Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste

In March 1834, Ludger Duvernay, along with George-Étienne Cartier, Louis-Victor Sicotte, and other Patriotes in Lower Canada, established the politico-literary club Aide-toi, le Ciel t’aidera (God helps those who help themselves), of which Duvernay was elected president. He conceived the idea of giving French Canadians an annual patriotic festival to be celebrated on 24 June. He saw to the preparations for a banquet, which was primarily a political demonstration. The rebellion (1837–38) interrupted the June 24th celebrations for a few years. At the beginning of 1843 Duvernay was asked to re-establish the Association Saint-Jean-Baptiste. There is no record that such an entity had existed before the rebellion. However, in 1843 Montrealers spoke of reorganizing it, and, on Duvernay’s initiative, the Association Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Montréal was constituted on 9 June. The charter, obtained in 1849, stipulated that this charitable organization had been established with the object of aiding and supporting people of French origin and contributing to their moral and social progress. The Association Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Montréal counted among its ranks most prominent French Canadians, many of whom had been Patriotes. The organization, which in 1912 was renamed the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste, spread throughout North America.