Born in Tours, now in Indre-et-Loire, Pallu was recruited by Alexander de Rhodes, SJ, as a secular clergy volunteer to become a missionary in Asia, together with Pierre Lambert de la Motte and Ignace Cotolendi.
[1][2][3]: 229–230 In 1658, Pallu became Bishop of Heliopolis, and Vicar apostolic of Tonkin (which consisted of northern Vietnam, Laos and five provinces of southwest China).
[3]: 232 He joined Lambert in the capital of Siam Ayutthaya after 24 months overland, but Mgr Cotolendi died upon arrival in India on 6 August 1662.
From 1667 to 1673, Pallu was in France, where he published an account of the French missions in Southeast Asia.
[7] In 1674, Pallu was sailing to his archdiocese in Tonkin, but met with a storm and had to land in Manila.