Letter Of Father Jacques Bigot Summary

The Letter of Father Jacques Bigot, respecting the mission of the Abnaquis at St. Missel de Sillery The Letter of Father Jacques Bigot, respecting the mission of the Abnaquis at St. Missel de Sillery (June 24th, 1681) from The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents Vol. LXII was written to relate recent events at the mission to Bigot’s recently departed predecessor Jacques Vaultier. Bigot mentions several positive changes in the seven months after Vaultier’s departure, notably, an increase in the indigenous population at the mission (Bigot mentions in a later passage how one hunter has left the mission to bring members of his family back) a decrease in their intoxication and an increase in their baptism. In support of these claims, he recounts of the baptism of a twenty-five person family: “there was but one woman who had once been slightly intoxicated, and who on that account felt deep regret when she saw her three adult children baptized, without her securing the same happiness.” Furthermore, he tells of a “savage” who goes to great lengths to deter one of his
relatives from becoming intoxicated with a Frenchman. Bigot goes on to remark on the piety of the indigenous population in dealing with the deaths of ill community members; during the illness of a young hunter named Estienne, members of his family asked for Bigot to frequently recount “blessings of paradise.” Of this, he remarks that “…Christians should be animated when their near relatives die after receiving the sacraments of the church.” Bigot quotes Estienne’s joyful sentiments throughout his illness: “Ah, my Jesus, may I see you in heaven after I shall have ceased to live on earth.” After the death of Estienne his grandmother and mother ask for Bigot’s advice in dealing with members of the community who slander their Christian devotional practices.
Additionally, he mentions that these two are not the only members of the community who are regular in their devotion; no less than three prominent members who are “animated in the same
fervour.” Bigot goes on to espouse his particular philosophy when it comes to conversion. “There is nothing on which I lay greater stress…I do not fear to represent to them that the country in which they lived is much better than this one with regard to food, to hunting, and to fishing; but that, on the other hand, in that land they are not Christians, and…after becoming thorough drunkards, they go thence forever into the fire wherein the wicked burn.” Following several more expositions of individual piety, Bigot recounts the arrival of notable captains wishing to receive baptism. While he was not permitted to grant them this immediately, he allowed them to enter the church where they prayed in solemnity for half an hour. Bigot mentions that the restraint the group demonstrated was uncharacteristic of “savages” who are prone to resting their heads on the pews. In the final paragraph of his letter, he implores Vautier to mention the goings on in the mission in France so they will know that “teach[ing] the Savages is not an ungrateful task.” In support of this sentiment Bigot recalls multiple examples. The first is of a woman who—upon being wronged by a frenchman—relinquished her resentment after a few days. Another is of a young man who never failed to assemble his family for prayers despite having multiple temptations to distract him, namely liquor. Bigot goes on to mention that he has had issues with ten community members in regards to their drinking; he relates this problem to the Frenchmen in the district who often give the natives excessive quantities of alcohol. He credits Monsieur Du Chesneau’s efforts to curb the excesses in the community; the Monsieur had the intoxicated “savages” imprisoned to use them as an example. This passage provides valuable insight into the complexities of life in a Jesuit mission. In this passage we see a community struggling to adjust to their new colonial landscape. European settlement resulted in alcoholism, hunger and poverty. Additionally, we can infer from this letter the motivations of the Jesuits: they were solely concerned with the salvation of souls. Moreover, this letter illustrates the Jesuits making the Christian faith more accessible to the indigenous population through alteration. The changes brought on by early settlements had an indelible impact on the native population. This is expressed throughout this passage in its continual reference to the excessive consumption of alcohol. Bigot frequently blames this alcohol problem on the French settlers, who often supply the natives with liquor. Bigot states that “Of all those to whom I have administered that sacrament, not five had been intoxicated.” This implies that the number of intoxicated individuals was previously much higher. In another instance, a young man in a converted family stops another from drinking by spilling the wine he drinking. The prevalence of this problem is again reiterated in the harsh attitude taken by the Monsieur. The imprisonment of both the drunks and the Frenchmen who supplied them is indicative of just how pervasive this problem was. In order to combat this problem, Bigot has the people repeat a prayer to Our Lord and The Virgin Mary: “Jesus, may I see you in Heaven; may I Never be damned. Keep me from anger, from evil speaking, and from drunkenness. Save me from the evil spirit.” This prayer is an example of how the Jesuits missionaries often adapted existing religious convention to fit the spiritual needs of the people they were working with. Moreover, Bigot holds up Francois Xavier as an example of exemplary moral behaviour: “[He] behaved in the most Christian manner in the world, while spending The winter with some Frenchmen who wished him to go hunting with them. They could never get him to commit the slightest excess in drinking, although they continually invited Him to divert himself.” The motivations of the Jesuit missionaries become clear from this documentation. While constant use of the word “savage” may suggest otherwise, Bigot appears to be genuinely concerned with the moral life of the native peoples. He relays how he gave a ten year old boy confession before his death. Bigot does not use this event as an demonstrative of his own worth, but states that “God did not permit [him]…to die without confession.” Further credence is given to this notion when he states that “…in that land they are not Christians, and…after becoming thorough drunkards, they go thence forever into the fire wherein the wicked burn.” Bigot continually shows a preoccupation with the health of the indigenous peoples moral life, constantly instructing them on how to deal with confrontation, resentment and hatred in a Christian fashion.