Collège Sainte-Marie in Montreal, Father Martin set up the archives that would contain both the pre-suppression materials he collected and future documents related to Collège Sainte-Marie and the activities of the Jesuits in Canada.

Today, The AJC holds Father Martin’s papers, writings, and publications, as well as a number of sketches, drawings, and paintings of architectural structures and landscapes, for which he was known. Indeed, in addition to his talent as an archivist, Martin was a skilled architectural artist. Though his most famous piece is likely his watercolour of Collège Sainte-Marie, the following images demonstrate the range of Martin’s interests as an artist:

Notre-Dame de Bonsecours avant les réparations. 0900-0027.3.4

To find out more about our holdings on Father Martin, check out his entry in our catalogue here.