Father Howard Chabot (Picture from the Eganville Leader, 31 July 2013)
Howard Leo Chabot
Priest, Diocese of Pembroke, Ontario. Ordained 1968. July 2013 charged with gross indecency and sexual assault – allegations date to 1985 when Father Chabot was Pastor at Holy Name of Jesus in Pembroke. Worked for over 20 years as chaplain with the Pembroke Police Service for nearly 20 years. Father Chabot also worked as a youth probation officer and Chaplain at the Pembroke jail.
According to media reports, he was educated in Toronto, Montreal, New Mexico and England.
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Next court date: 03 September 2013: Pembroke, Ontario courthouse
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Bishops of Pembroke Diocese from time of Father Howard Chabot’s ordination: Bishops of Pembroke Diocese: William Joseph Smith (19 May 1945 - 08 February 1971 ); Joseph Raymond Windle † (08 February 1971 - 05 May 1993); Brendan Michael O’Brien 0(5 May 1993 – 04 December 2000); Richard William Smith (27 Apr il2002 – 22 March 2007 ); Michael Mulhall (30 June 2007 –
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31 July 2013: Priest faces sexual assault charge (Eganville Leader – pdf file)
31 July 2013: “Pembroke priest charged in alleged 1985 sex assault” & related articles
31 July 2013: BLOG Of interest
30 July 2013: “Pembroke priest charged in alleged 1985 sex assault” & related articles
29 July 2013: BLOG Breaking news from Pembroke…
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Unless otherwise indicated the following info is drawn from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCD), the 1980 Ontario Catholic Directory (OCD80) and media (M)
July 2013: At age 71, charged with sexual assault and gross indecency (M)
was saying Mass in Deep River for a few Sundays while the parish priest was away (Blog)
22 June 2013: Father Howard Chabot says Mass for Dr. Wilbert Keon School grads at St Alphonsus Roman Catholic Church Chapeau Quebec
2013: Father Chabot: First Communion at St. Andrew’s School, Killaloe
June 2013: BC police turned investigation over to OPP (Ontario Provincial Police)
March 2013: investigation commenced in British Columbia after complaint to BC police (M)
2013: Westmeath, Ontario (M & P)
2012, 2011, 2010: address in Westmeath, Ontario (CCCD)
14 October 2010: Presenter at Adult Faith series, in St. Columbkille Cathedral Parish Hall, Pembroke. Topic: “The Gospel of Matthew” (listed as “retired priest”) Chabot October 2010 Presenter at Adult Faith Formation for the Diocese of Pembroke, Ontario
21 September 2010: Presenter at Adult Faith series, at St/ Lawrence O’Toole Parish in Barry’s Bay, Ontario. Topic: “The Gospel of Matthew” (listed as “retired priest”)
08-10 March 2010: Preaching a mission at Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Pembroke, Ontario (Pastor: Father Bill Kenney). From the parish bulletin:
OUR LADY OF LOURDES
LENTEN MISSION RETREAT
An invitation is extended to all parishioners to attend our parish mission on March 8, 9, and 10, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. and Daily Eucharist and Instruction on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday mornings at 10:30 a.m. with your mission team, Father Howard Chabot and Deacon Adrien Chaput.
08 March – 10 March 2009: Preaching a mission at Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Pembroke, Ontario (Pastor: Father Bill Kenney). From the parish bulletin:
OUR LADY OF LOURDES
LENTEN MISSION RETREAT
An invitation is extended to all parishioners to attend our parish mission on March 8, 9, and 10, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. and Daily Eucharist and Instruction on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday mornings at 10:30 a.m. with your mission team, Father Howard Chabot and Deacon Adrien Chaput.
Excerpt from report:
“Pauline Edmonds, police service board member, said the Pembroke Police chaplain volunteers his time and talents to assist police and the community.
“‘Our chaplain may be called upon to assist officers in conducting death notifications, provide counselling to victims and offer support and counselling to the police service members and their families,’ she said, and may also be called upon to offer religious ceremonies and prayers for special occasions and memorial services.
“‘People may not be aware of this, but our chaplains are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, providing outstanding service tot eh Pembroke Police Service and the community. They are an integral part of this police service,’ Ms. Edmonds said.”
2009 Annual Report Pembroke Police Service (Complete report)
07 June 2006: Father Chabot leads a one-day retreat session with the theme “Naming God” Adult (This was part of the Pembroke diocese Adult Faith Formation Course)
2002-2005: Pastor, Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church, Pembroke, Ontario. RETIRED in August 2005 because of heart problems (M)
- retired and living in Westmeath – info from message on St. Mary’s College site (Chabot 2005 St Marys College) I now believe that this is St. Mary’s Redemptorist College in Brockiville, Ontario, and that Father Chabot graduated with the Class of ’59.
