Page 28 - Michael Journal March 2020

A Canadian Bishop named Venerable

Most Rev. Ovide Charlebois (1862-1933)

Most Rev. Ovide Charlebois, pointed its first Bishop and was
the first bishop of what is now consecrated a few months fol-
the Archdiocese of Keewatin-Le lowing in L’Assumption, Quebec
Pas, Manitoba, was given the by Archbishop Adelard Langevin
title “Venerable” on November of Saint-Boniface, Manitoba. The
28, 2019 by Pope Francis. The new Apostolic Vicariate includ-
designation signifies that he ed northern Saskatchewan and
lived the heroic virtues of faith, Manitoba, and extended from
hope and charity. If it can be de- the 53rd parallel to the North
termined that a miracle occured Pole.
due to his intercession, the next Of all the Apostolic Vicar-
step for the Vatican will be to de- iates existing at the time, it was
clare him “Blessed”. certainly the one whose ad-
Ovide Charlebois was the ministration and provisioning
7th of 14 children born in Oka, proved to be the most difficult.
Quebec to Hyacinthe Charlebois Portage from one watercourse
and Émérence Chartier. Four of to another was the method for
his brothers would also become transporting luggage, supplies
priests. He received his basic and the travelling bishop!
education outside present-day Bishop Charlebois estab-
Montreal in Sainte Marguerite- lished his episcopal residence in
du-Luc-Masson where his family The Pas, Manitoba, in a 14 x 14
moved soon after his birth. feet log cabin. Life was not easier because he was a
In 1882, at the age of 20, Ovide followed sev- Bishop. Even though Bishop Charlebois would call
eral of his brilliant peers and joined the Oblates of The Pas his home for the rest of his life, much of
Mary Immaculate (OMI) with whom he would begin the time he was not there; he was traveling in the
a missionary life in Western Canada. wilderness.
Archbishop Vital Grandin, OMI, who was de- The twenty-three years of his episcopate saw
clared Venerable in 1966 and was Bishop of what is him travel constantly in pursuit of “his sheep”; he
now Edmonton Alberta (the diocese of Saint-Albert, founded new missions and visited them two or
at the time), attracted young priests to the region three times each year. Part of his sacrifice was to
because of his holiness. Ovide was ordained by travel without respite. In 1911, he recounted with
Bishop Grandon on July 17, 1887 and assumed a simplicity his first episcopal tour, in a style that re-
role as a missionary in the diocese. minds us of the Epistles of Saint Paul:
The young priest’s first assignment was the new “I covered 2000 miles (3200 km.) by canoe and
Mission Saint-Joseph, at Fort Cumberland, Sas- 50 miles (80 km.) on foot through the forest. I slept
katchewan. He regularly travelled to surrounding on the ground 60 times, under the protection of
posts, often 100 miles away. Such isolation was to the small tent in which I celebrated Mass so often.
last 16 long years, during which Father Ovide only I visited 14 missions, totaling 4500 Catholics. Six of
saw colleagues occasionally. Father Ovide had pre- these missions had never been visited by a bishop.
viously expressed his concerns about being isolated I confirmed 1100 Amerindians whose fine dispos-
in a far removed location. During the next four years itions greatly edified me.”
in such a remote outpost, he would spend only one He made similar voyages tens of times. Accord-
and a half months with a fellow Oblate of Mary. Of ing to his estimates, during the winter of 1900-1901,
all the miseries of mission life, we believe that loneli- he travelled some 3,000 miles on snowshoes and
ness was the most difficult for his loving heart. dog sleds, and camped 35 times in the snow.
On March 4, 1910, Rome established the Apos- One cannot doubt Father Charlebois’ affection
tolic Vicariate of Keewatin (meaning “north wind for the children and adults of the First Nations of
blowing”). On August 8, Ovide Charlebois was ap-

30 MICHAEL January/February 2020 www.michaeljournal.org