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Brother Andre
French
Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 1, 2018
In my many visits to Lachine, Canada to visit my grandparents on my mom’s side, my parents always made it a point to stop off at St. Joseph’s Oratory on Mount Royal in Montreal. While my family was always more spiritual in nature rather than religious and not even Catholic, for that matter, they were always drawn to Brother André and that huge fortress of prayer, contemplation and intercession. And year after year, it became a family tradition. We would light a candle, pray, roam about and be united to all the other people who were there. There was peace, continuity and community. And that essence, that spirit, was palpable. It was transformative in the best way possible.
In the crypt room where Brother André lies in repose, there is a guestbook on a wooden stand or shelf in the small circular rotunda like the capitol letter C where people from all backgrounds and nationalities write down their prayer intentions; then they move forward to the black marble sepulcher where on it is written: ITE AD JOSEPH — GO TO JOSEPH! People kneel, pray to Jesus through St. Joseph and Brother André, hope and are strengthened. And then they head out of the crypt area and into the votive candle room where the candle light peacefully flickers and the vibe strongly penetrates. Adorned on all the grayish-blue brick walls are glass cases containing photos, relics and memorabilia with placards that tell the simple story of this ordinary yet extraordinary man. And with all that, there is still so much to learn.
To better understand the life of St. Brother André Bessette, I highly recommend Fr. Dubuc’s incisive biography: Brother André: Friend of the Suffering, Apostle of Saint Joseph. Brother André was truly one of God’s little one’s, a misfit by society’s standards, because he was deemed incapable of doing anything of any substantial value. He was short in stature, weak in strength, frail and sickly, and that caused him to be kept at the side of his nurturing mother, a woman of simple yet profound faith who taught him to look beyond his limitations and have faith in God, especially in St. Joseph, the husband of Mary and the stepfather to our Lord Jesus. Brother André experienced terrible losses early in his life, more than a youth should ever have to experience. But ingrained in him was a devotion to the Holy Family, a family trinity that would never leave him, despite the hardships that would and did come his way. More often, they bore him up when it would have been easier for him to look down in defeat, loss and hopelessness.
Still very young, he was forced to look for work and subsist on whatever food was given to him, no matter how meager or unpleasant it might have been. He traversed many towns and villages-from Canada to the United States-to find work. And when he did find employment, it was never long lasting due to his physical frailty and the limitation of his schooling. But in the background of his life was always St. Joseph: A worker, a strong man, a devout man of faith, a non-complainer, a steady guy who just persevered. Those are wonderful attributes, and it is understandable, from a human perspective, why Brother André latched onto him, for where I am lacking in those qualities, St. Joseph is indeed a wonderful example to emulate. But with that aside, there was something more, a supernatural friendship that ushered in an etherial transcendence, and anyone who was close to him could sense it quite keenly. It was holiness. And it would lead him from the mill towns of New Hampshire and other places to the Congregation of Holy Cross in Montreal.
When he was sent to the school, he was sent with a note or reference attesting to his holiness. And while his superiors were initially dubious about him and what he could offer, they took him in anyway. While at the school, he acted as a porter and greeted people and did simple tasks, but it was his approach to his work and the way he was with the people who came to the collage where his holy luminosity became more evident. It got to the point where folks just wanted to see and hear him, because his life and outlook on all matters, both good and bad, were so Gospel oriented and focused. Yet, that focus was pragmatic, down-to-earth, simple, applicable for day-to-day life. Above all, it was his humility. He hated all the attention that he got and could even be gruff as a result of it all . He worked his whole life to redirect the attention to Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary and above all his friend, St. Joseph. And it was his inspirations and gentle prodding that led to the construction of the oratory. Most compelling, too, was his use of St. Joseph’s oil and the healing phenomena that surrounded him - in life and in death.
Fr. Dubuc’s excellent book explores the many nuances of Brother André’s life: his travels, his prayer life, his humor, his unending availability to all who sought him out, his friends, his struggles. He is such a relatable saint. And this biography addresses so many aspects of not only his life but also the life of Canada as well. Some great documentaries to watch on St. Brother André would be: Bob and Penny Lord’s Brother André: Miracle Worker, the film, Brother André by Jean-Claude Labrecque and God’s Doorkeeper: St. André of Montreal by Salt + Light Television.
In the crypt room where Brother André lies in repose, there is a guestbook on a wooden stand or shelf in the small circular rotunda like the capitol letter C where people from all backgrounds and nationalities write down their prayer intentions; then they move forward to the black marble sepulcher where on it is written: ITE AD JOSEPH — GO TO JOSEPH! People kneel, pray to Jesus through St. Joseph and Brother André, hope and are strengthened. And then they head out of the crypt area and into the votive candle room where the candle light peacefully flickers and the vibe strongly penetrates. Adorned on all the grayish-blue brick walls are glass cases containing photos, relics and memorabilia with placards that tell the simple story of this ordinary yet extraordinary man. And with all that, there is still so much to learn.
To better understand the life of St. Brother André Bessette, I highly recommend Fr. Dubuc’s incisive biography: Brother André: Friend of the Suffering, Apostle of Saint Joseph. Brother André was truly one of God’s little one’s, a misfit by society’s standards, because he was deemed incapable of doing anything of any substantial value. He was short in stature, weak in strength, frail and sickly, and that caused him to be kept at the side of his nurturing mother, a woman of simple yet profound faith who taught him to look beyond his limitations and have faith in God, especially in St. Joseph, the husband of Mary and the stepfather to our Lord Jesus. Brother André experienced terrible losses early in his life, more than a youth should ever have to experience. But ingrained in him was a devotion to the Holy Family, a family trinity that would never leave him, despite the hardships that would and did come his way. More often, they bore him up when it would have been easier for him to look down in defeat, loss and hopelessness.
