Solemn Thanksgiving Mass in Montreal In Honour of St. Andre Bessette, CSC

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In honour of Brother Andre Bessette, CSC, who was officially canonized in Rome on October 17, a special thanksgiving and jubilation Mass was held on October 30 at the Olympic Stadium of Montreal, Canada. The main celebrant was Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte (Archbishop of Montreal) and his co-celebrants were Archbishop Pedro Lopez Quintana (Apostolic Nuncio to Canada), 58 Canadian Bishops and about 100 priests.

Among the government dignitaries present were Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Quebec's Lieutenant Governor Pierre Duchesne, and Quebec's Premier Jean Charest. Among about 45,000 attendees were also present a strong contingent of priests, Brothers and Sisters of the Congregation of Holy Cross in which Brother Andre also belonged. Thirty relatives and kins of Brother Andre were an added attraction.

The two-hour ceremony was mostly conducted in French. In his homily, Cardinal Turcotte said: "Brother Andre was a man of attentiveness and compassion. He left it up to all those who were unhappy -- rich or poor -- to approach him. Very often, he went to those who could not come to him. Almost every day, in his office, for hours and hours, he lent his ear. He made himself attentive to those who confided in him their misfortunes, their sufferings, their illnesses, their disappointments, their failures, their unhappiness... After listening, he comforted them. He called them to courage and hope. He exhorted them to trust in God. He prayed a lot for those who spoke to him. He prayed to God. He prayed to Mary. With fervour, he prayed to St. Joseph, he prayed before Christ on the Cross."

Cardinal Turcotte further added: "Brother Andre was convinced that God could use him to accomplish wonderful things. For many decades, people came to him as a worker of wonders. It never went to his head. In fact, he often said, 'The world is silly if it thinks that Brother Andre is doing miracles. It is the good God who does the miracles. Saint Joseph obtains them.' And, following Saint Paul, he said, in reference to God, 'An artist makes the most beautiful paintings with the smallest of brushes.'"

Finally, Cardinal Turcotte commented: "This is not a small Saint that has been canonized, but a great, great one. This great saint -- Brother Andre -- is from our home. Among our parents and grandparents, or among the friends of our parents and grandparents, many knew him. He lived close to us on Mount Royal and said, 'When I die, I'll be much closer to the good God than I am now, I will have much more power to help you.'"

On his way to the Olypmic Stadium before the Mass, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, for the first time, visited St. Joseph's Oratory for half-an-hour. Father Claude Grou, CSC, the rector of the Oratory, accompanied the prime minister in his visit to Brother Andre's original small wooden chapel, the main basilica, the tomb of Brother Andre, the relic containing the heart of Brother Andre, and the votive chapel having hundreds of lighted candles.

The Bangladesh Delegation

The Bangladesh Holy Cross delegation came to Montreal after attending Brother Andre's canonization ceremony in Rome. This delegation comprised of Bishop Patrick D'Rozario of Chittagong, Brother Binoy Gomes (Provincial of the Brothers of Holy Cross), Brother Jarlath D'Souza, Brother Nicholas Thielman, Brother Rodney Struble, Brother Robi Purification, Brother Placid Prodip Gomes, Brother Sylvester Mridha, and Brother Hamlet Francis Gosal.

Several dozen Bangladeshi Catholics from Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa also attended the ceremony in the Montreal stadium.

Before the Mass, the procession of bishops and priests toward the
main altar in the Olympic Stadium

A view of the participants of the Mass

Another part of the procession

The main altar where the Mass is being celebrated

A section of the participants in the stadium

Another section of the participants

Some other concelebrating priests among the participants

More participants!

Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte, the main celebrant of the Mass

Some members of the Bangladesh Holy Cross delegation and
some Bangladeshi Catholics from Toronto can be seen
in this section of the crowd

Some other members of the Congregation of Holy Cross
among the participants

Waving white linen participants express their solidarity

Members of a family waving their white linens

The crowd leaving the stadium after the ceremony
Photos (Montreal Olympic Stadium: October 30, 2010)
© Jerome D'Costa and Joachim Romeo D'Costa

My Distant Acquaintance with Brother Andre, CSC

Brother Andre Bessette, CSC

Painting (Toronto: Sept. 29, 2010) © Joachim Romeo D'Costa

It was late 1950's. In the Little Flower Seminary -- a preparatory seminary -- at Bandura, Dt. Dhaka, American missionary Father Leo J. Sullivan, CSC, was the rector. He was a voracious reader. He even read magazines during mealtime in the seminary dining room! He used to subscribe to many U.S. and Canadian magazines, mostly Catholic. Later, after his reading, he would pass those magazines to us seminarians.

One was the bimonthly magazine, The Oratory, published, since 1927, by the Holy Cross Fathers at St. Joseph's Oratory in Montreal, Canada. This magazine would give wider coverage on St. Joseph, Brother Andre and his work, and the oratory with a lot of photos and sketches. I would read it with intense interest and curiosity. I learned a lot about Brother Andre and his work through this magazine.

