Search results
André Bessette, C.S.C. (born Alfred; 9 August 1845 – 6 January 1937), commonly known as Brother André (French: Frère André) and since his canonization as Saint André of Montreal, was a lay brother of the Congregation of Holy Cross and a significant figure of the Catholic Church among French-Canadians.
An act of love toward a person whose holiness is recognized by the Church, a gesture of reverence issuing from faith. LEARN MORE. Brother André, born Alfred Bessette, is one of the most popular Québecois of the 20th century. His reputation for holiness has influenced whole generations.
6 sty 2024 · St. André Bessette. An unlikely vocation. The superior of the Holy Cross Brothers in Montreal could not help but doubt the vocation of 25 year-old Alfred Bessette (1845-1937), who showed up at his door asking to enter religious life. The young man, orphaned at twelve, was desperately poor.
Assigned as full-time caretaker of Saint Joseph’s Oratory, Brother André leaves the Collège after almost 40 years of service. From 1909 to 1936, he greets thousands at his Oratory office, who come seeking hope, reassurance, or even healing. Death of Brother André at 91 years of age, at the hospital in Saint-Laurent.
Saint Brother André, born Alfred Bessette on August 8, 1845 in Saint-Grégoire d’Iberville, Quebec, was the eighth in a family of 12 children. His father died in a lumbering accident when André was only nine years old, and his mother died of tuberculosis three years later.
On October 17, 2010, St. André Bessette became first saint of the Congregation of Holy Cross when he was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI. On this day, the Church recognized that God chose a very simple man for a remarkable life of service to the Church.
St. André Bessette. Historico-Liturgical Note. This Holy Cross Brother, known as "Frere Andre," has been credited with thousands of cures. He was the founder of St. Joseph's Oratory in Montreal, Canada, perhaps the world's principal shrine in honor of St. Joseph.