2002: Pastor, Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church, Pembroke, Ontario (Father Daniel Miller at same address) (CCCD) (he was probably at OLL in 2001 as well? I don’t have a copy of the 2001 CCCD to check)
2000, 1999: Pastor at Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church, Pembroke, Ontario (CCCD)
1998, 1997, 1996, 1995: Pastor at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in La Passe and Our Lady of Grace Mission. Address in Westmeath, Ontario (CCCD)
1980-1994: Pastor at Holy Name Roman Catholic Church, Pembroke, Ontario (www_holynameparishpembroke_com_history_html)
- around 1989 became Chaplain for the Pembroke Police Service, a position which he held for the next 20 years (stepped down in 2009)
1980: address listed as c/o 295 Albert St., Arnprior. That is the address of St. John Chrysostom Roman Catholic Church, Arnprior, Ontario (with Fathers R.M.Tardiff, J.O. Affleck and Dan Miller. Father Tardiff was Pastor) (OCD80)
(I think it’s possible that this is around the time Father Chabot was working full-time as a probation officer? Can anyone confirm?)
The Church on the Hill: A History of St. John Chrysostom Parish 1857-1982 names all priests who served as assistants at St. John Chrysostom from 1905-1982. Father Chabot’s name is not on the list. Why was Father Chabot living in the rectory at this time? Does anyone know? Was he committed with some other diocesan duty which occupied him full-time? Whatever he was doing, did he assist with Masses and hearing confessions at St. John Chrysostom, at least on occasion?
1973-74, 1971-72: Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church, Petawawa, Ontario (Pastor Father F. M. Kennedy) (CCCD)
- contact for Catholic Social Services (with Father Tardiff) (CCCD)
-in charge of diocesan communication (CCCD)
- in charge of Adult Education for the Pembroke Diocese (CCCD)
07 May 1973: Father Howard Chabot guest speaker for World Day of Prayer service at St. Michael’s, Douglas The theme of his talk was “Alert in Our Time”
04 May 1968: ORDAINED by Bishop William Joseph Smith at St. John Chrysostom Roman Catholic Church in Arnprior, Ontario (M)
Date ?: Attended seminary at St. Augustine’s (Toronto) and at the Grand Seminary in Montreal (P)
Date ?: After his first year of university took time off and went to work for the Arnprior Chronicle-Guide (M)
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FATHER CHABOT CHARGED WITH GROSS INDECENCY AND SEXUAL ASSAULT
renfrewtoday.ca (also in Arnprior Today and My FM)
7/29/2013 4:46:37 PM
Yet another priest of the Pembroke Diocese has been charged with sexual misconduct. Today (Monday) the OPP have charged Father Howard Chabot with gross indecency and sexual assault for an alleged incident in 1985. At that time Father Chabot was serving at the Holy Name Parish in Pembroke. The Bishop of Pembroke, Michael Mulhall has said the diocese will offer its full co-operation to police and will offer support to everyone involved. This is only the latest in a series of charges levelled at priests who have served at the Pembroke Diocese.
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Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish celebrates 25 years
Arnprior EMC
Posted Sep 13, 2012 By EMC News
EMC news – Parishioners and friends of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Braeside gathered Sunday to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the dedication of the parish church that just recently witnessed a refurbishing of the interior.
The actual date of the dedication was June 7, 1987 but renovations this past spring led to holding the observance on Sept. 9.
During the course of the Mass of Thanksgiving, celebrated by Bishop Michael Mulhall, a new altarm crafted and constructed by John Smit of Dunrobin, was dedicated.
Bishop Mulhall suggested the dedication of an altar should instill in all present a greater dedication to living the teachings of the Gospel and commended the parishioners on their contribution to the wider community through the different activities within the parish.
At the conclusion of the Mass, the present Pastor, Father Robert Ryan, recognized some of the clergy and lay faithful who had been instrumental in the construction of the new Church, noting over the years one of the key points in the design was its accessibility.
The ease of access has allowed the church to be used by many different municipal and community organizations.
Fr. Ryan acknowledged the presence of a number of the priests assisting, including Fr. Howard Chabot, the first resident parish priest after a long period when priests from St. John Chrysostom Parish came to Braeside and Sand Point to celebrate Mass and provide Pastoral Care.
He also made special note of Fr. Joe O’Malley, who was Parish Priest at the time when the decision was made to purchase land on Dochart Street, and together with the building committee of the day, the parish council and the parishioners set about designing and seeing to completion the new parish church, hall and Rectory.
Fr. Ryan thanked all who had been instrumental in the most recent renovations, and also those who participate and are active in the life and worship of the parish community.
He also acknowledged that while dedicated to worship, the altar and the new ambo (lectern) had been given in loving memory of the late Michael Tremblay by his widow Jane Tremblay.
On behalf of the McNab-Braeside Council, Mayor Mary Campbell made a presentation extending congratulations to the Parish and appreciation for its presence within the Township.
A catered luncheon was held following in the parish hall, allowing parishioners and friends to reminisce on past events while looking forward to the future. A pictorial directory is also being prepared.
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