I particularly felt an affinity with Brother Andre due to his qualities that resonated with those of our people in Bangladesh. Brother Andre was born and raised in a village outside Montreal. He had barely any literacy and worked as a labourer before entering the Brotherhood in the Congregation of Holy Cross. He had a kind of rustic simplicity in his manners and lifestyle.

In Bangladesh, most of the people in the late 1950's were living in rural areas with simple but hard-working lifestyle. Their literacy rate was extremely low and they barely earned enough. So, the story of Brother Andre and his work seemed all too familiar to me.

Later in life, I again came across Brother Andre when one of my children had a line of pea-like nodules in a thick neck vein. Doctors, although not sure of what the cause was, told us to be alert and said that these might turn into tuberculosis later. When American Brother Ralph, CSC, of St. Gregory's High School, where my child studied, came to know of our predicament, he gave us a relic of Brother Andre. He told us to pray to Brother Andre regularly and touch the relic on the child's neck.

To our relief, the visible round nodules gradually vanished. There was no sign of anything amiss. We do not ascribe this to Brother Andre's intervention, but that experience has a lasting effect on us.

Although Brother Andre was dead a long ago, his indirect influence touched me many thousand miles away from Montreal.

Brother Andre, CSC, Is a Saint Today

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Brother Andre Bassette, CSC (1845-1937)

Painting (Toronto: October 8, 2010) © Joachim Romeo D'Costa

Pope Benedict XVI, in an impressive ceremony at St. Peter's Square in the Vatican today, officially canonized Brother Andre Bassette, CSC, the first Canada-born saint, along with five others belonging to different countries. Thousands of Church officials, priests, Brothers, Sisters, lay persons and foreign dignitaries were present in the open-air solemn Mass and ceremony.

Bangladeshi Catholics Also Feel Elated at Brother Andre's Canonization

Brother Andre is the first saint belonging to the Congregation of Holy Cross that was founded at Le Mans, France, in 1837 by Father Basil Anthony Moreau, CSC, (who has been beatified in 2007). Missionaries from this congregation at present work in 14 countries, including Bangladesh. In 1852, Holy Cross Fathers, Brothers and Sisters started work in the dioceses of Dhaka and Chittagong in Bangladesh. The canonization of Brother Andre is, therefore, a good news for many Bangladeshi Catholics.

Two Miracles of Brother Andre

Two miracles through the intercession of Brother Andre were required for making him a saint. The first miracle occurred in 1958, when Giusepe Carlo Audino of Quebec Province of Canada was spontaneously healed of his terminal cancer after earnestly praying to Brother Andre. This healing was medically inexplicable and it led the Brother to be beatified. From then on, he was being called "Blessed Brother Andre."

The second miracle, that occurred in 1998, made Brother Andre eligible for sainthood. In that year, a 9-year-old Quebec boy, on a bicycle, was struck by a car and he received severe head injuries (massive cranial trauma with irreversible coma). Medically, there was no chance for him to get healed. His relatives prayed to Brother Andre and applied on him "St. Joseph's oil", taken from St. Joseph's Oratory in Montreal, Canada. The boy miraculously was healed of his injury. Now he is living a normal life. The boy's family wants privacy and want the boy to remain anonymous. After today's canonization, Brother Andre will be known as "Saint Brother Andre."

Brother Andre: A Simple and Humble Man

Brother Andre, who was born in 1845 a few kilometres away from Montreal, Quebec, comes from a rural area. He was barely literate but seriously a religious person. For 40 years, he was a Brother in the Congregation of Holy Cross. He served as a porter (doorman), launderer, janitor and sacristan (helper in the church) at Notre Dame College, Montreal. He also came in contact with the poor and sick for whom he devoted his spare time. His rustic simplicity and untainted humility attracted thousands of these disadvantaged people. They requested him for his prayers and for their healing he gave them "St. Joseph's oil." Innumerable people were healed. As a testimony to their healing, many of them left their canes and crutches with the Brother and walked home. Some of these canes and crutches are still visible at St. Joseph's Oratory in Montreal. Brother never claimed any credit for the healings. He used to say: "I am a man just like you." He, of course, attributed all the miracles to St. Joseph. Every year, two million tourists and pilgrims visit St. Joseph's Oratory.

Brother Andre, CSC: The Little Man from Montreal Is Set for Canonization in October

Brother Andre Bessette, CSC,
of the Congregation of Holy Cross, Montreal, Canada

Photo courtesy: www.cbc.ca/

Pope Benedict XVI formally announced in the Consistory Hall of the Vatican on February 19, that Brother Andre, CSC -- less than five feet tall in stature -- of Montreal, along with five others, will be raised to the sainthood in coming October. The formal canonization ceremony will take place in the Vatican on October 17, 2010, reports CNA.

The five other candidates are: Mother Mary MacKillop, the founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Australia; Father Stanislaw Soltys, a 15th century priest of Poland; Sister Giulia Salzano and Sister Battista Varano of Italy; and Sister Candida Maria de Jesus Cipitria y Barriola of Spain. Representatives from these countries were present in the Consistory Hall at the time of the official announcement.

