Alexandre Vachon: the Scholars' Cleric and the Clerics' Scholar

Monsignor Vachon died on a flight to Dallas.

This is how I remember what my father said when, returning from his shift work at the paper mill, he announced this news to the family. Being four years old at the time, this message, and particularly the tone of my father’s voice, led my imagination to run wild. A plane crash! What an end! Was there an explosion before the crash?

Fifty years on, it is relatively easy to determine the circumstances of the death of Msgr. Alexandre Vachon. Each answer to the above question is in turn the source of many others and of an ever-increasing interest in learning more on the life of this priest. A remote family member, he was, however, so close in many ways; his work was recognized by his peers who, among other things, dedicated one of the Science buildings at Laval University in Quebec City to his memory.

One quickly realizes that his family, and more particularly his mother, occupied an important place in his life and that, to get to know this man, it is important to retrace, in part, the paths followed by members of his family— all of whom provided him with their unconditional support throughout his life.

The moral values preached in his time and that we see from his actions have since been challenged and rejected by many, as for instance in his native Quebec. It is important to remind ourselves of these values, not only to better understand the man, his words and deeds, but also because, at the start of the XXI century, many people in the world still share these values.

"…It is claimed that we can get to know someone from his writings…" *

That is what Father Monroe, S.J., of Fairbanks, Alaska said to Rev. Vachon in order to induce him to let him read letters from Miss Hortense Vachon (daughter of his brother Peter) for whom he was making arrangements to sponsor during a trip she planned to make to this remote location in 1938. This book attempts to do justice to this quote from Father Monroe, retracing what Alexandre Vachon accomplished and, with caution, describing who he was, referring to his writings, to letters from his parents, friends and colleagues, as well as to memories of people who rubbed shoulders with him.

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* Archives of the Archdiocese of Ottawa (AAO) Vachon, Msgr. Alexandre; G1/6/205 Lettres personnelles de religieux, letter from Fr. Monroe to Reverend A. Vachon, February 24, 1938

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My goal is to record the story of this man who, though imperfect, succeeded, through his devotion and his efforts, in inspiring his contemporaries, particularly the younger generation, in developing the education of the French Canadians and in improving their lot in this world. Ironically, this development and the major social changes resulting from the Second World War laid the foundation for an upheaval of the Quebec society that, during the decade following his death, would result in a global rejection of the Church and a weakening of the faith—a repudiation on a large scale of his vocation. Furthermore it would be ironic if some people, in reading this book, were to be led in some way to questioning that rejection or to be led to a spiritual revival, thwarting in part the effects of this upheaval and thus fulfilling the greatest desire of Msgr. Vachon.

I would like to express my appreciation to all those who gave me their support, in particular Msgr. Marcel Gervais, Archbishop of Ottawa until 2007. I must also mention the archivists who have facilitated my research such as Rev. Pierre Sabourin and Ms. Chantal Labrèche of the Ottawa Archdiocese, Father Roland Leclaire, O.M.I., and Ms. Nathalie Parant of the Deschâtelets Archives, Rev. Armand Gagné and Mr. Pierre Lafontaine of the Quebec Archdiocese, Mr. David Kingman of the Gonzaga University and Ms. Anne Foster and Ms. Rose Sperenza of the Alaska University in Fairbanks. Many thanks also to the contemporaries of Msgr. Vachon who have gracefully shared their memories with me, including Reverends Jacques Faucher and Marcel Gauthier, Fr. Roger Brouillet and Fr. Roger Guindon, O.M.I., Msgrs. D. D. McDonald, Martineau, Roger Morin and especially Roger Larivière who was kind enough to put his trust in me and to enlighten me through the wisdom of his years. I also wish to express my recognition to Msgr. Vachon’s nephews and nieces who generously let me into their lives, shared their memories and gave me access to relevant documents in their possession: Mr. David Vachon, Mrs. Hortense Vachon Grant and especially Mr. Michel and Mrs. Estelle Vergnes. Finally, special thanks to Louise for her unfailing support and her judicious advice. Naturally, I am solely responsible for any errors that this text may contain.

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Note: This book is a translation by the author of his French version published in 2009.

However, it contains a few additions and corrections to take into account new information and comments received from readers of the original version. Special thanks for this to Reverend Jacques Faucher as well as messieurs Gregory V. Grant and Jean-Yves Pelletier.

Introduction

ON BOARD A FLIGHT from Miami to San Francisco, it is obvious to the crew and those around him that a passenger, a Bishop, is suffering from some ailment. The Priest who accompanies him, recognizing symptoms that he observed over the last few months, including the last few days, is particularly worried. To his great relief, the condition of his travel companion recovers before landing for a stopover of 20 minutes in Dallas, Texas. The passengers are invited to relax for a short time in the terminal before setting out on the second leg of the journey. While sitting in the lounge at the Love Field Airport, the Bishop, turning to his companion, asks him to accompany him for a short walk, just to get some fresh air before boarding the plane. They barely have time to get to the esplanade that the Bishop collapses into the arms of his companion. Realizing the seriousness of the prelate’s condition, the young Priest hastens to administer the last rites. The Bishop is then taken to St. Paul Hospital, but all efforts to revive him prove futile. It is in this way, on March 30, 1953, during one of his numerous trips, that Msgr. Alexandre Vachon, Archbishop of Ottawa, succumbs to a heart attack.¹

Almost 68 years earlier, on August 16, 1885, Alexandre was born into a family that already numbered 12 children. At the time of his birth, his parents, Jean Alexandre Vachon and Mary Davidson, were part of a small rural community that lived in a place called Down River. This community is located in the Province of Quebec, along the Ste. Anne River, about six kilometres downstream from Saint-Raymond de Nonnat where a parish had been founded only a few decades earlier, in 1844. At the end of the XIX and the beginning of the XX century, a sawmill, a flourmill (modified to also produce ground wood) and, finally, a paper mill are built in succession on the banks of the river about one kilometer upstream from the property of Jean Alexandre. The community then increases in size and Down River soon becomes Chute Panet.

