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January 6, 2021  marks the 84^th anniversary of the death of Saint Brother André (January 6, 1937).

In the days – if not hours – following Brother André’s death, a significant amount of letters, telegrams and cards of sympathy arrived at the monastery’s post office. A brief inventory of this correspondence is made in the wake of the opening of the trial for Brother André’s canonization in 1940, and lists more than 700 letters of sympathy.

Two years ago, while I was looking for the archives of the Cause’s Office, I came across a small brown suitcase with the inscription “Cause of Brother André”. I thought I had stumbled upon one of the suitcases used to transport documents to Rome. When I opened it, I was surprised to find an old slide projector instead! I thought, “What have I stumbled upon again? It was only some time later, while working on other archives of the Cause, that I was able to put the pieces of this puzzle back together.

A newborn baby is always a source of wonder to family and friends. A new life is full of mystery, full of future, full of hope too. Everyone has their say in what that child will be like. And as the child grows, as his or her personality takes shape, the child will be referred to as “like father, like son” if it is a boy. In Jesus’ day, when talking about him, people used to say, “Isn’t he the son of Joseph the carpenter? »

The Roland-Gauthier Archives and Documentation Centre has 245 documents about Brother André. Of these, 119 are biographies, sometimes in 2 copies, written by about forty different authors (including translations).

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Father Michael DeLaney, CSC, as Rector of Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal, succeeding Father Claude Grou, CSC, who has held this position with fervour and dedication for the past 15 years.

The Archbishops of Montreal had a role to play throughout the steps leading up to the canonization of Saint Brother André. Some were prominent players while others were more discreet. Here is an outline of the history of their participation in the canonization.

On October 30, 2010, the canonization of Saint Brother André was celebrated with a Mass of Thanksgiving at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal. This is the second time in 30 years that the Stadium has hosted an event concerning Brother André: the first event took place on June 20, 1982 on the occasion of Brother André’s beatification. Archbishop Paul Grégoire, Archbishop of Montreal, gave the homily for the occasion.

Mass on October 30, 2010 at the Olympic Stadium

A Significant Event that Marked My Life and that of the Congregation Of Holy Cross

On October 30, at the Olympic Stadium, there were many of us from the Holy Cross family, gathered with more than 40,000 people to give thanks to God for having given us this exceptional man, Brother André. He is the first member of our religious community and the first man born in the country to be declared a saint for the whole world.

As soon as Brother André died, many pious images were produced and distributed by the Oratory. They are usually wallet-sized images with a representation of Brother André on one side and a prayer text on the back. The inscriptions on the back of these images give them great interest.

That’s it, fall is already well established. Due to the closing of the museums, I invite you in this blog to discover our heritage in a completely different way. Let’s get outside the walls of the Oratory and discover a place out of the ordinary in the great outdoors.

I have been employed at Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal for a little over five years. I was not at the Oratory at the time of Brother André’s canonization. I wasn’t even in Montreal. Although I remember where I was and what I was doing in October 2010, to tell the truth, I knew very little about the man Pope Benedict XVI had just canonized.

Since October 17, 2010, Brother André has been recognized as a Saint by the Catholic Church, 73 years after his death. This recognition is the fruit of a long work accomplished by what was then the Office for the Cause of Brother André. Since my arrival at the Oratory in 2017, I have processed the archives of this office. This blog post presents the process that led to Brother André’s canonization.