Honorius CHABOT, OMI

Due to the temperament, habits, and manner of behaving of people, we can never find two persons who are absolutely alike. It’s the same for Oblates. When one of them seems to distinguish himself from the others we tend to say of him that he is original. This designation is without malice. It is merely to underline that in one aspect he stands out from the ordinary. We could say that he is unique in his kind. Father Honorius Chabot was one of these.

Model priest and religious
Honorius was born on January 13, 1881, at Saint-Constant, in Laprairie county. In 1900 he entered the Oblate Novitiate at Lachine. Six years later he was ordained to the priesthood in Ottawa. For sixty-two years he remained a model religious and a serious priest. His piety was sincere, and he had an overflowing zeal for the salvation of souls. He could adapt himself anywhere. His simple and familiar homilies were easily understood by every level of the population: children, adults, old people, the sick, the poor, the nuns. Even at the age of eighty-five he endeavored to respond to the spiritual needs of those who sought him in the confessional. Shortly before his death he used to say: “I don’t think of death, but of life” He wanted to live so as to better serve his brothers. “I will most gladly spend myself for your souls” could he say with Saint Paul.

Absent-minded on occasion
As absent-minded as Father Chabot! This was the proverbial saying among Oblates. Many times he was looking for his glasses when they were right on his nose. While pastor of Holy Family parish in Ottawa, he was living at St. Joseph Scholasticate, which was near the church. One day the phone rang and no one was answering. Father Cabot picked up the telephone and heard someone ask for the pastor of the church. Confusedly he replied: “One moment.” After walking away for a few steps to look for the pastor of Holy family, he suddenly realized: “But, that’s me!”

Father Donald Poulet, who was available for preaching on Sundays, had been asked to preach at the parish. Ten days ahead of time, he sent a well edited copy of his sermon to the pastor for his approval. Father Chabot accepted the text and read it twice. Two days later, absent-minded as usual, he preached this sermon almost word for word to his parishioners.

But the high point of his absent-mindedness was on the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament, when Father Chabot presided at a solemn procession through the streets of his parish, piously holding an empty monstrance… He had simply forgotten to insert the luna containing the Sacred Host!

Attentive pastor
All of these and many other distractions were due to his fixed ideas on various topics, inspired by certain newspaper articles. From among the major problems, which he was always ready to discuss with his confreres, we can mention immigration to Quebec, the return of French Canadians from New England, the rights of the French Language in Ontario, the possibility of raising Quebec’s mean temperature by a few degrees if only the ice at the headwaters of the Strait of Belle Isle were dammed…

These ideas, defended with conviction, along with his frequent absent-mindedness, made Father Chabot a one of his kind Oblate. However, they did not prevent him from being attentive to the needs of his parishioners, and earning their gratitude. Such was the case in the five successive parishes which he directed: Holy Family in Ottawa, Maniwaki, Cap-de-la-Madelaine, Kapuskasing, and Ville Marie. Father Chabot applied the same attention and devotion in dealing with the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary in Outremont, and the Sisters of Mercy in Montreal.

On June 12. 1968, his soul, rich in grace and full of merit, was rendered to God. No doubt Saint Peter opened wide the gates of heaven with kindly reassurance: “This is where you belong, Father Chabot, this isn’t a distraction… come on in.”

André DORVAL, OMI