By virtue of the Catholic regimen of the old French royal navy the expidition carried a priest aboard each ship, both of whom functioned in a dual capacity as chaplain and savant.
The first ship, Bouselle carried aboard as chaplain thr Abbe Jean Andre Mongez, Canon of Ste Genevieve, an expert in mineralogy and chemistry. The second ship, Astrolabe has as chaplain Pere Claude Francois Joseph Receveur, a Conventual Franciscan friar, who had previously undertaken scientific missions for the Academie des Sciences in Paris.
Both ships entered Botany Bay on the morning of 26 January 1788, passing and exchanging courtesies with the vessels of the British First Fleet sailing out for Sydney Cove. The next day was Sunday when presumably the first Mass was said in Australia whether aboard a shipbot ashore where the French were to establish a fortified encampment.
On 17 February 1788, Pere Receveur died in mysterious circumstances that were not recounted to the British at Sydney Cove with whom the French enjoyed extremely cordial relations during their lenghty sojourn at Botany Bay.
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| Father Edward Black, District Superior of the Society of St Pius X in Australia and New Zealand chanting the absolution for the dead within the grave enclosure during the dourteenth annual Pere Receveur Commemoration on 17 February 2001 |
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| Pere Receveur's grave at Botany Bay, New South Wales |