Alexandre’s mother was born in Down River, St.-Raymond Parish on September 25, 1840. Her parents, James Davidson and Margaret Lawson, immigrated to Canada in 1832² from the county of Antrim³ in Ireland. James’ ancestors were originally from the region of Aberdeen in Scotland where the Davidson’s roots go back many generations. It seems that James and Margaret did not have to spend time in Grosse Île where a quarantine station was opened in 1832 to ensure that immigrants to Canada did not carry infectious diseases.⁴, ⁵ A bond was later established between Grosse Île and Saint-Raymond when the first Priest who ministered in this village, Rev. Hugh Paisley, and its first Parish Priest, Rev. Hugh Robson, died on this island after contracting typhus during the outbreak that prevailed there in 1847.⁶

The Davidsons were possibly enticed to choose the Portneuf Seigniory by the wife of Lord Bernard-Antoine Panet, Mrs. Harriet Antill Panet who, at the time of their arrival, was making great efforts to ensure that the lands of her husband were being settled. For this purpose, she met immigrants on the docks in Quebec City to promote the benefits of settling in that region. It must be remembered that at the time, under threat of confiscation of their lands, civil authorities pressured the landlords to develop them. In the early 1800s, only a small part of the Seigniory was occupied. The efforts of Mrs. Panet had some success as, in 1860, 75% of the lands of the Portneuf Seigniory under the control of Lord Panet are occupied. Mr. Peter Langlois, responsible for the other part of the Seigniory, was, however, more successful since, by that time, 100% of his sector was allocated.⁷

Alexandre’s father, Jean Alexandre, son of Louis Vachon and Marie Bruneau, was born on September 5, 1833, in Quebec City, in the Parish of Saint-Roch.⁸ Since his parish church had burned down during a major fire, he was baptised in the Notre-Dame Basilica of Quebec City on the day of his birth by Rev. Thomas S. Brassard, Jean Bruneau and Geneviève Dugas were his godfather and godmother. As is the case for all Vachons in Quebec, he is a descendant of Paul Vachon who came from France to America in about 1650, migrating from the small village of La Copechagnière in the Vendée. In Canada, Alexandre’s ancestors, from Paul to his grandfather, had always lived in Quebec City or in the immediate vicinity. His grandfather worked as a shipbuilder. In 1841 or 1842, following another fire in the Saint-Roch district shortly after the death of his wife Marie Bruneau, he quits his job and settles on a piece of land in Down River, thus joining a community that becomes part of the Saint-Raymond Parish when the latter is founded. Louis is not yet 40 years old, but he does not remarry, despite having five children in his care. His oldest son, also bearing the name Louis, inherits his father’s lands upon the latter’s death in 1882. According to a survey document of February 7, 1859 prepared by Mr. Ignace Pierre Déry, his brother Jean Alexandre had already, by that time, acquired another piece of land at Down River⁸ (Appendix A). He had bought it from his brother-in-law Michael Corcoran who had married his sister Marie Vachon in 1847. By a notarized act dated April 10, 1896, Jean Alexandre is later enfranchised from all seigniorial rights: "…Deed of Commutation by Dame Henrietta Panet, widow of late Major General George Bucknale Shakespeare, proprietress and owner of the South West half of the Seigniory of Bourg Louis…to Alexandre Vachon…by these presents grace and granted a commutation acquittance and discharge of the Seigniorial rents & dues… ⁸, ⁹ Rev. F. A. Bergeron, parish Priest of Saint-Raymond from 1881 to 1894, describes Jean Alexandre as follows: …He did not make much fuss, but he was totally devoted to his duties as a good Christian and a good family man…"¹⁰ We also know that he loved fishing and was fairly good at it, at least when fishing in Lake Sept-Îles : one of its bays bears the name Vachon to commemorate the good catches made by Alexandre’s father at that location.¹¹ Down River was settled mainly by Anglophones, some Catholic such as the Corcorans, but the majority were Protestant such as the McElreas and the Davidsons. Jean Alexandre Vachon eventually meets Mary Davidson whose father, James, was already settled in the area when Louis Vachon moved there. The wedding of Jean Alexandre and Mary is held on April 24, 1863 (Appendix B). A Scottish Presbyterian, she converts to Catholicism shortly before her marriage. Even though it seems that he eventually accepted this union, Mary’s father does not agree with the marriage of his daughter to a Catholic. At least, that is what, years later, in 1937, his grandson Peter Vachon tells his niece Anna Dean (Appendix C).