Jubilant Canada

Canadians received the announcement of the canonization with jubilation. Montreal's archbishop Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte at a press conference at St. Joseph's Oratory in Montreal said that the Vatican announcement was "the best thing that could have happened this year for the Church in Montreal." He also said: "I have always been impressed by this man [Brother Andre], both a humble man and a visionary, a man of deep faith. An example of determination, still relevant today in 2010."

Father Jean-Pierre Aumont, CSC, Provincial of the Congregation of Holy Cross in Canada, called the announcement a "wonderful gift." He further said: "For the Religious of Holy Cross, it represents more than ever a source of inspiration, a model of faith and trust in God and in the human condition. He shows us how to envision great things and how to look toward the future!"

Bishop Pierre Morissette of Saint-Jerome in his capacity as the President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) said that the bishops of Canada welcomed the Vatican announcement. On the saint-to-be he said: "Brother Andre lived his life with great humility. Guided by a deep faith and devotion to Saint Joseph, he dedicated his life to praying, serving the poor, welcoming strangers, healing the sick and comforting the suffering. To this day, his memory remains an important witness to all Canadians of faith and love."

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who is a Protestant, in his statement on the same day said: "Brother Andre's life shows us the power of faith and the importance of concern for the sick and others in need. In this solemn act, the Roman Catholic Church is honoring a Canadian who achieved greatness through humility, determination and service to others." He further stated: "Brother Andre's devotion to St. Joseph, the patron saint of Canada, led to the building of the magnificent Oratory on Mount Royal. Today's news heightens the inspiration we feel on seeing that religious landmark, a symbol and center of faith in Montreal and all of Canada."

His Humblest Life

Brother Andre, CSC, was born on August 9, 1845, in Saint-Gregoire d'Iberville, 40 kilometres (25 miles) to the east of Montreal, Canada. His birth-name was Alfred Bessette (after he become a Brother, he was given a new name "Andre"). He was one of the 12 children in a poor family. When he was nine years old, his lumberjack (woodcutter) father was killed by a falling tree. Three years later, his mother died from tuberculosis. After the parents' death, his siblings were divided up among relatives. His family situation prevented him from being a literate. He had difficulties in reading and writing.

From very young age he had to work for six years as a farm labour, shoe-repairer, baker and blacksmith in the province of Quebec, Canada. Then he went to neighbouring New England State in the USA where he worked for four years in textile mills and agricultural farms.

On his return to Canada in 1867, he, barely literate and with frail health, expressed his willingness to join a religious Order. His local parish priest, who knew him well, sent him to the nearby Holy Cross Brothers assuring its superior that "I am sending you a saint." His forecast has come to be true with the recent announcement at the Vatican.

The superior placed the 25-year-old novice at College Notre-Dame, a high school for boys near Mount Royal in Montreal, as a porter (doorman). Even after being a Brother, he remained in this same post -- for a total of 40 years.

School boys, their parents and other visitors became attracted to him due to his unusual humility, prayerfulness and cheerful spirit. They used to request him to pray for their problems and sicknesses. Many of them attributed their healing to him, but with his usual humility, he would say that it was his prayers to St. Joseph that the healing occurred.

His extraordinary devotion to St. Joseph inspired him to build a church in his honour. With small amounts of money, received mostly as donations, he built a small church in 1904. Due to ever increasing number of devotees and pilgrims, Brother Andre set to build a large church which got built gradually in stages. Ultimately it was completed in 1966, about 30 years after his death on January 6, 1937. This impressive church -- now a minor basilica -- on Mount Royal, overlooks the city of Montreal. It is interesting to note that when Brother Andre proposed to build a bigger church, many of his confreres laughed at him because such a gigantic idea was coming from a mere door-keeping Brother, who was almost an illiterate!

The process of canonization of Brother Andre, CSC, started in the 1940s. In 1978, he was declared a "Venerable." In 1982, he was declared a "Blessed."

The statement of Father David Tyson, CSC, the Provincial Superior of the Indiana Province of Holy Cross, published in the South Bend Tribune, aptly summarizes the life of Brother Andre: "We are honored and moved beyond words at Brother Andre's formal recognition as a saint. Not only because this immensely humble man is the Congregation's first recognized saint, but because he is such an ordinary example for every Catholic of every age. Not for him the trappings of power and status, of money and prestige; he simply did everything and anything that was needed, from cleaning the floors to fixing shoes, from doing students' laundry to cutting hair. What an example of prayer in action, of active service to others as the most eloquent and powerful prayer for all!"

Brother Andre: A Member of the Congregation of Holy Cross

Brother Andre, CSC, the newly minted saint, belonged to the Congregation of Holy Cross, a Religious Order of Catholic priests and Brothers. This congregation has its missionaries in over a dozen countries, including Bangladesh, on five continents. Father Basil Moreau, CSC (1799-1873) founded the congregation at Sainte-Croix (Holy Cross) village near Le Mans, France. Father Moreau himself has been beatified in the Vatican on September 15, 2007.