17th Century Jesuit Missionary Processions in New France

Paul Le Jeune, title page from "Brieve Relation du Voyage de la Nouvelle France," 1632.
 VAULT Ayer 263.J512 1632 L4.
Image courtesy of the Newberry Library.

January 8, 2014

Mary P. Angelo, of the Newberry Library's Center for Renaissance Studies Blog, has written an interesting post about the records of Jesuit missionaries in New France from 1610-1791. The letters have been translated from their original French and a complete copy of the originals are in the Newberry Library's collection.

"Tracking the occurrence of processions turned out to be a productive way of negotiating the voluminous Jesuit Relations. While much of the material focuses on the customs and behavior of the different native people that the missionaries encountered, Père Pierre Biard, writing in 1612, affirms the Jesuits’ primary role, and their commitment to maintaining the rigors of religious life even in the wilderness"
-Mary P. Angelo, the Newberry Library's Center for Renaissance Studies Blog

For the full text, click here.