André Bessette
André Bessette, C.S.C. (9 August 1845 – 6 January 1937), commonly known as Brother André and since his canonization as Saint André of Montreal, was a lay brother of the Congregation of Holy Cross and a significant figure of the Catholic Church among French Canadians. He is credited with thousands of reported healings associated with his pious devotion to Saint Joseph.
Bessette, who founded Saint Joseph's Oratory in Montreal, Canada's largest church, was declared venerable in 1978 and was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1982. Pope Benedict XVI approved the decree of sainthood for Bessette on 19 February 2010, with the formal canonization taking place on 17 October 2010. He is the first Canadian living after Confederation to be canonized.
In the Martyrology
- January 6 Saint André Bessette, religious of the Congregation of the Holy Cross