Born in 1864, James is the first of the thirteen children brought into this world by Jean Alexandre and Mary (Appendix D). Of this number, one dies at a young age, in 1868, a bit more than a month after his birth. His name was Jean Alexandre, like his father. Alexandre is the youngest of the family. In the baptismal registers of Saint-Raymond, one can read: "…August seventeenth of the year one thousand eight hundred and eighty five, we, the undersigned Priest vicar, have baptised Alexandre, born yesterday from the legitimate union of Alexandre Vachon, farmer, and Mary Davidson of this parish. Godfather Alexandre Corcoran, farmer, godmother Catherine Hoye his wife, who was not able to sign, as well as the father. Reading done, J. H. Fréchettepriest…"¹²

At that time, in the Seigniory of Portneuf, in the vicinity of Saint-Raymond, there are three distinct communities. One, French-speaking and Catholic, lives in the village of Saint-Raymond and its immediate vicinity. Another one, English-speaking and Protestant, occupies a sector south of Saint-Raymond, going from Bourg Louis in the east to Down River in the west. Finally, an English-speaking Catholic community, made up of families of Irish origins such as the Corcorans and the Shanahans, is found integrated with the rest of the English-speaking community and in the sector north east of Saint-Raymond called Petit-Saguenay. Even though the English and French-speaking communities rub shoulders on a daily basis, they mainly live parallel lives, each having built their own schools and churches. Nevertheless, some ties are established between these two communities, the marriage of Jean Alexandre Vachon to Mary Davidson being one example. Also, Louis Vachon, older brother of Jean Alexandre, also marries an English-speaking woman, Anastasia Murphy whose parents are, however, Irish Catholics. This mixed social environment, both at the regional and family levels, comprising French-speaking and English-speaking people that adhere either to the Catholic or the Protestant faith and that live generally in harmony, brings Alexandre to form an opinion, at an early age, on the place that each of these groups occupies in Canadian society as well as on the advantages that such a diversity can provide and on the challenges that it can present.

Endnotes (Introduction)

AAO Archives of the Archdiocese of Ottawa

AUL Archives of Laval University

1. Le Droit, March 31, 1953, Cover page

2. AAO Vachon, Msgr. Alexandre; G1/6/4 Biographie et Généalogie, letter from his cousin Jessie to Msgr. A. Vachon, November 18, 1947

3. AAO Vachon, Msgr. Alexandre; G1/6/4 Généalogie

4. Parks Canada, see Grosse Île on the website www.pc.gc.ca

5. AAO Vachon, Msgr. Alexandre; Lettres personnelles 1932A, letter from Mr. M. Brashaw to Rev. A. Vachon, May 6 27, 1932

6. Premier Centenaire de Saint-Raymond (1842 – 1942), édition 1942, page 32, and St-Raymond, au cœur de la rivière Sainte-Anne, 2000 edition, p. 114

7. Meeting with Mr. Claude Huot, November 30, 2004.

8. AAO Vachon, Msgr. Alexandre; G1/6/37 Vachon (Mary D. Mère)

9. AUL P194 – A2,1 Généalogie

10. AAO Vachon, Msgr. Alexandre; Lettres personnelles – 1915

11. AAO Vachon, Msgr. Alexandre; Lettres personnelles 1928B, letter from Mr. Aimé Desrape to Rev. A. Vachon, July 27, 1928

12. AAO Vachon, Msgr. Alexandre; G1/6/224 Comptes personnels 1929

Chapter 1

The Young Alexandre 1885 to 1909

AS WITH MOST OF THE RURAL FAMILIES of that time in the Province of Quebec, Alexandre’s family did not dispose of large sums of money. Its members must work hard to build basic shelter and to procure adequate food and clothing, in the hope of better days. To this end, his father shows initiative, for example, by designing a new higher-yield harvester. It has been said that he did not profit financially from this invention as someone else made it known before he did. Despite the financial constraints, it seems that Jean Alexandre’s credit-worthiness was good since others were willing to lend him money when needed. For example, at the end of 1874, he borrows from a Mr. Dumasseau of Deschambault for the purpose of constructing a mill¹ (Appendix E). Again, in 1899 he borrows the sum of $500 from his nephew and neighbour, Mr. Louis Corcoran, to be repaid over a five-year period.²

Childhood

Even though Jean Alexandre’s family was not rich, they nevertheless did not lack basic necessities. Land and cattle-rearing provide the basic food items and, probably, part of the clothes since flax is being grown and sheep are part of the family livestock. Hunting, as well as fishing on the St. Anne River and in the brooks flowing through the family property and in neighbouring lakes, must also contribute in meeting part of the family’s needs.

The future prospects of the inhabitants of the region, including the members of Jean Alexandre’s family, are greatly enhanced by a major development that takes place shortly before the birth of Alexandre. The railway line linking Quebec City to the Lac Saint-Jean region is built, and starting in 1880, goes through Saint-Raymond. In addition to facilitating travel between Quebec City and the region, it contributes greatly to economic development, mainly of the forestry industry.

Eventually, as they grow older, Jean Alexandre’s children help their parents cultivate the land or they take up jobs that contribute in improving the family’s fortune. For example, during the 1890s, Andrew (André George) works at the ground wood mill in Chute Panet. However, during Jean Alexandre’s lifetime, the family will never be completely at ease financially. Indeed, in 1898, taking into account the family’s means, the authorities of the Quebec Seminary agree to lower the cost of lodging for Alexandre for the upcoming year.³ In 1950, Alice Rinfret Plamondon reminds her mother and her uncle Alexandre of their modest origins: "…seeing the both of you today, people would never believe that you once wore the same boots…If you get an audience with His Holiness, do not forget to mention it to him!…"⁴

Being the last child of the family, the young Alexandre enjoyed the protection and encouragement of his older brothers and sisters. Nevertheless he had also to learn to perform the various chores on the farm and, in his own way, contribute to the well-being of the family. He will later recall his fishing expeditions with fondness, particularly those to the brooks that flow on his father’s land.

