Louis-Philippe Mariauchau d’Esgly (24 April 1710 – 4 June 1788) was the eighth bishop of the diocese of Quebec.

Life

Louis-Philippe Mariauchau d’Esgly was born 24 April 1710,Lindsay, Lionel. "Louis-Philippe Mariauchau d'Esglis." The Catholic Encyclopedia
Vol. 5. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1909. 21 February 2019 the second son of Captain Francois Mariauchau d'Esgly (1670-1730), of the Dauphin's Regiment and the Governor-General's Guards;''The Encyclopedia of Canada'', Vol. II, W. Stewart Wallace, ed.),Toronto, University Associates of Canada, 1948, p. 298 King's Lieutenant at

Trois-Rivières Trois-Rivières (, – 'Three Rivers') is a city in the Mauricie administrative region of Quebec, Canada, at the confluence of the Saint-Maurice River, Saint-Maurice and Saint Lawrence River, Saint Lawrence rivers, on the north shore of the Sain ...

. His mother, Louise-Philippe Chartier de Lotbinière (1690-1725), was the daughter of

René-Louis Chartier de Lotbinière René-Louis Chartier de Lotbinière (1641–1709) was a French-Canadian Poet, 1st Seigneur de Lotbinière in New France (1672), Judge of the Provost and Admiralty Courts and Chief Councillor of the Sovereign Council of New France. Birth Baptised 1 ...

. He was godson of his mother's first cousin,

Pierre de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil-Cavagnial Pierre de Rigaud de Vaudreuil de Cavagnial, marquis de Vaudreuil (22 November 1698 – 4 August 1778) was a Canadian-born colonial governor of French Canada in North America. He was governor of French Louisiana (1743–1753) and in 1755 beca ...

, and he himself was a first cousin of

Michel Chartier de Lotbinière, Marquis de Lotbinière Michel-Alain Chartier de Lotbinière, 1st Marquis de Lotbinière (1723–1798), Seigneur of Vaudreuil, Lotbinière and Rigaud, Quebec etc. In 1757, on his advice at the Siege of Fort William Henry, the Marquis de Montcalm successfully attacked Fo ...

. After completing his studies at the

Séminaire de Québec The Seminary of Quebec (French: Séminaire de Québec) is a Catholic community of diocesan priests in Quebec City founded by Bishop François de Laval, the first bishop of New France in 1663. History The Séminaire de Québec is a Society of d ...

, he was ordained priest in 1734 and appointed pastor of Saint-Pierre-d'Orléans, which also included duties at Saint-Laurent in L'Arbre-Sec. After thirty-five years of humble ministry, he was called to the episcopate and consecrated coadjutor of Quebec, 12 July 1772, the first native of Canada to attain to the dignity of bishop. The Lotbinière family had lobbied the governor, and Bishop Briand thought it best to agree even though his proposed successor was older than he and deaf. While accepting the position, Esgly chose to remain parish priest at St. Pierre. In 1775 he made a pastoral visit to the other parishes on the

Île d'Orléans Île d'Orléans (; en, Island of Orleans) is an island located in the Saint Lawrence River about east of downtown Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. It was one of the first parts of the province to be colonized by the French, and a large percentage ...

. On the resignation of Bishop Briand, he succeeded to the See of Quebec 29 November 1784, but continued to serve as pastor at St. Pierre.Scott, Henry Arthur. "Archdiocese of Quebec." The Catholic Encyclopedia
Vol. 12. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. 21 February 2019 One of his first acts was to appoint his vicars general for the vast diocese. He confirmed Henri-François Gravé de La Rive at Quebec, Pierre Garreau at

, and Étienne Montgolfier at Montreal,Pelletier, Jean-Guy. “Mariauchau d’Esgly, Louis-Philippe”, ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography'', vol. 4, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003
/ref> while he oversaw things from Saint-Pierre-d'Orléans. In his first pastoral letter he alludes to the appointment of a coadjutor, a precaution justified by age, infirmity, and the necessity of securing a successor. Bishop

Jean-François Hubert Jean-François Hubert, (February 23, 1739 – October 17, 1797), bishop of Quebec, trained at the Sulpician seminary in Montreal. He was taken under the protection of Bishop Dubreil and served for a time as the bishop's secretary. Life Jean- ...

, who was a missioner at Notre-Dame-de l’Assomption near Detroit at the time, was nominated coadjutor that same year, but the approval of the British Government was withheld till 1786. The main question that concerned him was the lack of priests. Bishop d'Esglis tried unsuccessfully to supply the dearth of clergy by obtaining priests from France. The British Government preferred the emigration of priests for the settlements in Upper Canada and the Maritime Provinces. Pending the arrival of a missionary for the Acadians, a layman was authorized to baptize and witness marriage contracts. Acadians settled in the maritime provinces and confirmed

Joseph-Mathurin Bourg Abbé Joseph-Mathurin Bourg (June 9, 1744 – August 20, 1797; ; ; ) was a Roman Catholic Spiritan priest. His family was among those Acadians expelled from Nova Scotia during the French and Indian War. They eventually ended up in France, where Bo ...

as Vicar-General for that area. Fathers Girouard, Le Roux, and Donat, of the congregation of the Holy Ghost served there, while the Irish and Scotch Catholics of the same region were attended by the Abbé Phelan and Capuchin James Jones, who resided at Halifax. Bishop John Butler of Cork sent some priests, recruited by the Irish Father Thomas Hussey, representative of the Diocese of Quebec in London. In 1787, Bishop d'Esglis issued a pastoral letter to all the faithful of the lower provinces, exhorting them to union and steadfastness in the Faith. He died 4 June 1788 in the fifty-fifth year of his priesthood and was buried at Saint-Pierre. In 1969, his remains were transferred to the crypt of the basilica of Notre-Dame in Quebec.

References

Sources

Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mariauchau, Louis-Philippe Roman Catholic bishops of Quebec 18th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Canada 1710 births 1788 deaths Burials at the Cathedral-Basilica of Notre-Dame de Québec

Life

See also

References

Sources