André Bessette

 

 

Saint André Bessette, C.S.C.
Born	August 9, 1845
Died	January 6, 1937 (aged 91)
Honored in	Catholic Church
Canonized	October 17, 2010, Saint Peter's Square, Rome, by Pope Benedict XVI
Major shrine	Saint Joseph's Oratory Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Feast	January 6

Saint André Bessette, C.S.C., (French: Frère André; 9 August 1845 – 6 January 1937), born Alfred Bessette and since his canonization sometimes known as Saint André of Montreal, was a lay Brother of the Congregation of Holy Cross and a significant figure of the Roman Catholic Church among French-Canadians, credited with thousands of reported miraculous healings. He was declared venerable in 1978 and was beatified in 1982. Pope Benedict XVI approved sainthood for Blessed André on February 19, 2010, with the formal canonization taking place on October 17, 2010.

Early life

Alfred Bessette was born in Mont-Saint-Grégoire, Quebec (then Canada East), a small town situated 40 kilometres (25 mi) southeast of Montreal. He was so frail when he was born that the curé baptized him on an emergency basis and then conditionally the following day. He was from a working-class family; his father, Isaac Bessette, was a carpenter and lumberman and his mother, Clothilde Foisy Bessette, saw to the education of her ten children (two others died in infancy). In 1849, with employment scarce and his family living in poverty, Alfred's father decided to move to Farnham (in Quebec) where he hoped to earn a living as a lumberman. Tragically, he lost his life in an accident, crushed by a falling tree, when Alfred was only nine years old. His mother found herself widowed at the age of forty with ten children in her care. She died of tuberculosis within three years, and Alfred found himself orphaned at the age of twelve. Later Brother André would say, "I rarely prayed for my mother, but I often prayed to her."^{[citation needed]} He was sent to live with his mother's sister, Rosalie Nadeau, and her husband Timothée, who attempted to establish Alfred in various trades, but the boy's fragile health (which would afflict him throughout his life) made sustained manual labor difficult.^{[citation needed]} Since he obviously did not have a trade, Alfred began a thirteen-year odyssey wandering from job to job with few belongings and little education. He was barely able to write his name or to read his prayer book.^{[citation needed]} At various times he worked as a tinsmith, blacksmith, baker, shoemaker and wagon driver.^{[citation needed]}

From his earliest days, Alfred exhibited an unusually intense spirituality.^{[citation needed]} He would often spend his scant free time praying before a crucifix or evangelizing his friends, and his many self-imposed penances drew the admiring rebuke of his gentle aunt, who was concerned that the boy was endangering his already poor health.^{[citation needed]}

When he was 20 years old, Alfred joined many Canadians who were emigrating to the United States to work in a textile mill of New England, then operating at full output to supply the needs of the Union Army in the American Civil War.^{[citation needed]} Though his health was not robust, he worked doggedly. "Despite my limitations," he said, "There was no one who worked harder than me."^{[citation needed]} When the Canadian federation was formed in 1867, he returned to his native country. In 1904, he began the construction of a chapel dedicated to Saint Joseph on the slopes of Mount Royal in Montreal. From its humble beginning, Alfred oversaw the design and construction of Saint Joseph's Oratory one of the largest churches in Canada.

Call to devotion

Brother André (ca. 1920)

The pastor of his parish, the Rev. André Provençal, noticed the devotion and generosity of the young man. He decided to present Alfred to the Congregation of Holy Cross in Montreal, writing a note to the superior, "I'm sending you a saint." Although he was initially rejected by the order because of frail health, Archbishop Ignace Bourget of Montreal intervened on his behalf, and in 1872, Alfred was accepted, and entered the novitiate of the congregation, receiving the religious name of Brother André, by which he was known for the rest of his life. He made his final vows on February 2, 1874, at the age of 28.

André was given the task of porter at Notre Dame College in Côte-des-Neiges, Quebec. He fulfilled this function for some forty years while at the same time doing innumerable odd jobs for the community.^{[citation needed]} At the end of his life, he would joke that when he came, he was shown the door, and stayed for forty years. In addition to his duties as receptionist, his tasks included washing floors and windows, cleaning lamps, bringing in firewood and carrying messages.^{[citation needed]}

His great confidence in Saint Joseph inspired him to recommend this saint's devotion to all those who were afflicted in various ways. On his many visits to the sick in their homes, he would recommend them in prayer to St. Joseph, and would anoint them lightly with oil from the lamp in the college chapel which always burned before the St. Joseph altar.^{[citation needed]} People claimed that they had been cured through the prayers of the good Brother and Saint Joseph, and they were grateful their prayers had been heard. Brother André steadfastly refused to take any credit for these cures, and, although usually a gentle man, he was known to become enraged at those who suggested that he possessed any healing powers^{[citation needed]}. Because he wanted St. Joseph to be honored, in 1904 Bessette began the campaign to erect a chapel to honor the saint.

