Biography: Dominique Léger

The following biography was taken from the book L’Acadie de mes ancêtres, the work of Yvon Léger, o.m.i. , Published in Montreal in 1987 by Les Editions de l'Alternative.

Dominique-S. Léger, Assumptionist.

In the historic Memramcouque Valley, the cradle of the Acadian Renaissance, twenty-three years before the founding of the Collège Saint-Joseph, Dominique Léger was born. After graduation, he became a professor at Pointe-à-l’Église in Nova Scotia. He was later in Moncton for a few years where he worked in the hospitality industry. He then went to Lynn, New England where there was already an important community of Acadian immigrants. Far from their homeland, these Acadians wanted to retain close ties among themselves and with Acadia. To do so, a small group of them, including Dominique Léger, decided to hold a congress, a general meeting, as there had been in Memramcouque and Miscouche. So on August16th 1902, more than two thousand Acadians from all corners of New England, Acadia and even distant Louisiana met in Waltham, Massachusetts. It was then decided to create a mutual Acadian Society. It was also suggested that a school fund be created for young Acadians wishing to pursue higher education. Soon after, none other than Dominique Leger, head of the first constitution of the new company, was elected Chairman of the Executive Committee. Thanks to his know-how and tenacity, the Société Mutuelle de l'Assomption was born. Twenty years later, there were over two hundred and sixty branches of the Société l’Assomption in New England, Acadia, Québec and in Ottawa (the Razilly branch was founded in 1911). Dominique became the first Chancellor of the Society.

On August 15th 1908 in Memramcouque, during the fourth convention of the society, the first to be held in Acadia, Dominique Léger was appointed Honorary Lifetime Member of the Executive Committee of the Mutual Assumption Society. In 1910, in Lynn, where he still resided, his countrymen wanted to emphasize the golden wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Léger. In its July 21 edition, the Moniteur Acadien reported on the event movingly.

An accomplished poet, the aging Acadian loved his native Acadia so that he wrote a few folk songs for his compatriots settled in New England. During the twilight years of his life, Dominique Léger was known for his piety and religious fervour. In Lynn, he was regarded as a saint and his death in 1915 left no one indifferent.