Jean-Baptiste de La Croix de Chevrières de Saint-Vallier was born at Grenoble, France in 1653, and would later become Bishop of Québec. Ordained a priest in 1681, Abbé Saint-Valliere visited the newly established Acadian community of Grand-Pré in 1686. He wrote the following about his visit:

1856. Estat Present de L'eglise et de la Colonie Fancaise dans la Nouvelle-France, par M. L'eveque de Quebec. Quebec: Augustin Cote & cie, p. 37.

"D la je passay aux Mines ... Les habitans sont de jeunnes gens bien faits et laborieux, qui sont sortis de Port Royal, comme ceux de Beaubassin, dont ils ont suive l'exemple pour desseicher leurs marets. J'employay un jour entier a contenter leur devotion; le matin je fus occupe a les exhorter, a les confesser et a les communier a ma Messe, et l'apres-dinee a baptiser quelque enfans, et a terminer des divisions et des proces.

Ils me presserent en partant de leur donner un Pretre, et ils me promirent non seulement de le nourrir, mais encore de luy batir une Eglise et un Prebytere dans une Isle appartenante a l'un d'eux qui l'offrit a ce dessein, ou tout entiere, ou en partie, selon qu'on en auroit besoin."

From there I went to Les Mines [Grand-Pré]... The inhabitants are well-built and hard-working young people from Port-Royal, as were those [I saw] in Beaubassin [near Amherst], who are also drying the marshes. I took an entire day attending to their devotions; in the morning I spent my time encouraging them, hearing confessions et giving communion at my Mass, and after dinner baptizing several children, and finishing [property] divisions and trials. As I was leaving, they begged me to give them a Priest, and promised me that they would not only feed him but that they would also build him a Church and a Presbytery on a Island belonging to one of them who offered it [the Island] for that purpose, either in whole or in part, depending on what would be needed.

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