St. Andre' BessetteAlfred Bessett was born on August 9, 1845 near Montreal Canada, in Mont St. Gregoire. He was expected to die right after he was born and was quickly baptized, but God still had many other things for this baby to accomplish. Alfred was the 8th child born into his family at a time where many children worked and received little education. His family had a deep faith in God and a special devotion to the Holy Family. Alfred suffered from poor health and chronic stomach problems throughout his childhood, and was given special attention by his loving mother.
When Alfred was ten, his father was killed accidently after struck by a falling tree. The boy then turned to St. Joseph, who became a very special collaborator throughout the rest of Alfred's life. Three years after his father died, young Alfred was orphaned following the death of his mother. Alfred later said, "I prayed very little for my mother after her death, but I prayed to her a lot."
The boy then went to live with his aunt. Having to work to survive meant that he could not attend school. He tried different jobs including tinsmith, baker, farmhand, apprentice shoemaker, and blacksmith, but experienced little success, for this future saint was meant to do something else for God.
As a result of his chronic illness, Alfred was a person of small stature and at times, others made fun of him. At the time, physical strength was vital for survival, and so his size was quite a disadvantage in the eyes of the world, but not through God's eyes.
Lacking the strength to perform manual labor, Alfred ended up traveling to the United States to find work in factories and sought the intercession of St. Joseph when in need of a job. He worked in New Hampshire, Vermont, and also Connecticut, where he worked at a mill.
In 1867, 22 year-old Alfred returned to Canada and was reunited with Fr. Andre Provencal, his former catechism teacher. Fr. Andre brought Alfred to the Fathers of Holy Cross and pronounced, "I bring you a saint." Alfred later remarked, "When I entered Holy Cross they showed me the door, and I stayed there all my life. "
In 1870, Alfred entered the congregation of Holy Cross. He was 25 years old. That same year, St. Joseph was proclaimed the patron of the universal church by Pope Pius IX. Religious life was rigorous, and Alfred excelled at praying. He changed his name to Brother Andre, in honor of his mentor, and spent forty years as porter of Notre Dame. Brother Andre was well known for his great faith and kindness to people.
He is not remembered for intellectual accomplishments, but rather as someone who welcomed people, brought Jesus to them, and as a result they left feeling valued, loved, understood, and hopeful. Brother Andre truly lived in imitation of Christ by dedicating his life to serving humanity face-to-face and through prayer. He was able to accomplish much for the greater glory of the Blessed Trinity and for eternal souls loved and valued by God beyond measure because he believed that with God, all things are possible.
Word spread about Brother Andre following the miraculous healing of a man, and he became known as the "Miracle Man of Montreal." Wednesday was the day of the sick in Montreal, and Brother Andre would walk among the sick treating them with kindness and concern. For those who sought physical healing, Alfred encouraged people to use oil that had been burned in front of a statue of St. Joseph, or medals of St. Joseph, and encouraged people to pray novenas.
Brother Andre gave credit for all things to God, through St. Joseph's intercession. Many people were converted through his cooperation with God's will. Not every person who sought his help received physical healing, but no one seeking eternal salvation would be denied it. He would say to those who were not granted physical healing, "Accept sickness. God will have an eternity to console you."
People came to see Brother Andre by the hundreds. Sometimes he saw 40 to 50 people an hour. A sign on his door said, "Be Brief."
In addition to ministering to so many people each day despite his poor health, Brother Andre faced some other challenges. The parents of students complained because he received sick people at the school their children attended. The congregation also had to deal with the dynamics of having so many people come to see Brother Andre while addressing the concerns of their students' parents.
When Brother Andre was 60 years old, he accepted the task of overseeing the construction of the world's largest shrine to St. Joseph right there on the hill visible from the window of his room. St. Joseph wanted a place for people to go and worship God there on that hill in Montreal. The Congregation of Holy Cross bought land on the hill, and allowed Brother Andre to build a small chapel on it. He saved money cutting students' hair, and in 1904 the first chapel was built on the site. The chapel was then expanded to accommodate 100 people and the next week, seven thousand people came.
There was no money for a larger structure, but people who had come to see Brother Andre and became his friends donated, and a larger chapel was built. He moved into the oratory and would see people for most of the day, or he visited the sick. He slept only 1-2 hours a night, if at all, and remarked that when thinking of the people who came to visit him during the day, he felt compelled to pray for them during the night.
At the onset of World War I, construction on the larger church as we know it today stopped. The war was followed by the Great Depression, but Brother Andre was not worried. He called for a procession that included a statue of St. Joseph, and then suggested the statue be placed between the four walls of the partially build structure. He said that St. Joseph wanted to cover himself, then St. Joesph would provide.
He would visit the construction site before Mass, and knew that he would not live to see it completed during his lifetime. This did not bother him and as he explained to people, the church was St. Joseph's project. He referred to himself St. Joseph's "puppy."
The many hardships and difficulties St. Andre experienced helped him relate to people. He understand their trials and suffering, and understood that our suffering can draw us into closer union with God. He was known to weep when recounting the Passion of Christ. He died on January 6, 1937, at the age of 91. More than one million people attended the funeral of this humble servant of God. He was beatified in Rome 45 years later, and was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI on October 17, 2010.
St. Andre is the first male Canadian-born saint and the first saint of the Congregation of Holy Cross. He is an intercessor for you and for me as well, so be sure to befriend "The Miracle Man of Montreal" and ask for his help living in imitation of Christ.
Live as he did, and make your life a miracle.
God is at work in you!
Be sure to see God's Doorkeeper: St. Andre' of Montrealhttp://www.ignatius.com/Products/GDO-M/gods-doorkeeper.aspx
From the film:
On January 6, 1937, the death of a humble doorkeeper for a boys' college drew over a million people to Montreal for his funeral. For 40 years, Brother André Bessette of the Congregation of Holy Cross welcomed people at the door and became known as a miraculous healer. God's Doorkeeper looks at the heart and legacy of Brother André -as a man of prayer, of hospitality, and of compassion; a man who draws people in to experience a God who is love. On October 17, 2010, Brother André became the first male Canadian-born saint and the first saint for the Congregation of Holy Cross. He is living proof that "it is with the smallest brushes that the divine artist paints the most beautiful pictures." The film features interviews from Montreal, Rome, and the United States-with people who knew him and others who continue Brother André's work today. It also includes footage of the Beatification and Canonization ceremonies in Rome and the celebrations in Canada, with footage of the unforgettable events of Brother André's road to sainthood.
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Sources:
God's Doorkeeper: St. Andre' of Montreal.
On January 6, 1937, the death of a humble doorkeeper for a boys' college drew over a million people to Montreal for his funeral. For 40 years, Brother André Bessette of the Congregation of Holy Cross welcomed people at the door and became known as a miraculous healer. God's Doorkeeper looks at the heart and legacy of Brother André -as a man of prayer, of hospitality, and of compassion; a man who draws people in to experience a God who is love. On October 17, 2010, Brother André became the first male Canadian-born saint and the first saint for the Congregation of Holy Cross. He is living proof that "it is with the smallest brushes that the divine artist paints the most beautiful pictures." The film features interviews from Montreal, Rome, and the United States-with people who knew him and others who continue Brother André's work today. It also includes footage of the Beatification and Canonization ceremonies in Rome and the celebrations in Canada, with footage of the unforgettable events of Brother André's road to sainthood.
______________________Sources:
God's Doorkeeper: St. Andre' of Montreal.