St. André Bessette

Feast Day: January 6

André Bessette did not look like someone the world would call important.

He was small, often sick, poorly educated, and had difficulty keeping steady work.

When he asked to join the Congregation of Holy Cross, even some of the religious doubted that he was strong enough to remain.

But André had something far more important than strength.

He had faith.

He became a religious brother and was given one of the humblest jobs in the community: answering the door at Notre Dame College in Montreal.

André later joked that when he entered the community, his superiors “showed him the door” — and he stayed there for years.

But people began coming to that door for more than directions.

They came because Brother André listened to them.

He prayed with the sick.

He comforted people who were suffering.

And again and again, he told them to trust in the intercession of St. Joseph.

Reports of remarkable healings began to spread.

Crowds came to see him, but André never wanted the attention for himself.

He insisted that any healing came from God through the prayers of St. Joseph.

The sickly orphan who once seemed too weak to accomplish much eventually helped inspire the building of one of the great shrines to St. Joseph in the world.

St. André Bessette, pray for us.

Who Was St. André Bessette?

St. André Bessette was born Alfred Bessette on August 9, 1845, near Montreal, Canada.

He came from a poor family and was one of twelve children.

His father died when Alfred was still a child, and his mother died a few years later.

He was left an orphan at a young age.

Alfred had little formal education and struggled with poor health throughout his life.

Because he was not physically strong, he moved from job to job, working wherever he could.

He spent time as a farmhand and factory worker and attempted several different kinds of manual labor.

Nothing seemed to suggest that he would one day become one of Canada’s most beloved saints.

Becoming Brother André

Alfred eventually sought admission to the Congregation of Holy Cross.

There were doubts about whether his weak health would allow him to live the demanding life of a religious brother.

But he was eventually accepted.

When he entered religious life, he took the name Brother André.

He was assigned to serve as porter, or doorkeeper, at Notre Dame College in Montreal.

It seemed like a small responsibility.

Brother André answered the door, welcomed visitors, delivered messages, cleaned, and performed other ordinary duties.

He would remain associated with that simple work for many years.

But his little doorway slowly became a place where suffering people came looking for hope.

His Great Devotion to St. Joseph

Brother André had an extraordinary devotion to St. Joseph, the foster father of Jesus.

When people came to him with illnesses or difficulties, André encouraged them to pray to St. Joseph.

He often prayed with them himself.

He would tell people to place their trust in God and ask for St. Joseph’s intercession.

Some people later reported that they had experienced remarkable recoveries after André prayed with them.

As news spread, more people began seeking him out.

Brother André never claimed to possess miraculous powers.

When someone credited him with a healing, he pointed instead to St. Joseph and to God.

He saw himself simply as an instrument.

Crowds Come to Brother André

Before long, the number of visitors became enormous.

The sick came.

The poor came.

People carrying grief, family problems, and spiritual struggles came.

Brother André spent hours listening to them and praying with them.

The attention sometimes caused controversy.

Some people doubted the reports surrounding him, while others worried about the growing crowds.

But Brother André continued doing what he had always done.

He listened.

He prayed.

And he directed people toward St. Joseph and Jesus Christ.

Building a Shrine to St. Joseph

Brother André dreamed of building a place dedicated to St. Joseph.

At first, the idea seemed almost impossible.

He had very little money and no position of worldly influence.

But André began collecting small donations.

Eventually, a small chapel dedicated to St. Joseph was built on Mount Royal in Montreal.

The devotion continued to grow, and so did the shrine.

That small chapel eventually developed into the magnificent Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal.

Today, the Oratory is one of the largest churches in Canada and a major place of Catholic pilgrimage.

Brother André did not live to see every part of the great basilica completed.

But the enormous shrine grew from the simple faith of a humble religious brother who wanted people to love St. Joseph.

A Saint Who Never Wanted Attention

As Brother André became famous, he continued to live simply.

He did not believe the attention belonged to him.

He repeatedly pointed people away from himself.

For André, St. Joseph was the great intercessor, and God was the source of every grace.

This humility is one of the most important parts of his story.

Thousands of people traveled to see him, yet he continued to think of himself as a simple servant.

His greatness came precisely from his willingness to remain small.

The Death of Brother André

Brother André died on January 6, 1937, at the age of ninety-one.

By then, he had become known far beyond his religious community.

Enormous crowds came to pay their respects after his death.

The sickly young man who once seemed incapable of accomplishing very much had touched the lives of countless people.

Pope Benedict XVI canonized Brother André on October 17, 2010.

The Church now honors him as St. André Bessette.

What St. André Bessette Teaches Us

St. André’s life teaches us that God does not measure people the way the world does.

André was not wealthy.

He was not highly educated.

He was not physically strong.

He did not hold an impressive position.

He answered a door.

But he performed that humble work with extraordinary faith.

And when suffering people came through that door, he treated them as people worthy of his time, compassion, and prayers.

His life reminds us that holiness does not require fame, talent, or worldly success.

God can do extraordinary things through someone who is humble enough to let Him work.

When Is the Feast of St. André Bessette?

The Catholic Church celebrates the feast of St. André Bessette on January 6 in the United States.

He is especially remembered for his humility, his care for the sick, and his deep devotion to St. Joseph.

Prayer Inspired by St. André Bessette

Lord Jesus Christ,

give us the humble faith of St. André Bessette.

Teach us not to measure our lives by success, recognition, or worldly importance.

Help us to serve You faithfully in the small duties placed before us each day.

Through the intercession of St. Joseph, strengthen those who are sick, comfort those who are suffering, and help us always to trust in Your providence.

St. André Bessette, pray for us. Amen.