A native of the diocese of Paris, around 1671, Balthazar Boutteville had come to Canada with his family. His father, a rich merchant, lived in the Rue Sainte-Anne, at Quebec. One of his sisters became an Ursuline nun. Boutteville, a late vocation, entered the Petit Séminaire at the age of 21 in 1693, took the cassock in November 1694 and was ordained priest on June 17, 1696, "barely able to read Latin," it would later be written with bitterness . To cross the classical and theological studies in three years, "there," said Bishop Amedee Gosselin, "what is called to go there quickly. We shall see later whether it was prudent.". Perhaps he had the leisure to open his books for three more years, for he did not see what he did until 1699. The autumn of that year the second missionary convoy of the Seminary was dispatched to the Mississippi, composed of Bergier, Saint-Cosme the young and Boutteville. The latter ran aground at the Natchez mission, where he spent three years doing nothing but traveling, for he could not bring himself to learn languages. He was convinced to return to Canada but decided to take the road to the sea, which, by a long detour, that was to take him back to France. In Paris, his incompetence burst forth, as well as his prodigality.
Procureur Tremblay did not fail to point out: "M. Boutteville's morals are good, he is wise and virtuous, but to be an ecclesiastic he has neither the science nor the spirit proper to that. Can not forgive you Gentlemen for having raised such a weak subject to the priesthood. M. Boutteville embarked, in 1704, to return to Canada with Bishop de Saint-Vallier, but he was made prisoner and his captivity in England lasted four years. Back in Quebec City, he had to return some services. For it was by assisting the patients at Charlesbourg, and by voluntarily exposing himself, that he contracted the epidemic of the purple (scarlet fever), and died on the ninth day at the Hôtel-Dieu on April 28, 1711.
We must not judge by this unfortunate exception the kind of training given to future Canadian priests. Although they were not always wells of science, they were generally better prepared and able to do honour to their character.
(Translated from Biographies des prêtres agrégés du Séminaire de Québec).
Procureur Tremblay did not fail to point out: "M. Boutteville's morals are good, he is wise and virtuous, but to be an ecclesiastic he has neither the science nor the spirit proper to that. Can not forgive you Gentlemen for having raised such a weak subject to the priesthood. M. Boutteville embarked, in 1704, to return to Canada with Bishop de Saint-Vallier, but he was made prisoner and his captivity in England lasted four years. Back in Quebec City, he had to return some services. For it was by assisting the patients at Charlesbourg, and by voluntarily exposing himself, that he contracted the epidemic of the purple (scarlet fever), and died on the ninth day at the Hôtel-Dieu on April 28, 1711.
We must not judge by this unfortunate exception the kind of training given to future Canadian priests. Although they were not always wells of science, they were generally better prepared and able to do honour to their character.
(Translated from Biographies des prêtres agrégés du Séminaire de Québec).
A native of the diocese of Paris, around 1671, Balthazar Boutteville had come to Canada with his family. His father, a rich merchant, lived in the Rue Sainte-Anne, at Quebec. One of his sisters became an Ursuline nun. Boutteville, a late vocation, entered the Petit Séminaire at the age of 21 in 1693, took the cassock in November 1694 and was ordained priest on June 17, 1696, "barely able to read Latin," it would later be written with bitterness . To cross the classical and theological studies in three years, "there," said Bishop Amedee Gosselin, "what is called to go there quickly. We shall see later whether it was prudent.". Perhaps he had the leisure to open his books for three more years, for he did not see what he did until 1699. The autumn of that year the second missionary convoy of the Seminary was dispatched to the Mississippi, composed of Bergier, Saint-Cosme the young and Boutteville. The latter ran aground at the Natchez mission, where he spent three years doing nothing but traveling, for he could not bring himself to learn languages. He was convinced to return to Canada but decided to take the road to the sea, which, by a long detour, that was to take him back to France. In Paris, his incompetence burst forth, as well as his prodigality.
Procureur Tremblay did not fail to point out: "M. Boutteville's morals are good, he is wise and virtuous, but to be an ecclesiastic he has neither the science nor the spirit proper to that. Can not forgive you Gentlemen for having raised such a weak subject to the priesthood. M. Boutteville embarked, in 1704, to return to Canada with Bishop de Saint-Vallier, but he was made prisoner and his captivity in England lasted four years. Back in Quebec City, he had to return some services. For it was by assisting the patients at Charlesbourg, and by voluntarily exposing himself, that he contracted the epidemic of the purple (scarlet fever), and died on the ninth day at the Hôtel-Dieu on April 28, 1711.
We must not judge by this unfortunate exception the kind of training given to future Canadian priests. Although they were not always wells of science, they were generally better prepared and able to do honour to their character.
(Translated from Biographies des prêtres agrégés du Séminaire de Québec).
Procureur Tremblay did not fail to point out: "M. Boutteville's morals are good, he is wise and virtuous, but to be an ecclesiastic he has neither the science nor the spirit proper to that. Can not forgive you Gentlemen for having raised such a weak subject to the priesthood. M. Boutteville embarked, in 1704, to return to Canada with Bishop de Saint-Vallier, but he was made prisoner and his captivity in England lasted four years. Back in Quebec City, he had to return some services. For it was by assisting the patients at Charlesbourg, and by voluntarily exposing himself, that he contracted the epidemic of the purple (scarlet fever), and died on the ninth day at the Hôtel-Dieu on April 28, 1711.
We must not judge by this unfortunate exception the kind of training given to future Canadian priests. Although they were not always wells of science, they were generally better prepared and able to do honour to their character.
(Translated from Biographies des prêtres agrégés du Séminaire de Québec).
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