His mother being English-speaking, Alexandre, as his brothers and sisters, first learn to speak this language. In parallel, he is introduced to the French language by his father, as well as his French-speaking cousins—the Vachons, Corriveaus and Gendrons—and friends. However, English remains the language normally in use in the family. Alexandre becomes more proficient in French during his time at the local school and later at the Quebec Seminary. Even though he speaks French very well, some people say that, throughout his life, he will speak with an accent different from the one of the residents of Saint-Raymond.⁵

Louis Vachon, Alexandre’s uncle, having inherited his father’s land, donates a part of it, located at the intersection of the Chute Panet road and Corcoran road, for the construction of a small rural school for the benefit of the French-speaking children. (This school was still standing in 2007. For a time, it was used as an annex of the two-story school built later on. These buildings were converted into a residential property during the 1970s). Starting at the age of five, and for the following seven years, Alexandre walks from his home to this school each day of the school year, a distance of approximately 500 meters. However, he could not take advantage of the education offered by the Christian Brothers in Saint-Raymond because the college that they established in that village opened only a few years after he had left to study at the Seminary in Quebec City.⁶ The schooling offered in Chute Panet is probably rudimentary, but good enough to allow Alexandre’s intellectual skills to be noticed and, in this way, open the doors to more advanced studies. In addition, during this period, more precisely in 1891, he experiences one of his first formal contacts with the Catholic Church when Rev. Émile Poirier, a young Priest in Saint-Raymond, hears his first confession.⁷

While Alexandre is attending the local school, the older members of the family get married and start going their different ways. It seems that James, the eldest, is the first one to get married since in 1890 he was already united in matrimony with Mary Travers. On September 6, 1892, it is Mary Louise Grace’s turn when she marries Tom Michael Dean. Tom is originally from Saint-Raymond but, at the time of his marriage, he lives in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. After the wedding ceremony held in Saint-Raymond, Grace leaves the family’s nest and emigrates to the United States. On the same day, one year later, his sister Louise Jeanne takes Arthur Rochette as her husband. In short order, Alexandre becomes the uncle of nephews and nieces who are barely younger than him. Priscilla, eldest daughter of James, born in Saint-Raymond in 1890 or shortly after, seems to be the first of this group. A few years after his wedding, James moves his family to Newton Centre, a suburb of Boston. At the end of 1895, looking for work and adventure, Peter joins his sister Grace in Woonsocket.

During the 1890s, the family members begin to be somewhat scattered, but they maintain strong ties through correspondence and they make efforts to visit each others as often as possible. Thus, during the festive period at the end of 1896, Alexandre’s father, accompanied by his daughter Louise and her husband Arthur Rochette, pays a visit to his children in the United States. During their stay with his daughter Grace in Rhode Island, a tragedy, the nature of which is too common in those days, disrupts the joyous reunion. The day after Christmas, the travellers receive the news that one of Louise’s children is seriously ill. They immediately head back to Quebec City, only to be informed on arrival that they had lost a daughter on December 26. They would lose a second child on January 1, 1897. Both died of the croup.⁸

Although he lived for only 12 full years on the land where he was born, Alexandre will remain very fond of this place. Throughout his life, he goes back there in pilgrimage, to pray at the tomb of his parents at the parish cemetery, but also to visit the old family home as well as relatives and friends who still live there. He insists on celebrating his first Episcopal mass in Saint-Raymond, taking advantage of this occasion to visit the family of Mr. Borromée Plamondon and the school of his childhood, a place that he had also visited on the day of his ordination in 1910.⁹ In 1941, during a speech to teachers on the role of educators and the necessity to remain faithful to the values of our place of origin, he says: "…The Homeland! It is this place where we took our first humble and tumultuous steps; it is the stern and hard-working face of our father, the dedication and love of our mother, it is also and foremost the faith they handed down to us…¹⁰ One thus better understands why he comes back so often to this place he calls Ma Petite Patrie" (My Little Homeland).

The Seminarian

Alexandre had just turned 12 when his mother entrusted him in the good care of the authorities of the Quebec Seminary. It was later said that during the journey by train to Quebec City, the station master would have asked Mrs. Vachon if she wanted to make a Bishop out of Alexandre. Her answer would have been that she would be so happy just to make a Priest out of him.¹¹ It now appears that such stories were inspired later by feelings of friendship towards the Vachon family, after various honours had been bestowed on this youngster entering the seminary in that month of September of the year 1897. His teachers at the Quebec Seminary were Camille Roy for literature, Joseph Clovis Kemner Laflamme for sciences, as well as Oliver Elzéar Mathieu and Alfred Lortie for philosophy and theology. All of them were Priests.¹² Even though he at first had to overcome some difficulties with the French language he quickly shows off his impressive intellectual skills and, most of the time he is top of the class. During the first three years, his overall semestrial marks varied between 79 and 88 %. Like all his classmates, he experiences significant difficulties with the Greek language.¹³ In 1906, having completed the classical course, he is granted a Bachelor of Arts degree, summa cum laude. With the same distinction, he acquires licences in philosophy and theology, in 1907 and 1909 respectively. Finally, he completes his Master of Arts degree in 1910.¹⁴

Very few documents from his years at the seminary could be located. In a letter dated October 24, 1899, he tries to reassure his mother: "…I feel fine, I am happy and very much looking forward to the arrival of the New Year. Do not worry, my studies are going well. It is very difficult but I manage well…"¹⁵ He also mentions in this letter that he is visited by his brothers Robert and Joe (Joseph François-Xavier) and his sister Louisa (Mrs. Arthur Rochette) who are all living in Quebec City at the time.

