Saint Andre Bessette
Saint and wonder-worker

When Alfred Bessette was born, he was so frail that his parish priest immediately baptized him. The priest thought that it was possible that little Alfred would not live long enough to be baptized in the church.  Only God knew that this frail baby would grow up to be a hard worker, a humble religious and a saint. 

Alfred was born in a small town southeast off Montreal, Canada.  He was the ninth of 13 children. His father was a carpenter and lumberman while his mother educated the children. In 1849, Alfred's father decided to move to Farnham, Quebec. The family was very poor and he hoped that he would find a job as a lumberman and improve the standard of living for his family.   When Alfred was nine years old his father was killed in a tragic accident .  While working as a lumberjack, he was crushed by a falling tree.  Three years later, Alfred’s mother died of tuberculosis.  By the age of twelve, Alfred had lost both his parents.  The children were sent to various relatives.  Alfred, who had little formal education, went to work at various jobs.

Alfred was never a strong man and he was initially rejected by the Congregation of the Holy Cross when he applied to enter the community.  His parish priest wrote a note to the superior of the Congregation stating “I’m sending you a saint.” Archbishop Ignace Bourget of Montreal intervened and in 1872, Alfred was accepted and received the name of Brother André. He made his final vows on February 2, 1874.

Brother André was given the task of porter at Notre Dame College in Quebec.  He was also given additional duties as sacristan, laundry worker and messenger. The people who came to the college soon  discovered that Brother Andre was a good listener and they began coming to him with their various problems.  He had great devotion and confidence in Saint Joseph and would recommend praying to St. Joseph to those who came to him with their afflictions and sorrows. He would rub sick people with oil taken from a lamp that burned in front of the Statue of St. Joseph in the college chapel.  People experienced healing after Brother Andre prayed for them. Brother Andre refused to take credit for the cures, giving all the honor to St. Joseph.  In 1904, he began to collect money to erect a chapel in honor of St. Joseph on a hill across the street from the college.

The Oratory of St. Joseph began as a small chapel on the side of the hill. It quickly became a pilgrimage site and the crowds grew in number. In 1917, a larger church was built that was able to seat 1,000 pilgrims. In 1924, the Congregation of the Holy Cross and Bother Andre began to build a large basilica which was finally completed in 1967. In the crypt church of the Oratory there are displayed thousands of crutches from the many people who were healed.

When Brother Andre died in 1937, at the age of 91, it was reported that a million people filed past his coffin. His body lies in the Basilica that he helped to build.  Brother André was beatified by Pope John Paul II on May 23, 1982 and canonized by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010.