St. Joseph Oratory at Mount Royal (Image courtesy of Wikicommons Images, Dpalma01, CC-BY-SA 4.0)by Theresa Cavicchio
Each year, two million visitors travel to Montreal to visit the Oratory of Saint Joseph at Mount Royal. The massive basilica and shrine occupy a place of prominence – the highest point, in fact – above the bustling Canadian metropolis below. It is the largest church and shrine dedicated to Saint Joseph in the world.
The story behind this impressive structure and its environs would be interesting under ordinary circumstances, but it is made even more intriguing when connected to the lives of two very saintly men whose humility was among the most notable of their characteristics.
All that we know of the life of Joseph of Nazareth, from scant Scripture accounts, is underscored with the virtue of humility. Yet this simple man of faith was tasked with the greatest responsibility ever given: the care and well-being of the very Son of God and His holy Mother.
As we celebrate Saint Joseph’s feast day, we are reminded of all those God-given characteristics which made him an ideal husband for Mary and father figure for Jesus; and confidant and intercessor for countless faithful who have turned to him for guidance and help over the ages.
His many qualities – constancy, prudence, and integrity, among others – had as their foundation deep faith, supreme trust in God, and openness to the workings of His will. To outside observers, however, his life was very much a hidden one, marked with unending labor, poverty, and steadfast devotion to his family, the thread of humility woven through it all.
The second subject of our reflection is a man whose small stature and unassuming nature would have kept him perpetually anonymous but for his strong lifelong faith in God and deep devotion to Saint Joseph. Instead, his name now is listed among those of the saints in heaven.
Saint André Bessette (1845 – 1937), better known by many still today as Brother André, was born in Quebec into a large family greatly burdened with poverty and suffering. Frail at birth, Alfred (his given name) lost his father when he was nine years old; his mother, three years later. He was to be plagued by ill health throughout his long life.
Minimally educated, Alfred took on a series of menial jobs in New England and more of the same after returning to Quebec. Recognizing his humility and piety, his local pastor encouraged his desire to serve the Church. His bishop agreed, recommending him to the Congregation of Holy Cross in a letter including a heartfelt endorsement: “I am sending you a saint.” In God’s good time, this prediction would indeed be fulfilled.
In his homily at the canonization, Pope Benedict XVI stated that Brother André’s early life challenges “led him to turn to God for prayer and an intense interior life … With little instruction, he nevertheless understood what was essential to his faith. For him, to believe meant to submit freely and lovingly to the Divine Will … he lived the beatitude of the pure of heart, that of personal rectitude. It is thanks to this simplicity that he showed many people to God.”
St. Andre Bessette (1845-1937)In 1870, Alfred entered the Congregation of Holy Cross novitiate, taking the name André in honor of his pastor; he professed final vows as a Brother four years later. For forty years, his main duty was a humble one: Doorkeeper at Notre Dame College, a high school in Montreal.
This position allowed him to interact with many people visiting the school for various reasons. The numbers of visitors increased rapidly when Brother André gained a reputation for charity, humility, and a willing listening ear. Having suffered much himself, he showed great compassion for those in similar circumstances, reaching out to them with selfless empathy and love.
Many approached him with physical ailments for themselves or loved ones, and reports of healings were circulated. Brother André invariably refused credit, always pointing to the power of Saint Joseph, his friend since childhood. “When you invoke Saint Joseph, you don’t have to say much. You know your Father in heaven knows what you need; well, so does his friend Saint Joseph.”
Brother André had an enduring dream of building a fitting place of worship in honor of Saint Joseph. For a time, he worked giving haircuts for five cents to help fund a small chapel. In 1904, his dream became reality with its erection, the first Oratory of Saint Joseph on Mount Royal.
It was not long before several expansions to the diminutive structure were needed to accommodate ever-increasing numbers of pilgrims, and in 1909, Brother André was relieved of his doorkeeper duties to become caretaker of the Oratory.
The great basilica which eventually rose up on Mount Royal stands as a living testament to two men for whom humility was not only a quality but a way of life. The Crypt Church, one of many areas where the faithful can pray and reflect for spiritual benefit, bears witness to many physical healings in implements such as crutches and canes.
Brother André passed on to new life on January 6, 1937. An estimated one million people braved extreme weather conditions to pay their respects to the humble doorkeeper whose dream had risen to such great heights in honor of his beloved Saint Joseph. His body rests within the Oratory.
Brother André was beatified on May 23, 1982, and canonized on October 17, 2010. He is the first Canadian-born man to be canonized, and the first canonized saint of the Congregation of Holy Cross.
Brother André was quoted as saying: “I am frequently asked for cures, but rarely for humility and the spirit of faith. Yet they are so important.”
Humble beginnings to heights of splendor: the lives of Saint Joseph and Saint André, and the great basilica linking them, the Oratory at Mount Royal.
