The year of Saint Honorat's birth is not known, it may be around 370.

Attracted by the ascetic life, Honorat went to Gaule where he met up with Christian communities, residing in Fréjus with Caprais. He decided to establish himself in the Lérins Islands around 410.

Honorat's praises were known throughout Gaule. When the Bishop of Arles died, he was appointed to that office which was the position of primacy in Gaule.
 

The year of Saint Honorat's birth is not known. One can arrive at a date thanks to Saint Hilary, from whom he was one generation away. This fact allows one to guess at a birth date around 370 A.D.

Honorat came from a wealthy aristocratic family. His family had endowments, but from early adolescence, Honorat felt the spiritual calling to lead a religious life. This attitude provoked the wrath of his father, who certainly counted on his son to continue his work.

His father tried to direct him away from a religious vocation while Honorat was still an adolescent, but the son battled against his family to impose his faith. His elder brother Venantius converted to Christianity as well, and together they practiced asceticism and hospitality to the poor.

Intrigued by the hermits of the East, in the company of a friend, the brothers undertook a voyage to the Orient to get to know that life. It is very difficult to know which countries they visited, but a few details are certain. Venantius died on the journey. Stricken with illness, Honorat went back to Italy.

Attracted by the ascetic life, Honorat went to Gaule where he met up with Christian communities, residing in Fréjus with Caprais. He decided to establish himself in the Lérins Islands around 410. Lérins is the smallest island of the archipel situated off the coast of Cannes. The establishment of a monastery was common practice in those days.

The island was uninhabitable, as it was without water and home to all sorts of wild animals, particularly snakes. Legend has it that when Honorat put his foot down on the island and pronounced his first prayer, the earth shook and the serpents all died.

                                                   
                                                   Credit Photo abbaye du Lérins

Thanks to fame of its founder, the monastery of Lérins underwent a rapid expansion. This was not the initial goal, so it was necessary to address this influx of people coming to join the monastery, and a solid organization was required to ensure the necessary serenity for monastic life.

Honorat became an ordained priest and community life revolved around its founder, the Father, the Spiritual Chief, who established authority based on love and respect. The brothers owed him obedience, which was one of the first virtues of the monks. The other virtues, forming an Order, were to be found in humility, an even temper, fraternal love, silence, fasting, mortifications, liturgical celebration and personal prayer.

Honorat's praises were known throughout Gaule. When the Bishop of Arles died, he was appointed to that office which was the position of primacy in Gaule. Knowing he was ill, he accepted the mission. Finding himself in a bishopric rich with treasures, he redistributed the wealth, keeping a bare minimum in Arles.

He pronounced his last sermon on the day of the Epiphany and he died in January 430. The funeral was held in the Cathedral of Arles. A dispute erupted over where to place his remains, and the crowd pulled off parts of his clothing to keep as relics. At first, the Lérins Islands only received bones. After much displacement, the entire remains were restored to the Lérins Islands in 1391.