St. André Bessette: A Model of Faith for All

“Let not the wise boast of his wisdom, nor the strong boast of his strength, nor the rich man boast of his riches; But rather, let those who boast, boast of this, that in their prudence they know me.” (Jer. 9:22-23) 

This quote from the prophet Jeremiah speaks to one of the most important virtues that can lead to a life of faith—humility. As Jeremiah knows, it is humility that leads us to know God. If one is so in love with their own wisdom, their own strength, their own wealth, they will never know the love of God. Humility is the strength to submit to the will of God. It is the strength to know that God is so much bigger than yourself. That is why it is so difficult. As humans, we love our own will, and we like to try and take charge. We want to know how each day will go, and we want to dictate as much as we possibly can. This so often gets in the way of recognizing God in our lives. 

True humility then is what we are called to. True humility draws us into a closer relationship with God. It clears away the distractions of pride, envy, and selfishness. The problem, however, is understanding what humility looks like. Christ is the most perfect example of humility. God made Himself man so that He could suffer and die for our sins. He did not have to do this, and being God, He could have simply wiped away the debt. Instead, He humbled Himself for our sake. While Christ is the most perfect example of humility, how can one ever strive to be perfectly humble like that? It seems rather daunting, but to make it easier, we can look to the Saints for inspiration. Specifically, St. André Bessette, who is a prime example of humble service and love of God and of his fellow man. 

St. André was born in a small town in Québec to a poor family. His father was a carpenter and lumberman and did not make very much money. Because of this, he was unable to receive a proper education. In addition to this, he was a very frail and sickly child. When St. André was nine, his father tragically passed away and his mother died soon after leaving him orphaned. This further stalled his already limited education. He spent the rest of his youth being cared for by a few generous neighbors. Here he attempted to learn a few trades but having been a sickly child, he was not strong enough to excel in any of these jobs. He moved to America for some time and simply worked in a factory. 

While he did fail to find a meaningful trade, he did not fail to find Christ. A lifelong Catholic, he learned to love Christ and the saints, especially St. Joseph. Eventually, St. André returned home to Canada. While there, his parish priest, Father André Provençal, took note of his devotion and sent him to the Congregation of Holy Cross stating, “I am sending you a saint.” Initially, he was rejected due to his poor health, but he received the endorsement of the local Archbishop and was allowed to become a Holy Cross brother. 

Due to his lack of education as well as his lack of labor skills, he was assigned to be the porter at a high school in Montreal. He served humbly, warmly welcoming everyone who came in. For those students or visitors who were ill, he would recommend devotion to St. Joseph. Here and there, they would return and share stories of their healing and they would thank St. André for his prayers and his hand in healing them. He, in turn, would tell them not to thank him, but to thank St. Joseph for his intercession.  

St. André’s devotion to St. Joseph was so strong that he was determined to build a chapel in his honor on Mount Royal, the tallest hill in Montreal. He sought permission to build and ended up receiving it on the condition that he raised the funds himself. So, St. André quietly got to work asking for small donations as well as giving haircuts to the boys who attended the school. Over the course of several years, he was able to scrape enough money together to build a very small wooden chapel. Here, many pilgrims would come to him and ask for his prayers for healing. When many were healed, St. André still attributed it all to the intercession of St. Joseph. This continued for years. Pilgrims came flooding in, seeking healing, many were healed, and donations trickled in. St. André continued to be devoted to St. Joseph and to expand the chapel until it became the basilica we see today. 

St. André is a perfect example of humble service and a model of faith for all. He did all that he did for the love of Christ. He was uneducated, even after he joined the Congregation of Holy Cross. He wasn’t a master theologian, he wasn’t a great architect who used his gifts for the faith, he wasn’t a charismatic leader, he simply loved Jesus and showed that love to the world. Out of all the thousands of men who joined the Congregation of Holy Cross, the myriad of doctors, lawyers, professors, and more, the one saint of theirs is a humble brother who loved Jesus. 

For more information on St. André Bessette or to plan a pilgrimage to Saint Joseph's Oratory of Mount Royal in Montreal, please visit www.Saint-Joseph.org.

Guest Contribution from Stephen Driscoll, Family Rosary Mission Assistant and Stonehill Graduate