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On December 8, 2020, Pope Francis invited us to a year dedicated to Saint Joseph.
We were astonished to discover, while browsing through the Annales de l’Oratoire Saint-Joseph that the year 1921 had also been consecrated to Saint Joseph by Pope Benedict XV. One hundred years to the day from the call of Pope Francis.
It is in the January 1921 issue of the Annales that we read a circular from the Archbishop of Montreal, Most Rev. Paul Bruchési.
He recalls that in July 1920, Pope Benedict XV announced that as of December 8 of the same year, the entire Church was invited to celebrate « by the whole Catholic world a solemn ceremony in honor of Saint Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary and patron of the Catholic Church, at a time and in a manner to be determined by each bishop” (1).
Portrait of Archbishop Paul Bruchési (1855-1939).
CADRG, 123-25_x
Portrait of Pope Benedict XV (1854-1922).
CADRG, 120-1
The Holy Father’s request was first made in the context of the 50th anniversary of the proclamation of Saint Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church (by Pope Pius IX on December 8, 1870).
Pope Benedict XV’s motu proprio Bonum Sane expresses the desire to entrust to Saint Joseph a world wounded by years of brutal war, encouraging a return to the values of work, family and prayer to Saint Joseph (2).
Recalling the devotion to Saint Joseph since the time of New France, Archbishop Bruchési took the opportunity to underline the extent to which the presence of the Oratory is “a great honor for our diocese […] to be the center of an already famous pilgrimage in honor of Saint Joseph.” This shows how much the work of the humble Brother André played a recognized role in the Montreal Church.
Portrait of Pope Pius IX (1792-1878).
CADRG, 120b-3
Archbishop Bruchési concludes his circular with a few requests. First, that the Fathers of the Congregation of the Holy Cross hold a triduum from December 5 to 7. Second, that each parish hold a prayer triduum in March. Bishop Bruchési also asked that the month of March be given “the greatest solemnity”: that Veni Creator be sung at each Mass and that each day an exercise of piety (an instruction, a pious reading, a liturgical chant) be performed in honor of Saint Joseph.
Throughout 1921, the Annales were the relay for Bishop Bruchési’s requests. Faithful to their mission, they published songs, instructions from Blessed Father Basile Moreau, founder of the Congregation of the Holy Cross, poems, historical studies on devotion in Canada, etc. The Annals of the Holy Cross were also published in 1921.
Finally, it should be noted that although a triduum in honor of Saint Joseph has been celebrated at the Oratory during the month of March since 1909, it is in this year dedicated to Saint Joseph in 1921 that a novena of thanksgiving is celebrated for the first time… A great tradition that is still being lived today, a century later. (3)
Celebration of Mass in honour of Saint Joseph in the Crypt Church of Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal.
Photograph attributed to Brother Denis, CSC.
CADRG, 45-1b
It has often been said that Saint Brother André was ignorant and that he could barely read and write. The reality is more complex. While he left behind very few writings, aside from some postcards to family members, he could certainly sign his name, and the few books found in his room after his death demonstrate his interest in pious readings. The fingerprints he left on certain passages of these books and the numerous intimate witnesses of his life confirm this. But what books are we talking about? Let’s discover them together.
Every year, on November 2nd, the Catholic Church invites us to a time of reflection and prayer to commemorate our deceased loved ones, commonly referred to as “All Souls’ Day.” This day is not merely a moment of remembrance ; it serves as a profound reminder of the unbreakable communion that binds us to our departed loved ones. It is not a sterile nostalgia focused on the past, but rather an authentic spiritual encounter, a mystical synergy with those who have already entered the beyond, in the unwavering hope of the resurrection promised by Christ.
In October 2024, quietly and without fanfare, Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal will celebrate 120 years of existence. When you think about it, it’s quite overwhelming: the sanctuary has endured an entire century! Almost a hundred years ago today, the chronicler of the magazine Les Annales de Saint-Joseph, Father Émile Deguire, c.s.c., took pleasure in reflecting on the twentieth year of the sanctuary’s activities.