Having noticed his remarkable intellectual skills, it is quite probable that the Priests in Saint-Raymond tried to impress on him the benefits of a religious vocation. In a speech delivered in 1951, he refers to the influence that these Priests had on his choice of a vocation: "…the memory of the paternal voice of the Priest, passing through for the visit that back home we called ’the visit of the Infant Jesus’, of the parish Priest long since gone who took us on his knees, who slipped a medal and some candies in our small pockets, and who gave us advice suited to our age and developed in our hearts the seed of a vocation…"¹⁶ Taking into account the deep piety of his mother, it is quite possible that she encouraged him to consider such a vocation.

When did the young Alexandre seriously consider becoming a Priest? At what point of his studies at the Seminary did he definitely choose the Priesthood and what are the reasons that led him to make this choice? One does not have clear answers to these questions. Some say that, in those days, it was a tradition for the last born of French-Canadian families to join the Priesthood or a religious order. To what extent did his mother influence him along these lines? Is it instead the work of the parish Priest of Saint-Raymond, Rev. F. A. Bergeron, or of Reverends Mathieu, Gosselin and Hébert at the Seminary in Quebec City? Or, is he influenced by his friends, notably Arthur Gauthier for whom he cares as much as if he was his own brother? One can assume that they all played a role in his decision. Towards the end of his life, he states that, from his early childhood, he aspired to become a Priest and that his desire grew stronger during his years at the Seminary. Recalling the memory of Rose Anna, sister of his friend Gauthier, who became a nun of the Franciscan Missionary of Mary, Alexandre states: "…The thought of his sister filled Arthur’s life fully and this influence made its way to my soul and increased the love I had for the one that I aspired so keenly to serve later in life. I am not afraid to say that Sister Marie Bertille of the Eucharist helped me, as she did for her brother; she strengthened in me the desire to become a Priest…"¹⁷ It seems that Alexandre’s intentions were sufficiently clear two years after he entered the Seminary as the religious authorities then started to contribute in a substantial way to the financing of his studies. For the academic year 1898-1899, he was granted a small deduction ($20) from the annual boarding fee.¹⁸ However, for the following years, the authorities of the Seminary became much more generous, as shown by the grants he received and which are recorded on Alexandre’s performance scorecards for the second semesters of the school years 1899-1900 and 1900-1901.³

Although one has no reason to believe that Alexandre ever really had doubts about his religious vocation, he shows during his time at the Seminary an interest not only in books and religion but in many other subjects, including baseball of which he is a great fan.³ Some of his writings from that period indicate how diverse his interests were. For example, two poems written at the start of 1901 (Appendix F) convey his thoughts on the New Year festivities that just ended and on a fishing and hunting trip. In the first one, he even acknowledges, but furtively like an adolescent would, the presence of young ladies. In the same vein, the vegetables and fish that he draws in the margin of a paper in Latin, written between March and June 1908, reveal a healthy equilibrium between the beauties of nature and the rigour of theology.²

During this period, those close to him continue to emigrate. In 1897, his brother Peter leaves Woonsocket for the west coast and later for the Klondike. Following a short stay in Seattle, he arrives in Dawson City on September 20, 1898.¹⁹ Over the next few years, his brothers André George and William Jean Baptiste will join him in Dawson. His brother-in-law Tom Dean also heads in that direction but his family stays behind and will eventually move from Woonsocket to Newton Centre. Louis Alexandre and Robert Vachon follow the path of their oldest brother James and settle in the Boston region, the first one in Brookline and the second one in Newton Centre.

An event of great significance for Alexandre occurs during his time at the Seminary. His father, then 68 years of age, dies at 9:30 p.m. on Saturday May 3, 1902.²⁰ His funeral is held in Saint-Raymond on Wednesday May 7th. He is buried in a 13-by-11-foot plot, adjacent to those of his brother Louis Vachon and Mr. P. Martel that his family acquired at a cost of $25. In 2007, one could still read the epitaph to the memory of Jean Alexandre Vachon on the family monument in the Saint-Raymond cemetery that has since been moved from the site by the church to a larger plot located at the northern end of the city.

After the death of his father, his mother and his sisters Margaret and Anna are the only members of the household still living in the family’s house. It then becomes too demanding for them to maintain the property and in 1910, shortly after Anna moved to Quebec City following her marriage, the farm is sold. Mr. Camille Plamondon, a businessman in Saint-Raymond, purchases it for his son Borromée who will raise his own family on this land. Alexandre’s mother and his sister Margaret elect also to settle in Quebec City after the sale of the homestead. Thus, approximately 60 years after he came from Quebec City with his father, all the descendants of Jean Alexandre Vachon have left Down River. A bit less than 100 years later, the name Vachon will disappear from the list of citizens of Chute Panet when the last descendant of Louis Vachon and Marie Bruneau, Mr. Maurice Vachon, who was still living on a small patch of the land that had been cleared by his ancestor, dies in 2004. Thus, the presence of the name Vachon in this neck of the woods lasted a little more than 160 years (1842 to 2004).

