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In 1639 Father Jerome Lalemant became Superior for the Mission to the Hurons and made a decision that changed the way the missionaries worked. In South America Jesuits were having great success with "Reducciones" in Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil. These were protective reserves where Indians could live without being threatened by slave-hunters. They were converted to Catholicism, built monumental architecture, became literate and were largely self-sufficient. It is possible that Lalemant had this model in mind when he came to Huronia. Until now, the French missionaries had moved into the villages where they worked, taking up residence in one of the longhouses. Each longhouse was controlled by a clan and the choice of where to live had political consequences. By creating a permanent home Lalemant believed the Fathers would no longer find themselves wrapped up in local politics. Further, he thought that Ste. Marie would act as moral influence on French workers and traders in the area who otherwise tended to slip into native lifestyles. Finally, the mission would provide the priests with a refuge where they could follow the order's daily rule without interruption.
In the summer the Huron hunted and travelled but come winter, they tended to return to the villages, so beginning November 1, the missionaries set out in pairs to each of the 5 districts to preach. Lalemant called for a census of Huronia; when the Fathers returned in spring they were able to report on the locations and size of each village. (32 villages or 700 longhouses with 2000 fires or approx. 12,000 people). With better information about the Huron population, Lalemant now searched for the best location for his new mission house. He settled on a site next to the Isiaragui (Wye) River, near Lake Attigouantan (Huron), a mile south of Georgian Bay. The land was in the area occupied by the Ataronchronons who accepted gifts in return for allowing the missionaries to build.
They began with a single building, either European style or a bark-covered longhouse, built by French workmen, 20 feet by 40 feet, divided inside into compartments including a private chapel. In this one building, the 4 fathers and the 5 workmen, spent the winter. Come spring they began clearing the land for development and were joined by more workmen. In all, by 1640 there were 28 men at Ste. Marie: 13 priests, a lay brother/ tailor Dominic Scot, 6 donnés, 2 adolescents, 2 boys, and 4 workmen. Donnés were laymen who bound themselves by solemn promises to the service of the mission without pay. Their advantage, besides costing only their room and board, was that they were permitted to do things forbidden to the priests. They could for example, carry guns. The workers generally built and maintained the mission while the priests travelled to the various villages to preach. Within the year the number of converts went from one family to 100 people and the Fathers had enough grain in storage to keep them for a year. It is likely they grew it themselves.
In 1643 they had a hospital, a cemetary near the church, a Church for Public devotions, a retreat for pilgrims, and a place for infidels to hear the good word, a well, and crosses to mark the 4 corners of the mission. By 1644 the mission was able to house 14 priests, 2 brothers, 11 donnes, 6 boys and youths and 3 hired workmen, plus 22 soldiers sent from Quebec to protect the annual flotilla from attack. Father Lalement began thinking about expanding the residences and making them more permanent. In that year (1644) a Papal Brief, dated February 18 at Rome officially named Ste-Marie a place of pilgrimage and granted a plenary indulgence under customary conditions to all pilgrims who visited the church on the Feast of St. Joseph. This Brief was the first ecclesiastical document issued to the Church in what is now the Province of Ontario. It would have meant more if people could reach the mission. Tensions between the French-Huron allies and the Iroquois were mounting. In 1642 the flotilla from Quebec was attacked. Father Jogues and two donnés, William Couture and Rene Goupil were captured by Mohawks. Goupil was killed, Jogues was ransomed later that year, and Couture was adopted then released. In 1644 four flotillas attempted to reach the mission from Quebec. Only the one carrying Brébeuf and the soldiers got through. In 1646, the fighting was so bad that no news got through from Quebec. In 1644 Lalemant was replaced as head of the mission by Father Ragueneau who stressed the building of local chapels in the villages. Ste. Marie became even more, a headquarters where only the bursar and some support staff lived, though everyone came back for the 4 principal feasts of the year (Christmas, Pentecost, Easter). Then up to 20 Jesuits might be in residence. Meanwhile, there were 1300 baptisms in 1646 alone. n 1647, 42 Frenchmen lived t Ste-Marie, in 1648 : 66. At the same time, the Relations say: "This house is a resort for the whole country, where the Christians find a hospital in their sickness, a refuge in the height of alarms, and a hostel when they come to visit us. During the past year we have reckoned over 3,000 persons to whom we have given shelter, - sometimes, within a fortnight, six or seven hundred Christians; and, as a rule, three meals to each one. This does not include a large number who incessantly come hither to pass the whole day, and to whom we give charity; so that, in a strange country, we feed those who themselves should supply us with the necessities of life." (Relations v. 33 ch.3) Things were getting worse. On July 4, 1648, the Iroquois descended on Teanostaye' and burned it to the ground killing or capturing 700 people including Father Daniel. This was the second large town to be destroyed and it left Huronia all but defenseless. St. Ignace fell the following year and Fathers Brebeuf and Gabriel Lalemant were among the victims caught nearby. That year they gave hospice to 6000 natives without seriously depleting their own supplies of fish, game and pork. They baptized 1700 people. By May 1, 15 Huron villages had been abandoned. Ste. Marie was soon the only bastion left standing and at this point Father Rageneau decided to burn it to the ground and set up a new mission on Manitoulin Island.
From there it was felt they could preach to the remaining Huron and futher their approaches to the Algonquin and Tobacco. Before they could move, representatives arrived from St. Josephs Island where a few hundred Huron had taken refuge. They argued their cause for 3 hours while the fathers tried to convince the Huron to move to Manitoulin and the Huron tried to convince the fathers to join them on St. Josephs. The Huron won over the French. Ste. Marie was burned to the ground to prevent it falling into the hands of the Iroquois and the missionaries and their allies retreated to the Island. They found themselves trapped, the mission failing through famine and disease while the Iroquois waited on the mainland. In desperation the Huron sent a messenger to Quebec asking for refuge. When it was granted, the Jesuits and the last 300 Wendat left on the Island headed for Quebec, June 10, 1650, ending Ste. Marie among the Hurons. Ste. Marie was the first European settlement in Ontario. More than 60 Frenchmen, or 1/5 of the total population of New France lived there at one time or another. Some 1200 km (800 miles) of rough forest separated the mission from the rest of New France and the only means of transport was canoe and foot. |
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