As noted on the page on Antoine Gagnon, the Ste-Luce parish marriage record indicates that he and his wife Hortense Dionne were granted a dispensation from having three banns of marriage announced, specifically, that after the first bann, the Vicar General of the Bishop of Quebec granted a dispensation.
One reason permitted by the Catholic Church for this kind of dispensation is the imminent onset of Lent, when marriages are not allowed to be performed.
From the online Catholic Encyclopedia article on "Banns of Marriage":
The Council of Trent allows the bishop to dispense with the publication of the banns, provided there be a sufficient reason [...] The vicar-general, vicar-capitular, and administrator of a diocese may also dispense from the banns. [...] The bishop may also allow the deans or the parish priests to dispense from one or two publications. [...] Dispensation from all the banns is regularly granted only for a very urgent reason; less weightily reasons suffice for a dispensation from two publications or from one. Among the reasons recognized by the law, other than that mentioned by the Council of Trent; are: notable difference of age, or condition of life; peril of the good name of either party; the approach of Advent or Lent, when marriage cannot be solemnized; notable temporal or spiritual detriment; imminent departure of the bride-groom; etc.
Easter in 1844 was on Sunday April 7. This means that Lent began on February 21 that year. It is therefore possible that, if the first bann was published on the Sunday before Feb.6 (which was a Tuesday in 1844), there would not have been sufficient time to publish two additional banns before Lent. I am unsure how much time that diocese required between banns at that time.
The "Messire Mailloux" referred to as having granted the dispensation was Rev. Alexis MAILLOUX (1801-1877), who in 1839 was named Vicar General of the Bishop of Quebec and curé of Ste-Anne-de-la-Pocatière.
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Last revised 25 Jan 2005