From a distance, Peter, who is almost eleven years older than Alexandre, plays an important role in the family, not only by providing financial support but also by giving advice on all matters. Already in 1899, congratulating his younger brother Alexandre for the significant progress he made in mastering the French language, he reminds him to make an effort in order to maintain his proficiency of the English language and he encourages him to become a good speaker by reading books out loud.¹³ While Alexandre completes his studies at the Seminary, Peter becomes an important independent businessman in the Alaska interior.²¹

On September 2, 1908 in Fairbanks he marries Miss Caro Clum, a Protestant. She is 24 years old and the younger of two children of Mr. John Philip Clum who, after being appointed Postmaster General of this region of the United States, moved his family from New York City to Fairbanks in late spring 1906. Mr. Clum is renowned for his days as one of the first settlers of the American West. As an Indian Agent, he captured, with the help of an Apache militia from the reservation, the infamous Apache renegade Geronimo on April 22, 1877. He also lived in Tombstone, Arizona for some years where he served as Mayor and founded the Tombstone Epitaph on May 1, 1880. The life of Mr. Clum is the subject of a book by Gary Ledoux entitled Nantan, The Life and Times of John P. Clum. A movie based on the life of Mr. Clum was also made by Universal Studios in 1956; Walk the Proud Land stars Anne Bancroft as well as Audie Murphy in the role of John P. Clum.¹, ¹⁴, ²²

A large number of nephews and nieces were also born during this period, including Marguerite Evelyn Rinfret in 1910.²³ Alexandre is particularly happy about the birth of this child, the first of his sister Anna who is older than him by only three years and who, having married Mr. Henri Rinfret the previous year, now lives a short distance from him in Quebec City. To celebrate the birth of this niece on March 17, 1910, he writes a poem in her honour (Appendix F). During his years at the Seminary, Alexandre makes two long trips. In both cases, it is to accompany his mother. The first trip is to Europe via Newton Centre and the second, to Seattle, on the west coast of the United States. In the summer of 1907, with the financial help of Peter and Anna, they cross over to Europe with seemingly two purposes: the first one being to see the Pope and the second one to meet members of his mother’s family in Ireland. They visit many cities and make pilgrimages to destinations such as Lourdes, Rome, Assisi, Venice, London and Belfast.²⁴, ²⁵ In Rome, they attend an audience of Pope Pius X who gives a rosary to his mother. After the death of his mother, Alexandre will keep this rosary preciously for the rest of his life. The purpose of the visit to Assisi, in addition to visiting places made famous by St. Francis, is to meditate on the grave of Sister Marie Bertille of the Eucharist, sister of his friend Arthur Gauthier. She had died at the end of 1902 in Assisi where she had gone after taking her perpetual vows in Quebec City in the spring of the same year.¹⁷ In Ireland, as Alexandre tells in a letter, they were not very successful in finding family members: "…During our stay in Belfast with my mother in 1907, we only met the Beattie family and two cousins, William and Margaret Davidson, both single…"²⁴

Travelling to Seattle in the summer of 1909, he and his mother meet Caro, Peter’s wife, for the first time, as well as members of her family and friends of the young couple. In a postcard dated August 8, 1909, Alexandre summarizes in a few words his feelings during that trip: "…We are having lots of fun…How-ever, I long for the quiet life at 88 ’Grand Séminaire’; there is nothing like being alone with God and his books, or being at home with those you love…"¹⁵ In 1908, while Alexandre was still a student at the Grand Seminary, Quebec City celebrates its 300th anniversary. The festivities include a parade on the Plains of Abraham featuring characters who had played an important role in the history of the city since its foundation. Thus, François I of France can be found side-by-side with Samuel de Champlain and Marie de l’Incarnation. Sign of things to come, Alexandre is selected to play the role of Msgr. François de Montmorency Laval, first Bishop of the colony.²⁶

Even though he is tall for that era (he is just one inch short of six feet) and has a rugged look, Alexandre’s health is not always good during his years at the Seminary. Towards the end of his life, in a speech in honour of his friend Arthur Gauthier, he recalls that their health left something to be desired during their time at the Minor Seminary.¹⁷

At the Seminary, he makes friends with several of his classmates, friendships that he will nurture throughout his life. As already mentioned, within the clergy, Arthur Gauthier will remain a close friend right to the end. He also corresponds with a large number of his former classmates.

The following list, prepared in 1953, gives the names of those who received their diploma at the Minor Seminary at the same time as he did and, in some cases, provides some information on the positions they held at that time or previously:

- Msgr. J.-A. Gauthier, Parish Priest of Giffard

- Canon Cyrille Labrecque, Director of La Semaine Religieuse

- Msgr. Joseph Tremblay, past Parish Priest of the Cathedral in Chicoutimi

- Mr. Justice Alfred Savard

- Mr. L.-Alphonse Pouliot, barrister

- René Turcotte, M.D.

- Rev. Arthur Prémont, Auxiliary at Saint-Malo

- Rev. Jules Dubeau, Chaplain at the School of Domestic science in Loretteville

- Mr. Jules Vézina, notary

- Edgar Lemieux, M.D.