Still very young, he was forced to look for work and subsist on whatever food was given to him, no matter how meager or unpleasant it might have been. He traversed many towns and villages-from Canada to the United States-to find work. And when he did find employment, it was never long lasting due to his physical frailty and the limitation of his schooling. But in the background of his life was always St. Joseph: A worker, a strong man, a devout man of faith, a non-complainer, a steady guy who just persevered. Those are wonderful attributes, and it is understandable, from a human perspective, why Brother André latched onto him, for where I am lacking in those qualities, St. Joseph is indeed a wonderful example to emulate. But with that aside, there was something more, a supernatural friendship that ushered in an etherial transcendence, and anyone who was close to him could sense it quite keenly. It was holiness. And it would lead him from the mill towns of New Hampshire and other places to the Congregation of Holy Cross in Montreal.
When he was sent to the school, he was sent with a note or reference attesting to his holiness. And while his superiors were initially dubious about him and what he could offer, they took him in anyway. While at the school, he acted as a porter and greeted people and did simple tasks, but it was his approach to his work and the way he was with the people who came to the collage where his holy luminosity became more evident. It got to the point where folks just wanted to see and hear him, because his life and outlook on all matters, both good and bad, were so Gospel oriented and focused. Yet, that focus was pragmatic, down-to-earth, simple, applicable for day-to-day life. Above all, it was his humility. He hated all the attention that he got and could even be gruff as a result of it all . He worked his whole life to redirect the attention to Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary and above all his friend, St. Joseph. And it was his inspirations and gentle prodding that led to the construction of the oratory. Most compelling, too, was his use of St. Joseph’s oil and the healing phenomena that surrounded him - in life and in death.
Fr. Dubuc’s excellent book explores the many nuances of Brother André’s life: his travels, his prayer life, his humor, his unending availability to all who sought him out, his friends, his struggles. He is such a relatable saint. And this biography addresses so many aspects of not only his life but also the life of Canada as well. Some great documentaries to watch on St. Brother André would be: Bob and Penny Lord’s Brother André: Miracle Worker, the film, Brother André by Jean-Claude Labrecque and God’s Doorkeeper: St. André of Montreal by Salt + Light Television.
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January 12, 2011What an inspirational story and and inspirational saint!
March 2, 2011
My husband and I visited Montreal in August and visited the St Joseph's Oratory which is a impressive massive church on the side of Mount Royal. We had never heard of Brother Andre and spent some time visiting the church and beautiful surrounding gardens and had our picnic lunch there. We learned a little about Brother Andre who was a monk that spent his entire career welcoming visitors to the church and visiting the sick. He was know as a healer and we saw many left medical devices, canes on display. He was devoted to St. Joseph and was instrumental in getting the church built. We bought this book to find out about the humble monk and it is an inspiring story. A few weeks after we returned home,low and behold, the Catholic church proclaimed Brother Andre a Saint.
If you visit Montreal don't miss this beautiful church and pick up a copy of this book to find out about the latest American Saint.
If you visit Montreal don't miss this beautiful church and pick up a copy of this book to find out about the latest American Saint.
August 8, 2022
My interest in St. Andre Bessette is in the fact of being the first canonized saint of the Congregation of Holy Cross. This work was really my introduction this humble saint of the 19th and 20th centuries. For that purpose, I appreciate this book as the enjoyable leisurely read it was. Rather than presenting the life of Brother Andre in a strictly linear format, this text is structured rather circularly. With this structure, it gives an almost systematic perspective into so many different aspects of the saint's life. In the course of reading it, it certainly has fostered a personal devotion not only to St. Andre but also to St. Joseph, to whom Brother Andre's life ceaselessly pointed.
St. Andre Bessette and St. Joseph,
- Orate Pro Nobis
St. Andre Bessette and St. Joseph,
- Orate Pro Nobis
January 30, 2020
I really enjoyed reading about the life of this saint. He was such a humble, sweet, simple man. I think the author really portrayed Brother Andre's (now Saint Andre) personality well.
April 19, 2025
Regardless of how many books I read about brother André, there's always a wonderful story or fact about his adoration of St Joseph that I missed.
August 14, 2022
The book was promising until about halfway through when the focus of it went from Brother André to the building history of the Chapel (basilica, Oratory), which he didn’t have much part in anyways. I didn’t care much for the paragraphs upon paragraphs about the construction workers and the financial donators, etc.
March 12, 2017
I visited the Oratory of St. Joseph last fall knowing a little bit about the great life of Brother Andre. I purchased this book at their gift shop and I'm so glad I did. It's a quick read filled with dozens of examples of the miracles achieved through this humble brother and St. Joseph. Every time I put the book down I felt happy and inspired. If you'd like an uplifting biography read this book!
January 7, 2011
Good info. VERY impressive man. Think some lines are lost in translation on the ecclesiastical side, but still, good book.
June 11, 2025
Focused heavily on the history of his experiences as a religious and the growth of the shrine. I was hoping for something that focused more on his spiritual life.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews