Our History...

Feb 2nd 1921
  • 1921

  • 02/02/1921

    Foundation

    Founding of a seminary for foreign missions by the Bishops of the Province of Quebec (February 2).

  • 11/05/1921

    Nomination

    Appointment of Canon Joseph-Avila Roch, parish priest at the cathedral in Joliette, as superior of the new seminary (May 11).

    Plus...
  • 1922

  • 08/03/1922

    Civil incorporation of The Quebec Foreign Missions Society (March 8)

  • 12/04/1922

    Pastoral letter of the Bishops of the Province of Quebec announcing the founding of a seminary for foreign missions in Montreal (April 12).

  • 27/04/1922

    Purchase of a plot of land in Pont-Viau in the municipality of St. Vincent de Paul in Laval (April 27).

    Histore de Achat, Plus...

  • 16/10/1922

    Blessing of the cornerstone of the St. Francis Xavier Seminary in Pont-Viau (October 16).

  • 1924

  • 07/09/1924

    Blessing of the St. Francis Xavier Seminary (September 7).

  • 1925

  • 06/01/1925

    Diocesan Decrees (Montreal) establishing canonically The Quebec Foreign Missions Society and its St. Francis Xavier Seminary in Pont-Viau (January 6).

  • 03/02/1925

    Approval of the request from Bishop J.-M. Blois, apostolic Vicar of Moukden, for missionaries to Manchuria, China (February 3).

  • 11/09/1925

    First sending of missionaries

    First sending of missionaries to Manchuria: Fr. Louis-Adelmar Lapierre, Fr. Eugène Bérichon and Fr. Léo Lomme (September 11).

    Plus...
  • 1929

  • 25/07/1929

    Canonical approval of the Society and its Constitution by the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda Fide (for the Propagation of the Faith) in Rome (July 25).

  • 02/08/1929

    First mission territory entrusted to the Society

    The new apostolic prefecture of Szepingkai, established on part of the Jehol and Mukden Vicariates in Manchuria (August 2).

    Plus...
  • 1932

  • 16/08/1932

    First General Chapter of the Society

    Canon Joseph-Avila Roch is elected Superior General of the Society (August 16).

    Plus...
  • 1934

  • 15/05/1934

    Second pastoral letter of the Quebec Bishops about the Society (May 15).

  • 1937

  • Opening of the mission in Davao

    Opening of the mission in Davao in the Philippines (1937-2011).

    Plus...
  • 1938

  • 11/07/1938

    Second General Chapter of the Society

    Mgr Edgar Larochelle is elected Superior General (July 11).

  • 1940

  • 02/09/1940

    Opening of a Formation House in Quebec and beginning of the first session (September 2).

  • 1941

  • During the Pacific War (1941-1945), the Society’s missionaries in China and in the Philippines suffer internment and a breakdown of all communications with Canada.

    Plus...
  • 1942

  • Opening of the mission in Cuba

    Opening of the mission in Cuba (1942-2011).

    Plus...
  • 1948

  • 26/07/1948

    Third General Chapter of the Society

    Mgr Edgar Larochelle is re-elected as Superior General (July 26).


  • Opening of the mission in Japan

    Opening of the mission in Japan (1948 - )

    Plus...
  • 1953

  • 15/01/1953

    Third pastoral letter of the Quebec Bishops regarding the Foreign Missions Seminary (January 15).

  • 1954

  • 01/05/1954

    Bishop Gustave Prévost is expelled from China. He is the last member of the Society to leave China (May 1).

  • 1955

  • 09/08/1955

    Opening of the mission in Honduras

    Opening of the mission in Honduras.

  • 1956

  • Opening of the mission in Peru

    Opening of the mission in Peru (Pucalpa).

    More...
  • 1958

  • 19/02/1958

    Fourth General Chapter of the Society

    Superior General: Fr. Gilles Ouellet (February 19).

  • 1961

  • Opening of the mission in Argentina

    Opening of the mission in Argentina

    More...

  • Agreement with the Diocese of Amos (Quebec) and first sending of priest associates to Honduras.

