Saint Andre Bessette

Saint André Bessette (1845–1937), affectionately known as Brother André, was a humble Holy Cross brother whose extraordinary faith made him one of the most beloved figures in Canadian Catholic history. Born in Mont-Saint-Grégoire, Quebec, he grew up amid severe poverty and frail health, losing both parents by the age of twelve. His physical weakness made manual labor difficult, yet his spiritual strength became his defining gift. In 1870, André entered the Congregation of Holy Cross in Montreal, where he was assigned the simple role of porter at Notre-Dame College. Though overlooked by many, he became widely known for his compassion, quiet counsel, and unwavering devotion to St. Joseph. People soon sought him out for prayer, and countless individuals reported healings after André anointed them with oil from a chapel lamp and invoked St. Joseph’s intercession. Despite his lowly position, André carried a great spiritual mission. He dreamed of building a shrine in honor of St. Joseph—a dream that slowly grew, through decades of prayer and perseverance, into the magnificent Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal, now the largest shrine in the world dedicated to St. Joseph. Brother André spent his final years welcoming pilgrims, comforting the suffering, and pointing all hearts toward God through the example of St. Joseph.