The Kenté (Quinte) Mission

Commemoration

In 1668 Claude Trouvé and François de Fénelon, Sulpician priests from France, established this mission to serve Iroquois Indians on the north shore of Lake Ontario. Kenté, the Cayuga Village which had requested the missionaries, became the mission's centre. Buildings were erected at this village, which was probably located in the Consecon area, and livestock was brought from Ville-Marie (Montreal). Under Abbé Trouvé's direction, various resident Sulpicians served the mission, but from 1675 their activities were largely confined to the village centre. An early outpost of French influence in the lower Great Lakes region, the mission was abandoned in 1680 as a result of the moving of the Cayugas, heavy maintenance costs, and the growth of Fort Frontenac as a major post.