Lionel Groulx
Lionel Groulx (1878-1967) was a prominent Quebec priest, historian, and advocate of French Canadian nationalism. Born in Vaudreuil, Québec, he faced early family tragedies, including the loss of his father and siblings. Groulx pursued a religious vocation, studying at various seminaries and becoming a priest in 1903. He later spent time in Europe for further studies and church service before establishing a notable academic career, primarily at the University of Montreal from 1915 until 1949. Groulx was a prolific writer and editor, known for his works on history and politics, advocating for the cultural independence of Québec through a lens of Catholic social values. He founded the Institut d'Histoire de l'Amerique Francaise and received several accolades for his contributions to history and literature. While celebrated in Québec, Groulx’s influence largely remained within the province, leaving him relatively unknown outside of academic circles by the time of his death.
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Subject Terms
Lionel Groulx
Priest
- Born: January 13, 1878
- Birthplace: Vaudreuil, Quèbec, Canada
- Died: May 23, 1967
- Place of death: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Biography
Lionel Groulx was born on January 13, 1878, in Vaudreuil, Québec, the son of Leon and Philomene Salomee (Pilon) Groulx. A month after his birth, Groulx’s father died of smallpox, and two of his three siblings died during an outbreak of diphtheria. Subsequent to these tragic losses, his mother remarried, and Groulx’s new family was apparently happy. From childhood, Groulx demonstrated a strong religious faith, and it was no surprise when he chose to begin studying for the priesthood. He attended the Seminaire de Ste. Therese-de-Blainville (later renamed in his honor) from 1884 to 1889 and then studied at the Grand Seminaire de Montreal.
He was ordained as a priest in 1903. From 1906 to 1909, he studied and served the Church in Rome, Paris, and Fribourg. As a young seminarian and priest, he wrote poetry, and some of this verse was eventually published in periodicals under the pseudonym Lionel Montal; however, Groulx seems to have abandoned poetry later in his literary career. Groulx began his academic life as a teacher at the seminary of Valleyfield, where he worked from 1901 to 1915, but in 1915 he started his long association as a professor of history with the University of Montreal, with which he was affiliated until 1949. He also worked as a freelance writer for most of his adult life, and he was the editor of L’Action francaise (now L’Action nationale) from 1921 to 1928.
Groulx was the founder of the Institut d’Histoire de l’Amerique Francaise. He was a widely respected historian and an ardent advocate of French Canadian nationalism. During his lifetime, he lectured widely at institutions throughout Québec and on radio and television. He received the Tyrrel Medal of the Royal Society of Canada, special recognition from the Canadian Historical Association, numerous awards from nationalist, historical, and literary groups in Québec and France, and honorary degrees from several universities.
As a Catholic priest, a professor of history, and strong advocate of nationalism in Québec, Groulx authored many historical and political works. Most of his works were nonfiction, although his limited output of fiction was very popular in his home province. In his writings, Groulx advocated commitment to Catholicism as a path to preserving Québec’s cultural independence and winning its political freedom. He believed that in a truly French Québec, Catholic social values must prevail. By the time of his death in May, 1967, Groulx had enjoyed a reputation as the leading advocate of French Canadian nationalism for nearly half a century. Although he had an outstanding career as history professor, editor, essayist, poet, and novelist, Groulx was largely unknown outside of Québec, except in academic circles.