Blessed Brother Andre

By Bob Lord and Penny Lord

Blessed Brother Andre is known as the Miracle Worker of Montreal, Canada. He is responsible for the building of the Basilica dedicated to Saint Joseph atop the hill in Montreal. Bob and Penny researched his life and bring you this ebook on the life of Blessed Brother Andre.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Journeys of Faith
• Release date: Sep 12, 2010
• ISBN: 9781452354323

Bob Lord

Bob and Penny Lord renowned Catholic Authors and hosts on EWTN. They are best known for their media on Miracles of the Eucharist and Many Faces of Mary. They have been dubbed experts on the Catholic Saints. They produced over 200 television programs for EWTN global television network and wrote over 25 books and hundreds of ebooks.

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Blessed Brother Andre

Bob and Penny Lord

Published by Bob and Penny Lord at Smashwords

Copyright 2010 Bob and Penny Lord

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Blessed Brother André

Miracle Worker of Montreal

Healer, Religious, Doorkeeper, Dreamer of Dreams

As with many Saints that we have written about, when Blessed André died on January 6, 1937, the Faithful had already proclaimed him a Saint. In the case of Blessed André of Mont Royal, or Montreal, Canada, not only the citizens of that city, but indeed all of French Canada considered him a Saint during his lifetime. There was an expression which circulated French Canada during the early 1900’s when something could not be done, Hey, I’m not Brother André. I can’t get it done. One of the resource books we’re using for this life of Blessed André is Brother André, Miracle Worker of Mont Royal. This title just about expresses what Brother André was and did. The Lord worked powerfully through him and all was done through the intercession of, and to give honor to St. Joseph. The monument to St. Joseph, high on a hill overlooking all of Montreal, is a tribute from Brother André to St. Joseph; but we believe it’s also a tribute from St. Joseph and our Heavenly family as well as the people of Montreal to their own Brother André.

No one wanted the humble doorkeeper forgotten, nor did they wish his memory to be romanticized or altered in any way. Therefore, for the eight years following his death, forty-nine of the most reliable witnesses were individually questioned regarding events surrounding Blessed André’s life. Everything was carefully taken down in short-hand, so that the investigators could later read their answers and make sure their testimony had been accurately recorded. Having agreed that it had, they then signed documents, swearing under oath that all they had testified was true.

Over three thousand pages of eye-witness testimony was accumulated, only to have Rome, twenty-five years later in 1962, appoint other Church officials in Montreal to conduct an inquiry delving more specifically into Blessed André’s life. This would result in nine hundred more pages by another twenty-two witnesses. You would be hard-pressed to find anyone in the Church or in the world more documented or better known than the humble Doorkeeper who founded Saint Joseph’s Oratory.

Blessed André, the child

Alfred Bessette (later known as Brother André) came from very humble beginnings, much like those of Jesus. He was born on August 9, 1845. The baby was so frail and sickly, his parents were afraid he would not live; and so Alfred was baptized the moment he was born. He was conditionally baptized (when there is doubt concerning a previous Baptism) the following day in the church. With the loving care and prayers of a