François-Xavier Fafard was the son of a farmer. He asked for the favour of being sent to the most difficult places, to help the most abandoned souls on earth.

François-Xavier Fafard was born October 19, 1856 of Antoine Fafard and Christine Morel, in Saint-Hugues, diocèse of Saint-Hyacinthe, Province of Quebec. He was the next to last of a family of twelve children.

He finished primary school at age of twelve and started working immediately upon leaving school. His father introduced him to hard work of the farm at that young age.

He had a social life to certain degree and went out with girls. However, he was not fully happy. He was searching for something to give direction to his life. Then, one day, he was touched by God's grace, while he was right in middle of the field, plowing.

He asked his father to drive him to the college. He was twenty years old then. He started studying again, along with young teenagers. His hard work enabled him to reach his goal.

After completing his classical studies in Sorel and in Saint-Hyacinthe, François-Xavier entered the noviciate of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, located in Lachine. He started this first stage in religious life on August 14, 1880; he took his first vows on August 15, 1881. He pursued his studies in philosophy and theology at the University of Ottawa. On August 31, 1882, he took his perpetual vows. He was ordained as a priest in Ottawa on March 22, 1885, by his Grace Thomas Duhamel, Archbishop of Ottawa.

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