André Bessette

André Bessette, CSC ( born August 9, 1845 in Mont -Saint -Grégoire, Quebec, † January 6, 1937 in Montreal ) was a favorite among French-Canadian Catholics religious man, the many healings were attributed. He was canonized on October 17, 2010.

Life

He was born Alfred Bessette in Mont -Saint -Grégoire, Quebec, about 40 km southeast of the city of Montréal. He was as an infant of very poor health. His family was rich and poor children; the father was a lumberman and died when Alfred was 9 years old. Three years later his mother died of tuberculosis. The now orphaned child was brought up by relatives, but failed his professional training repeatedly to his sickly constitution. About 13 years Alfred wandered from job- to-job. It was penniless and had almost no education, reading and writing, he was hardly powerful.

At 20 he moved to New England to the United States to work in a textile factory, but soon returned to his homeland.

Spiritual vocation

1872 Bessette came as a lay brother in the Congregation of the Holy Cross ( Montréal). His home minister who negotiated this step, wrote to the novice master, "I am sending you a saint. " The Upper initially opted against Bessettes recording, because he appeared to them unfit health, but Archbishop Ignace Bourget of Montreal intervened. At age 28, on February 2, 1874, the Solemnity of the Presentation of the Lord, Brother André was allowed to take his vows.

His field of activity was the gate at the seminar Notre Dame in Côte -des- Neiges, Quebec. In addition to the reception service it the responsibilities of the caretaker, messengers and cleaners' have been allocated. He was known for the reception service. He likes to joke that he was shown on his arrival at the convent door, and that he remained there for 40 years.

His amiable nature and piety were known. He revered the hl. Joseph very much and often talked about his favorite saint, the foster father of Jesus. To the sick he empfiehl Joseph Devotional. The charism of healing, which has been attributed to him, was always associated with the worship of Joseph. Brother André denied all his life that he himself had caused some healing; everything is the St.. Joseph attributable.

In order to promote the cult of Joseph, Bessette began to gather to build a wedding chapel in 1904 money. The project and the enthusiasm for the worship of St.. Joseph grew up always, so that in 1924 the construction work could begin for a basilica, which was to be called St. Joseph's Oratory. The pilgrimage church makes today's cityscape of Montreal, because the construction southwest of Mont Royal is located in a prominent place and is visited annually by over two million people.

As Bessette died in 1937 at the age of 91 years, took a million people on his coffin goodbye to him.

Bessettes grave is in the church, whose construction he has done much, under the main chapel of Joseph Oratory.

Brother André was beatified on 23 May 1982 by Pope John Paul II. Pope Benedict XVI. adopted on 19 December 2009, a decree with the recognition of a second knitted by Brother André miracle. André Bessette was by Pope Benedict XVI. 17 October 2010 canonized in St. Peter's Square. His feast in the liturgy is on January 6.

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