The Recollet fathers lived until the year 1620 in their humble residence near the chapel and habitation of Quebec, in the Lower Town.  In the year 1619 they employed some workmen to fell trees on the shores of the River St. Charles, near an agreeable tract of land which Hebert had cleared.  It was situated at half a league from the habitation, and the people of Quebec hoped at that time to build the town there.  During the winter each piece of timber was prepared for the building, and the savages assisted in the work.  On June 3rd, 1620, the first stone of the convent was solemnly laid by Father d’Olbeau.  The arms of the king were engraved upon the stone near those of the Prince de Conde.  The convent was finished and blessed on May 25th, 1621, and dedicated to Notre Dame des Anges.  It was on this date that the name of St. Charles was given to the river Ste. Croix, or the Cabir-Coubat of the Indians, in honour of the Reverend Charles de Ransay des Boues, syndic of the Canadian missions.

There were six Recollet fathers at Quebec in 1621, and two brothers.  Fathers Guillaume Galleran and Irenee Piat came in 1622, the former in the capacity of visitor and superior.  A coincidence of their arrival was the induction of the first religious novitiate.  Pierre Langoissieux, of Rouen, took the monastic habit under the name of Brother Charles, at a special ceremony in the presence of Champlain and his wife, and some Frenchmen and Indians.  Three young men also received the small scapulary of the Franciscan order.  Father Piat left Quebec for the Montagnais mission, while Father Huet was sent to Three Rivers, and Father Poullain to the Nipissing mission in the west.  In the year 1623, Father Nicholas Viel and Brother Gabriel Sagard-Theodat, the historian of the Huron mission, arrived.  They were entertained at the convent of Notre Dame des Anges.  At the solemn Te Deum, which was sung in the chapel on this occasion, there were present seven fathers and four brothers.  Fathers Le Caron and Viel, and Brother Sagard arranged for some Indian guides to conduct them to the Huron country, where they arrived on July 23rd.  The party spent the winter among the Hurons, and during the following year Brother Sagard was recalled to France by his superiors.  The Recollets continued to conduct services in the small chapel in the Lower Town, which served as the parochial church of Quebec.

In the year 1624 the French colony was placed under the patronage of Saint Joseph, who has remained from that date the patron saint of Canada.  Champlain was at this time in France, and had met Montmorency at St. Germain-en-Laye, after the Recollets had complained of the conduct of the Huguenots.  While the missionaries were celebrating mass, the Huguenots annoyed them by singing psalms, and they occupied the poop-royal on board the vessels for their services, while the Catholics were compelled to assemble in the forecastle, without distinction of persons.  The Recollets