Brother André's reputation grew, and soon he was known as the miracle worker of Mount-Royal.^{[citation needed]} He had to face the attacks and the criticism of numerous adversaries.^{[citation needed]} He had the strong support, however, of the diocesan Church, and thousands of cures without apparent medical explanation made him the object of popular acclaim.^{[citation needed]}

In 1924 construction of a basilica named Saint Joseph's Oratory, began on the side of the mountain, near Bessette's chapel.^{[citation needed]}

Death and path to canonization

Statue of Brother André by Joseph-Émile Brunet on the grounds of St. Joseph's Oratory in Montreal, QC, Canada

Bessette died in 1937, at the age of 91. A million people filed past his coffin.

The remains of Bessette lie in the church he helped build. His body lies in a tomb built below the Oratory's Main Chapel, except for his heart, which is preserved in a reliquary in the same Oratory. The heart was stolen in March 1973, but recovered in December 1974.

Brother André was beatified by Pope John Paul II on May 23, 1982. The miracle cited in support of his beatification was the healing in 1958 of Giuseppe Carlo Audino, who suffered from cancer.^{[citation needed]} St. Andre is commemorated in most of the world by an optional memorial on January 6. His memorial is celebrated in Canada on January 7.

On December 19, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI promulgated a decree recognizing a second miracle at Blessed André's intercession. and on October 17, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI formally declared sainthood for him. Sainthood was also approved for Stanislaw Soltys, C.R.L., a 15th century Polish canon regular and Religious Sisters from various nations: Giulia Salzano, S.C.S.C.J., and Camilla Battista da Varano, O.S.C., (Italy); Candida Maria de Jesus Cipitria y Barriola, F.I., (Spain) and an Australian, Mother Mary MacKillop, S.O.S.J.

See also

• List of Catholic saints
• Roman Catholic saints of Canada

Bibliography

• Joel Schorn, God's Doorkeepers: Padre Pio, Solanus Casey and André Bessette: Servant Publications, (September 30, 2006), ISBN 978-0-86716-699-6
• Laurent Boucher, c.s.c., Brother André : the miracle man of Mount Royal: Montreal, 1997, 329 p.
• Lafrenière, Bernard, c.s.c., Brother André. According the Witnesses, Montreal, St.Joseph 's Oratory, 1997, 212 p.
• Henri-Paul Bergeron, Brother André, Apostle of Saint Joseph: Montreal 1958
• Katherine Burton, Brother André of Mount-Royal, USA: The Ave Maria press, 1942, 310 pages

Media

• Brother André still with us: Le Centre Saint-Pierre and Saint Joseph's Oratory of Mount-Royal, 2004 (1 DVD - 62 minutes)
• The Greatness and Beauty of Saint Joseph's Oratory of Mount Royal: Montreal, Les Productions de la Montagne and Saint Joseph's Oratory of Mount Royal, 1995 (1 DVD, color, 26 minutes)
• By Jean-Claude Labrecque: Brother André: Montreal, Les Productions de la Montagne, 1985 (Movie, on 1 DVD, color, 88 minutes)
• God’s Doorkeeper: St. André of Montreal, 2010

External links

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More spoken articles

• Daily mass on French from the Montreal Oratory Crypt of Brother Andre. Salt and LIght TV.
• Canonization of Brother André Bessette, C.S.C by Congregation of Holy Cross
• Saint André Bessette: Montreal’s Miracle Worker by Brother André Marie, M.I.C.M. — Popular hagiography at Catholicism.org.
• André, Brother — Short Biography at The Canadian Encyclopedia
• Blessed Brother André Bessette, C.S.C. — Short Biography on the Holy Cross Brothers site.
• Ancestors of Brother André (in French)
• Building a shrine to St. Joseph (Radio clip: Sept. 12, 1972 — 4:16)
• A pilgrim's tour (Radio clip: March 28, 1957 — 6:10)
• The miracle man (Television clip - the audio only now avalaible: Aug. 8, 1967 — 10:45)
• The case for sainthood (Television clip: Sept. 12, 1978 — 18:21); Reporter: Adrienne Clarkson
• The beatification of Brother André (Television clip: May 23, 1982 — 2:21)
• Newsreel footage: funeral of Brother André (Television - silent clip: Jan. 12, 1937 — 4:37);
  "Thousands line up to pay their respects after Brother André dies. (true silent film)"
• Long road to canonization (Radio clip: April 18, 1958 — 5:47)
• Remembering the man behind the miracles (Television clip: May 23, 1982 — 2:40)
  "A priest [Bill McGinnis] who worked with Brother André shares his memories."
• Millennium on the mountain (Television clip: Dec. 17, 1999 — 3:06); Reporter: Patty Kim;
  "St. Joseph's Oratory hosts a multicultural celebration for the year 2000."
• A century at the Oratory (Television clip: Oct. 19, 2004 — 2:32)
• Knights of Columbus article on Brother André
• Homily preached by Pope Benedict XVI at the canonization ceremony in October 2010

Stages of canonization in the Catholic Church
Servant of God   →   Venerable   →   Blessed   →   Saint