46 THEISLAND ACADIANS 
     
    
   
   
    
     He noted that the settlers were “zealous with regard to religion and 
     
     even a bit superstitious” (TR)’°. His observations proved that the 
     
     presence of a priest was of prime importance to the inhabitants. 
     
     Everywhere he went, they begged him to obtain a priest for them. 
     
     Despite the fact that the colonists were scattered in several settlements, 
     
     a single missionary somehow managed to serve them all. But after 
     
     1749, the accelerated immigration altered the situation considerably. 
     
     The new arrivals joined the other settlers in asking France to provide 
     
     them with priests since one missionary was no longer sufficient. 
     
    

    
     When Franquet arrived the parishes were just being created. The 
     
     people in Havre Saint Pierre had a church since the beginning of the 
     
     1740s”, the Acadians in Pointe Prime had built a chapel at their own 
     
     expense and another one was underway in Riviére du Nord Est. In 
     
     fact, it was Franquet who helped solve the problem of a site for the 
     
     church. He made the following remarks in his report: 
     
    
   
   
    
     On the 13th, most of the senior inhabitants having gone to the said Sieur 
     
     Gauthier’s, we discussed the type of church they wanted. The cost of construc- 
     
     tion posed no difficulties; they even stated that all the wood was ready and 
     
     that everyone would contribute without protest; but opinions were divided 
     
     concernings its location, and it became apparent that each would benefit if it 
     
     were on his side of the river...(TR)”’ 
     
    
   
   
    
     Franquet’s report appears to have borne fruit because Father 
     
     Peronnel arrived from France in 1752 to take charge of the parish of 
     
     Saint Louis du Nord Est. Due to his ill-health, he was unable to stay 
     
     long. The same year, Father Girard settled in Pointe Prime with his 
     
     former parishioners from Cobequid (Truro) who had immigrated to 
     
     the Island several years before. Three other priests arrived in 1753: 
     
     Fathers de Biscaret, Cassiet and Dosque. The colony now had five 
     
     parishes served by priests: Father Girard at Pointe Prime, Father Cassiet 
     
     at Saint Louis du Nord Est, Father de Biscaret at Saint Pierre du Nord 
     
     and Father Dosque in Malpeque where a little church was built and 
     
     named after the Holy Family’*. The Recollect priest, Ambroise Aubré, 
     
     served as the chaplain at Port LaJoie. 
     
    

    
     The colony was in a state of extreme poverty: there was a shortage 
     
     of seed, crops were poor and the majority of the settlers had just 
     
     arrived. The French government was thus obliged to attend to the 
     
     missionaries’ needs until the inhabitants were able to pay their tithes.