- Mr. Ernest Gauvreau, engineer

- Mr. Robert Trudel, notary.¹⁷

During his years at the Grand Seminary, Alexandre completes the last stages of the process leading to Priesthood. On September 22, 1906 the tonsure ceremony is held and on September 19, 1908 he receives the minor orders.²⁷ A General Council held in Quebec City in September 1909 necessitates a large workforce to ensure that the different activities will take place without a glitch. To fulfill this need, as Alexandre will recall towards the end of his life: "…the authorities of the Grand Seminary decided to confer the major orders to most of the students finishing their third year, in this way ensuring that a sufficient number of deacons would be available for the conduct of the ceremonies of the Council. To our surprise and joy—joy that, for a moment, distressed deeply Rev. Arthur—we were ordained Subdeacons on June 11 and Deacons on June 13…"¹⁷

During his last year at the Grand Seminary, having noticed his capabilities in this field, he is entrusted by the authorities to teach chemistry to the students of the Central Preparatory and Surveying School. His efforts have met considerable success as testified by one of his students, Mr. Adrien Pouliot who recalls that his teaching was clear and that, contrary to the norm, he did not botch the experiments at the laboratory.²⁸

Endnotes (Chapter 1)

AAO Archives of the Archdiocese of Ottawa

AD Archives Deschâtelets (O.M.I., Ottawa)

ASQ Archives of the Quebec Seminary

AUL Archives of Laval University

1. AAO Vachon, Msgr. Alexandre; G1/6/37 Vachon (Mary D. Mère)

2. AAO Vachon, Msgr. Alexandre; G1/6/37 Notes de théologie

3. AAO Vachon, Msgr. Alexandre; Lettres personnelles – 1915

4. AAO Vachon, Msgr. Alexandre; G1/6/36 Marcel Plamondon

5. Meeting with Mr. Claude Huot, November 30, 2004

6. Le Droit, February 24, 1940, p. 16

7. AAO Vachon, Msgr. Alexandre; G1/6/272 Voyage en Europe Oct. Nov. 1950

8. ASQ Séminaire 89 No. 59A

9. Le Droit, October 10, 1952, p. 10

10. Le Droit, January 20, 1941, Cover page and p. 14

11. AAO Vachon, Msgr. Alexandre; Lettres personnelles Divers 1940

12. AUL P194 – A12 Décès, texte des Mémoires de la Société royale du Canada 1953

13. AAO Vachon, Msgr. Alexandre; lettres personnelles 1915

14. AAO Vachon, Msgr. Alexandre; G1/6/4 Biographie et Généalogie

15. AAO Vachon, Msgr. Alexandre; G1/6/37 Vachon, (Mary D. Mère) Décès et sympathies

16. AAO Vachon, Msgr. Alexandre; G1/6/50 Discours, Discours prononcé par Son Excellence Monseigneur Vachon au banquet de l’Association canadienne-française de l’éducation de l’Ontario le 29 mars 1951

17. AUL P194 – A11 Textes biographiques

18. AAO Vachon, Msgr. Alexandre; Lettres personnelles – 1915, letter from Rev. O.E. Mathieu to Alexandre Vachon, August 6, 1898

19. ASQ Séminaire 89 No. 57B

20. AAO Vachon, Msgr. Alexandre; G1/6/5 Vachon J. A.; Cor. Et décès

21. Tanana Tribune, Alaska, end of 1908

22. AAO Vachon Msgr. Alexandre, Vachon Caro 1930-1933

23. Tanana Tribune, Alaska, Oct 3, 1909

24. AAO Vachon, Msgr. Alexandre; Vachon Andrew 1923-1932

25. AD, Circulaire au Clergé, Vol. VI, No. 18, Voyage à Barcelone, July 16, 1952, p. 210

26. AUL P194 – A11 Textes biographiques, Sous l’orme du Séminaire

27. AAQ – Données biographiques

28. Histoire de chimistes, L’École supérieure de chimie de l’Université Laval 1920-1937, Danielle Ouellet, Les Presses de l’Université Laval, 1996

Chapter 2

The Cleric-Teacher 1910 to 1926

HIS STUDIES NOW OVER, it is then up to Alexandre to apply his talents to the benefit of the community and, in doing so, to start making one’s mark in this world. The process is gradual but, unquestionably, the young Priest’s achievements are noticed and, more and more, the authorities do not hesitate to turn to him. Naturally, at the start, he carries out the various tasks that he is assigned, both in the ecclesiastical and temporal domains. However, over the years, he takes more and more initiatives to support causes dear to him such as promoting scientific studies, or to come to the help of others, particularly the members of his family, or simply to satisfy interests of a more personal nature, for example by broadening his knowledge in various fields. Whether he acts in response to the will of his superiors or pursues one of his personal interests, he excels at almost everything and he acquires an enviable reputation not only in his milieu but also elsewhere in the country and even abroad. He is inevitably called upon to take charge of cases of greater and greater importance, by the Church and the civil authorities. Overall, during this period of his life, in addition to fulfilling his responsibilities with determination and vigour, he acquires knowledge and skills, establishes professional contacts and creates friendships that will allow him to undertake more important tasks with success in the years to come.

