Ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 1894, Roy received a doctorate from Laval University in Quebec that same year and later pursued studies at the Catholic Institute of Paris and at the Sorbonne. He taught French literature at Laval University (1895–98, 1901–27) and became a professor of Canadian literature. His many significant studies are based on the premise that the purpose of Canadian literature is to preserve the Christian heritage of 18th-century France while remaining untouched by contemporary French influence. These works include Nos Origines littéraires (1909; “Our Literary Origins”) and the standard text Manuel d'histoire de la littérature canadienne-française (1918; 10th ed., 1945; “Handbook of the History of French-Canadian Literature”). He also helped found the Société du Parler Français (Society for Speaking French).