  • 1962

  • Opening of the mission in Chile (1962-2016)

  • 1967

  • 19/09/1967

    Fifth General Chapter of the Society

    Superior General: Fr. Viateur Allary (September 19).

  • 1971

  • Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the foundation of the Society

  • 01/11/1971

    Revue ME Nov-Déc 1971
  • 1973

  • 05/07/1973

    Sixth General Assembly of the Society.

    Superior General: Fr. André Vallée (July 5).

  • 1974

  • Opening of the mission in Indonesia (1974-1984)

  • 1977

  • Opening of the mission in Guatemala, for the first time with the collaboration of lay associates (1977-1981).

  • 1979

  • 05/06/1979

    Seventh General Assembly of the Society

    Superior General: Fr. Jean-Louis Martin (June 5).

  • Presence in Nicaragua (1979-1987)

  • 1981

  • Message of the Bishops of Quebec on the occasion of the 60th Anniversary of the founding of the Society.

  • 1983

  • Opening of the mission in Hong Kong

  • 1984

  • Opening of the mission in Sudan (1984-2012)

  • 1985

  • 28/05/1985

    Eighth General Assembly of Society

    Superior General: Fr. Pierre Samson (May 28).

  • 1987

  • 14/12/1987

    Final approval of the Revised Texts of the Constitution of the Society by the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples in Rome (December 14).

  • 1991

  • 28/05/1991

    Ninth General Assembly of the Society

    Superior General: Fr. François Lapierre (May 28).

  • 1992

  • Opening of the mission in Brazil

  • Opening of the International Centre for Missionary Formation (CIFM) in Montreal (1992-2015)

  • 1993

  • Renewed presence of the Society in Manchuria, in Changchun (1993-2013)

  • 1995

  • 04/05/1995

    Opening of the mission in Cambodia

    Opening of the mission in Cambodia, in collaboration with the Yarumal Missionaries from Colombia (May 4).

  • 1996

  • Celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the founding of the Society

  • Opening of the Centre for Missionary Formation and Animation (CFAM) in Tegucigalpa, Honduras (1996-2015)

  • 1997

  • 05/05/1997

    Tenth General Assembly of the Society

    Superior General: Fr. François Lapierre (May 5).

  • Non-Canadian priests and seminarians are accepted as members of the Society.

  • 1998

  • 07/04/1998

    Fr. Roland Laneuville becomes Superior General

    Fr. François Lapierre is appointed Bishop of St. Hyacinth (April 7).

  • 2000

  • Opening of the mission in Kenya

  • 2001

  • Opening of Theological Formation Centre of Kenya (TFCK) in Nairobi

  • 2002

  • Opening of the mission in Thailand

    Opening of the mission in Thailand in conjunction with the Cambodia Group and in collaboration with the Maryknoll Missionaries (2002-2012).

  • 2003

  • 18/05/2003

    Eleventh General Assembly of the Society

    Superior General: Fr. Roland Laneuville (May 18).

  • Opening of the Service of the Lay Missionary Associates (SMLA)

  • 2008

  • 28/04/2008

    Twelfth General Assembly of the Society

    Superior General: Fr. Guy Charbonneau (April 28).

  • 2010

  • Agreement with the Lorenzo Ruiz Mission Society of the Philippines for collaboration in China (2010-2013).

  • 2013

  • 26/01/2013

    Fr. Martin Laliberté becomes Superior General

    Fr. Guy Charbonneau is appointed Bishop of Choluteca, Honduras (January 26).

  • 07/05/2013

    Thirteenth General Assembly of the Society

    Superior General: Fr. Martin Laliberté (May 7).

  • 2017

  • Opening of the Missionary Formation Centre (MFC) in Nairobi, Kenya

  • 2018

  • 04/06/2018

    Fourteenth General Assembly of the Society

    Superior General: Fr. Martin Laliberté (June 4).

  • January 2019

  • 28/12/2019

    Fr. Roland Laneuville becomes Superior General

    Fr. Martin laliberté is appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Québec, Québec (December 28).

  • 12/06/2023

    XVe Assemblée Générale

    Superior General : Ergete Tesfaye, p.m.é.




PAR BERTRAND ROY, P.M.É.