St. Andre Bessette (1845-1937)

Feast Day: January 6
Canonized: October 17, 2010
Patron of family caregivers

Canada's First Male Saint

André Bessette, Canada’s first male saint, was a brother of the Congregation of the Holy Cross, which oversees Notre Dame University in South Bend, IN. He is known both as a healer, and for his devotion to St. Joseph; he led the effort to build Montreal’s famous Oratory of Saint Joseph.

André was born in Quebec, Canada, the eighth of 12 children. He was sickly, had little education, and was orphaned by age 12. He was quickly recognized for his piety, and his parish pastor sent him to try his vocation as a brother of the Congregation of the Holy Cross, telling them, “I’m sending you a saint.” He would become the community’s premier saint, and Canada’s first male saint.

Brother André performed menial duties for the community, most famously as porter (doorman), greeting visitors and filling out Mass cards. He later joked, “When I joined this community, the superiors showed me the door, and I remained there 40 years.”

His prayers led to the cure of many who were sick, and he became known as the Miracle Worker of Montreal. He told the sick to pray, especially to St. Joseph. Thousands wrote to him requesting prayers; upon his death over one million came to his funeral.