The Life of the humble Brother André (1845–1937)
Born Alfred Bessette, he was an orphaned, sickly child with little education. He worked as a laborer in Quebec and New England before joining the Congregation of Holy Cross.
For nearly 40 years, his official job was the porter (doorkeeper) at Notre Dame College. He famously said, “At the end of my novitiate, my superiors showed me the door, and I stayed there.”
Saint André is a saint for today because his struggles in the 20th century—illness, lack of professional status, and humble work—resonate with contemporary life, and his devotions are a great example to anyone.
Devotion to Saint Joseph
Brother André is credited with spreading a massive revival of devotion to Saint Joseph. He viewed Joseph as a companion for the suffering and a model of quiet strength.
He used the oil of Saint Joseph from a lamp burning before the saint’s statue as a sign of faith when praying for the sick, leading to thousands of miraculous healings.
The Founding of the Oratory
Brother André’s simple dream was to build a small shrine to Saint Joseph on Mount Royal, and it evolved into the world’s largest sanctuary dedicated to the saint.
In 1904, he and his friends built the original tiny chapel (oratory) on the mountainside, and not too long after, the large Oratory was built and is continually being visited and expanded to this day.
Message of Compassion and Hospitality
St. André was welcoming to the suffering. He spent hours every day listening to the sick and heartbroken, offering them hope and a listening heart. His brotherly love positioned him as a bridge between the human and the divine, emphasizing that God works through the “weak and the lowly.”
(Source: St. Joseph’s Oratory)
Saint Brother André, day after day, you knew how to welcome
with love and compassion the people who came to you to share
their sufferings. You knew the fatigue of those long hours
devoted to the service of others.
Who, better than you, could understand the fatigue of women
and men who devote themselves day after day to the service
of a loved one marked by illness.
Who, better than you, could commune with the suffering
of the sick and their joy of having someone close to them
ready to help them day after day.
You, who are the patron saint of caregivers, help us to find
the strength to love the people we care for and the joy
to welcome their love.
With you, we bring our joys and sufferings to the foot of the Lord.
With you, we entrust ourselves to Saint Joseph and to the Virgin Mary.
With you, we turn to God our Father, source of all grace and good.
Amen.
Saint André of Montreal, pray for us!
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