emigrants of those days had no other idea of the Canadian mission, and
prepared themselves accordingly. On the 20th of May, 1656, the community
pledged itself to send four of its zealous souls, who awaited the time
of their embarkation with eagerness, but from some cause or other did
not leave France until 1660. On their arrival at Ville-Marie, Jean Mance
received them with every mark of esteem and affection that Christian
charity could inspire. She put them in immediate possession of that
portion of the hospital set apart for them, reserving to herself only
the administration of the funds for the poor and destitute, a duty which
she discharged faithfully, and with solid benefit to the recipients, the
rest of her life. The new Sisters were little more than a secular
congregation, until 1666, when Pope Alexander VII. approved of them as a
religious order, by a bull dated January 8th, 1666, in which strict
enclosure was enjoined, and a religious dress appointed to be worn.

While the interests of the _hospital_ were being thus carefully attended
to in France, it was evident that the _spiritual wants of the colony_
were becoming every day more pressing. Montreal was now populous, and
numbers of the Indians who embraced Christianity were anxious that their
respective tribes should do the same. Yet there was but _one_ Jesuit
Father in the whole colony, who could not possibly discharge all the
duties required of him. When M. Olier heard of it, he thought seriously
of sending to Canada a mission from the Seminary of St. Sulpice, and as
he was suffering painful infirmities for many years, brought on by the
laborious discharge of his official duties, he contemplated accompanying
them himself. He accordingly selected four priests of his community, who
were gentlemen of merit and distinction, viz., Gabriel de Quelus, Abbe
of Laudieu (one of the Montreal associates), M. Francis d'Allet, Gabriel
Souart, and Dominick Gallitier. M. de Quelus was a man of illustrious
birth, and was appointed by their ecclesiastical Superior (the