Ordination

Responding to the wish expressed by Alexandre, Msgr. Louis-Nazaire Bégin, Archbishop of Quebec City, travels to Saint-Raymond on Sunday, May 22, 1910, in order to ordain him to the Priesthood in his parish church (Appendix G). Alexandre is then 24 years old.¹ Rev. F. A. Bergeron, former Parish Priest of Saint-Raymond and retired in that village at the time, assists Alexandre during his ordination. In addition to his mother, the following people attended the event: his sisters Margaret, Anna (Mrs. Henri Rinfret) and Louise (Mrs. Arthur Rochette), his brothers Robert and Joseph François-Xavier, his brother-in-law Mr. Henri Rinfret, his niece Miss Berthe Rochette, his nephew Alphonse Rochette, Mr. and Mrs. Conroy, Mr. and Mrs. Dean, Miss Amanda Rochette, Miss Anna Corcoran, Mrs. L. L. Corcoran and Mr. Andrew Davidson. This last person is an uncle of Alexandre who, despite being of the Presbyterian faith, insisted on attending this important ceremony. The next day, the newly ordained Rev. Vachon celebrates his first mass in the same church. For the occasion, he is assisted by R. Guimont and J. O. Aurélien Dion, respectively acting as Deacon and Subdeacon. Rev. Maxime Filion, Saint-Raymond’s Parish Priest at the time, fills the role of assistant Priest.²

After his ordination, Rev. Vachon spends some time at the presbytery in Saint-Raymond. Thirty years later, Mrs. P. H. Lortie tells of an experience that the young Priest had during this stay in Saint-Raymond when he is called upon to provide assistance to the ministry of the neighbouring parish of Saint-Léonard of Portneuf: "…At the time of his ordination, Mister Rev. Alexandre Vachon, ordained at the end of June in 1910, is called urgently to the bedside of Mr. Cléophas Lesage who had been victim of an accident. He was found unconscious, laying on the edge of the road leading to our train station, his horse and carriage in a ditch. Then, as Mr. Lesage was unconscious, the Priest and the doctor were summoned urgently. Our Parish Priest, Mister Rev. Ludger Picher, today of l’Ange-Gardien, was absent as well as all the Vicars of the Saint-Raymond Parish. Mister Rev. A. Vachon had stayed at the presbytery of his parish. It is he who administered the sacrament of extreme unction to the wounded man who died on July 8th or thereabout: Mr. Vachon had been ordained just a few days before. I answered the prayers; I was alone with this young Priest—except for the Lesage family. That took place thirty years ago next July 8th…"³

Teaching

Part of the summer of 1910 is spent preparing the courses that he had been assigned to teach in the fall. Indeed, on June 20, 1910, the ecclesiastical authorities decide that for the short term, teaching would be the career of Rev. Vachon. He would have wished to teach theology but Rev. Amédée Gosselin, Superior of the Quebec Seminary, asks him instead to teach chemistryat the Minor Seminary, as an assistant to Rev. Henri Simard.⁴, ⁵, ⁶ In parallel, he also gives the same courses to the students of the Central Preparation and Surveying School, part of the Faculty of Arts of Laval University.⁷, ⁸

In November 1910, the new amphitheatre of the chemistry laboratory at the Seminary is inaugurated and Rev. Vachon is the first one to deliver courses in this facility.⁵, ⁹ While the courses may seem trivial, they are not without danger. During his first years of teaching, Rev. Vachon is injured due to: "…a burst of a retort filled with gases or an explosive powder that the clumsy hands of a student left for too long over a burner…Luckily, the wounds were superficial and we did not have to deplore the tragic interruption of a career following an explosion at the laboratory caused by the overheating of a mixture by one of the students…"¹⁰

Even though he had achieved good grades in the science courses, Rev. Vachon did not however benefit from any special preparation to teach chemistry. He thus undertakes to improve his knowledge in this specialty. In most cases, the Priests at that time pursued their studies in Europe. In his case, he is instead sent to Cambridge, Massachusetts. His mastery of the English language probably played an important role in the selection of an American university. Surely, the choice of Boston was also influenced by the good reputation of the academic institutions in the city as well as the opportunity to live for a while in close proximity to a good number of family members living in its suburbs. He was not the first Priest from Quebec City to perfect his knowledge in the United States. His Science Master, Msgr. Clovis Kemner Laflamme, had studied at Harvard as well as Reverends Edouard Pagé and Alfred Morrissette, chemistry teachers at Laval University from 1882 to 1896.¹¹ Beginning in June 1911, Rev. Vachon attends courses at Harvard during the whole summer.¹² He comes back twice to Boston to further his studies, from January to June 1912 and during the summer of 1915. On these last two occasions, he attends courses at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).¹², ¹³, ¹⁴ During the semester in 1912, he lives with relatives at 15 Crystal Street in Newton Centre.¹⁵ At that time, MIT had not yet acquired the reputation that it would enjoy at the end of the century but he could count on very talented professors such as Arthur A. Noyes, a leading chemist who went on to play a significant role at Caltech. Rev. Vachon will remain a member of the MIT Club throughout his life.¹⁶, ¹⁷ Over his first years of Priesthood, his studies are not limited to scientific subjects. Indeed, in 1915, he successfully completes a doctorate in theology.¹⁸

As the years go by, his teaching duties increase gradually. On June 13, 1911, Rev. A. E. Gosselin, Rector of Laval University, informs him that the University Board of Directors has nominated him as Associate Professor at the Faculty of Arts.¹⁹ In 1912, he starts giving lectures in