His father, who was also born in Missouri, was of French descent; his mother was a native of County Kerry in Ireland.
He studied at Saint Meinrad Seminary and was ordained to the priesthood on September 24, 1892, for the Diocese of Vincennes, which later became the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.
He received his episcopal consecration on the following September 15 from Archbishop Diomede Falconio, with Bishops Denis O'Donaghue and Herman Alerding serving as co-consecrators.
Chartrand succeeded the late Francis Silas Chatard as the sixth Bishop of Indianapolis on September 7, 1918.
[1] He was initially buried in the crypt of Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral, but his remains were later transferred to the Calvary Chapel Mausoleum on June 8, 1976.