Saint Andre
February 19, 2010 | Category: Mount Real, News Break
Pope Benedict XVI has approved sainthood for Montreal’s Brother Andre, the founder of St. Joseph’s Oratory who was credited with miracle healings before his death in 1937.
The Pope announced Friday that Brother Andre will become the first Canadian-born man to be named a saint.
The formal canonization will take place on October 17th in Rome.
For the faithful at the Oratory, the news was long overdue.
However the Archbishop of Montreal, Jean-Claude Cardinal Turcotte, recognizes that is is a lengthy process.
“It take three popes to make Brother Andre a saint,” said Turcotte, “and the pope recognized the authenticity of that miracle inexplicable and it was at the intercession of Brother Andre.”
Elie Laflamme, who has prayed to Brother Andre for thirty years, was certain sainthood would be recognized.
Laflamme’s devotion to the humble Quebecer began when he pleaded for spiritual help in healing his aching back.
After a day of prayer “I was in less pain, less fatigue,” said Laflamme.
Biography
Brother Andre, born Alfred Bessette on Aug. 9, 1845 in St-Gregoire-d’Iberville, was a Holy Cross Brother and has been credited with thousands of miraculous healings.
Last December, the Pope attributed to him a second miracle healing described as scientifically inexplicable, a necessary step before sainthood.
Details of the miracle have not been disclosed by the public.
A member of the Congregation of the Holy Cross, Brother Andre died in Montreal in 1937 at the age of 91.
The work to have him declared a saint began in 1940, and requires the recognition of two miracles.
Andre was declared venerable by the church in 1978, and in 1982 declared that Andre had performed a miracle, which lead to his beatification.
A second miracle was attributed to Brother Andre this past December, although the Church will not discuss details of that event.
“It was a healing of a person extraordinary who was recognized as doctors to have no scientific explanation,” said Turcotte.
Oratory
In 1904, Brother Andre founded St. Joseph’s Oratory, a giant landmark church on the slopes of Mount Royal which towers over the city. It is where he was laid to rest.
At the time of his death, the Archbishop of Montreal, George Gauthier, suggested reviving a little known custom of the Middle Ages.
In medieval France and Italy, when people of note passed away their hearts were often removed from their bodies before burial and preserved as a token of admiration or recognition.
It was decided to preserve Brother Andre’s heart in a reliquary at the Oratory.
During the night of March 15, 1973, someone removed the reliquary containing the heart of Brother Andre from its shrine.
Eventually, it was discovered in the basement of a home in South Montreal on December 21st, 1974, based on a tip received by the police.
It was put back on display with the addition of a security system, so that it could continue to serve as an object of contemplation for pilgrims.
Tags: Benedict XVI, Brother Andre, Pope, Saint Joseph's Oratory
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