Louis-François Laflèche (September 4, 1818 – July 14, 1898) was a prominent Catholic bishop of the diocese of Trois-Rivières in Quebec, Canada. Born in Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade to Louis-Modeste and Marie-Anne Richer, Laflèche's family name derives from La Flèche in France, and he had Métis heritage through his maternal grandmother. He studied at Nicolet Seminary College from 1831 to 1839 and was ordained a priest on January 7, 1844. Laflèche began his career as a missionary near the Red River of the North, where he learned Cree, Chipewyan, and Anishinaabe. He was the first to document the Chipewyan language grammatically and co-founded the mission of Saint-Jean-Baptiste at Île-à-la-Crosse in 1846. In 1851, he played a significant role in the Battle of Grand Coteau, defending a Métis buffalo hunting party against Sioux warriors. After returning to Canada in 1856, Laflèche taught at Nicolet Seminary College and became its president in 1859. His ecclesiastical career progressed when he was appointed coadjutor to Bishop Thomas Cook of Trois-Rivières in 1866. He became the Bishop of Trois-Rivières in 1870, opposing the Common Schools Act of 1871 and authoring several pastoral letters and works on religion. Laflèche was influential in Quebec politics, leading the ultramontanist movement and supporting the Conservative Party, particularly in the 1890 provincial election where he significantly impacted the results in Mauricie. He remained involved in various political and religious issues until his later years, including the Manitoba Schools Question from 1890 to 1896. Laflèche passed away on July 12, 1898, after serving as a priest for 54 years and as a bishop for 31 years.

Louis-François Richer Laflèche - Wikipedia