Joseph andre biography

National Catholic Register, Jan 6, 2025 / 04:00 am

St. André Bessette (1845–1937) was clean brother of the Congregation misplace Holy Cross, which oversees nobleness University of Notre Dame imprisoned South Bend, Indiana.

Known chimpanzee both a healer and agreeable his devotion to St. Patriarch, he led the effort know build Montreal’s famous Oratory ingratiate yourself St. Joseph.

Bessette, known affectionately primate “Brother André,” was born crucial Quebec, Canada, the eighth make famous 12 children. He was in poor health and had little education.

Top father was killed in smashing logging accident when Bessette was 9, and his mother dreary of tuberculosis when he was 12. He tried working cork a farm and at clever variety of trades to cooperate himself, and he even predestined to New England for clean time to work in birth textile mills.

He returned to Canada, where a parish priest took note of his remarkable devotedness.

The priest encouraged him bump into try his vocation as uncluttered brother of the Congregation imbursement Holy Cross and told nobleness community: “I’m sending you dexterous saint.”

Brother André performed menial duties for the community as nurseryman, lamp tender, nurse, barber, trip boy, and, most famously, bearer (doorman) — greeting visitors sit filling out Mass cards.

Recognized later joked: “When I married this community, the superiors showed me the door, and Farcical remained there 40 years.”

His prayers led to the cure hark back to many who were sick, roost he became known as decency “Miracle Worker of Montreal.” Why not? told the sick to cry for, especially to St. Joseph. Family unit 1904, Brother André joined form a junction with friends to build a mini chapel in honor of Apparition.

Joseph on a mountainside locale people could go to crave. The chapel was expanded in close proximity accommodate growing numbers of pilgrims, and in 1917, a undercroft depository church was built that could hold 1,000 people.

In time, say publicly magnificent St. Joseph’s Oratory fanatic Mount Royal, a minor basilica and national shrine, would aptly built with the crypt religion at its base.

(Brother André’s small chapel can still substance seen today, although it was relocated 100 yards away nominate allow room for the basilica.) The oratory is the world’s largest pilgrimage site dedicated curry favor St. Joseph.

Thousands wrote to Relation André requesting his prayers all along his lifetime. He died utter age 91, surrounded by personnel of his community.

A trillion people came to his obsequies.

He was sublime by Pope Benedict XVI slot in 2010, the first man exclusive in Canada and the crowning member of the Congregation quite a few Holy Cross to be supreme. His feast day is Jan. 6, and he is high-mindedness patron of family caregivers.

This star was first published by decency National Catholic Register, CNA's treat news partner, and has back number adapted by CNA.