Saint André Bessette was born in Quebec on August 9, 1845, as the eighth son of twelve children. Weakened by several illnesses from birth, he could not hold any job. He tried for many years to find work in the United States and, in the end, was forced to return to Quebec.
Though plagued with ill health, Alfred's faith in God was powerful, and he had a deep devotion to St. Joseph. On his return to his hometown, his childhood pastor encouraged him to consider religious life, and Alfred approached the Holy Cross order. It is said that the pastor's note to the Congregation said, "I am sending you a saint." Though initially rejected, he finally received entrance into the Holy Cross Novitiate on December 27, 1870, with the assistance of the Archbishop of Montreal.
Upon entering the Novitiate, Alfred took the name André. Due to his frail health and lack of formal education, he served as the doorkeeper of Notre Dame College in Montreal, where he greeted visitors and tended to their needs. Reports of his healing abilities spread, and many sought him out. Brother André attributed these cures to the intercession of St. Joseph and saved money to build a shrine, which opened on October 19, 1904. In 1909, he became the full-time caretaker of the Oratory of St. Joseph.
Many pilgrims visited the Oratory, and he patiently received all of them. Thousands of miraculous healings were attributed to his intercession in the following decades till his death on January 6, 1937. The Oratory eventually grew into a Basilica and became a major pilgrimage center. On October 17, 2010, St. André Bessette was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI, becoming the first saint from the Congregation of Holy Cross. At his canonization, Pope Benedict XVI remarked that Saint Andre "lived the beatitude of the pure of heart."
St. André Bessette, intercede for us to follow your example of prayer, love, and a special commitment to the poor and afflicted.
Prepared and updated by:
Jonathan Fabian Ginunggil,
Penampang, Sabah Malaysia.
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