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THREE MINUTES WITH THE SAINTS
Saint Andre Bessette: The Miracle Man of Montreal
A most unexpected saint
In this week’s installment of “Three Minutes with the Saints,” I’m profiling a saint that few outside of Canada will recognize; I chose him precisely because he needs to be more widely known. Let’s meet Saint Andre Bessette, the Miracle Man of Montreal.
Born Alfred Bessette in Mont-Saint-Grégoire, Quebec, Canada on August 9, 1845, he was a man no one would have predicted would become a saint, except for his parish priest, who saw it from the beginning. At the age of 12 he was forced to leave school to go to work after both of his parents died. He spent the rest of his life virtually unable to read or write.
At 22 he moved to the United States, where he worked in a number of manual labor positions, none of which lasted long due to his chronic stomach ailments. A few years later, he returned to Canada and attempted to join the Brothers of the Holy Cross. He carried a note with him from his pastor which read “I am sending you a saint.” The brothers found this hard to believe, and after a year essentially asked him to leave because of his chronic illnesses. He appealed to the bishop and was ultimately allowed to join the congregation.
