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It’s party time at the Oratory! It’s already been 10 years since Brother André was canonized. What cherished memories and what an awareness of the extraordinary heritage that Saint Brother André left us when reading the many testimonies even now received from all over. Brother André is still alive and close. All his friends are celebrating.
Canonization of Brother André, October 2010. Photo credit: Charles McBride
“Brother André has died leaving behind a reputation of saintliness,” wrote Father Albert Cousineau, CSC in 1949, during the beatification process. “I’ve heard a huge number of the faithful speak highly of the holiness of Brother André: priests, religious, bishops, professionals, workers, whether from Canada or from different parts of the United States, from France, Italy, England, South America, Egypt, Palestine, and India.” And since that time the list has only grown longer.
Everyone who approached him recognized in him a man of God, a remarkable man of prayer. Despite the many overwhelming concerns, God was always foremost in his soul. Completely at God’s service, he was chosen by God, like Joseph, to do extraordinary things. In the days after his death, people filed day and night past his bier. Day and night, five priests were needed for those faithful who wanted to welcome within themselves the sign of the Father’s mercy and love in the Sacrament of Forgiveness. And so, Brother André was still at work. When you came into contact with him, the love of God broke in, exerted a pull; for each one he became the breath of life, the strength of God. Even today, his presence comforts us, heals our wounds and fills us with peace and hope.
The song written by Robert Lebel, and dedicated to Brother André, reminds us: “Simple, poor, humble Brother André… You were the one for whom no barrier could hide the great beyond… For you, there was but a veil of prayer between God and your faith, between a son and a Father… Up high on the mountain, unendingly your faith guides us.”
Jean-Pierre Aumont, CSC
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.