SAINT ANDRE’ BESSETTE  

FEAST DAY JANUARY 6, 2016

PART 1—EARLY YEARS

HIS BIRTH AND LIFE WITH HIS PARENTS

Alfred was the 8^th child of a poor French Canadian family. His parents were Isaac and Clothilde Bessette. He was so weak when he was born that he was baptized immediately. Although he suffered physically with stomach pains and sickness during his life, he ended up living 91 years. Brother Andre' spoke well of his early years, and how happy he was with his family, and how much he loved and was loved by them.

Alfred’s father became a lumberman to better support his large family, but died after 5 years in that profession when a falling tree landed on him. By that time, the family included 12 children. Alfred faced the two deaths of his parents within three years of each other: His mother died of tuberculosis just three years after her husband died. Their children were split up, with Alfred remaining with his mother because of his frail health. They went to live with his mother’s sister, Mrs Timothee' Nadeau in St. Cesaire. Alfred remained there after his mother's death two years later.

 Brother Andre’ fondly remembers how it impressed him that his mother called her children to her bedside to console them and encourage them as she faced death… and the coming reunion with their father in heaven. She promised to watch over them from heaven.

LIFE AS AN ORPHAN

For a while, Alfred remained with the Nadeau family, but the strenuous farm labor, and some other skilled labor jobs (as a cobbler and a baker) did not work out well because of his on-going health struggles. Sickness kept him from succeeding long in any one occupation, and also kept him from spending much time in school during these years with his mother's sister and her husband. He left school at age 12, and ended up taking jobs in both the United States and in Canada during the decade or so after he left his aunt and uncle's home.

Thus began a long journey as an unskilled laborer, working in various locations in his native country and in the U. S., on farms and in textile mills. This added to his other occupations as a tinsmith, blacksmith and coachman. Even by age 25, he was still in poor health and unable to bear the usual work responsibilities—although he still worked hard.  

Alfred ended up returning to Canada, and started a new direction in his occupational endeavors that led him to his long-term calling. And, as God so graciously and wisely plans, all the struggles and even the varied work experiences and travels only added to his awareness of life, his understanding of others, and his need for and devotion to God and St. Joseph in prayer. That background became a real blessing as he walked out a new vocation that brought him into the lives of so many different people who needed his prayer and attention.

FINDING HIS VOCATION AND A NEW NAME

Early in his life, Alfred came to know a local priest named Father ("Cure' " in french) Andre' Provencal, the Cure' of Saint Ce'saire. Before he received his first Holy Communion, Fr. Provencal instructed him and led him into a true devotion to God--as his parents had--and to St. Joseph. This same priest-pastor, as Alfred was discerning his vocation, declared him "saint" long befoe the title was applied to him. His pastor said it to the Congregation of the Holy Cross in strongly recommending Alfred to their brotherhood.

Across the street from Alfred's and Father Provencal's parish church-- and while Alfred was away and working in the United States—a school was built and run by a new religious order called “The Congregation of the Holy Cross”. It was to this order that Alfred came in 1870. 

THE CONGREGATION OF THE HOLY CROSS

In 1820, Father Jacques Francois Dujarie sought to supply teachers and helpers to the parish priests of France. There had been a great deal of loss as a result of the Reign of Terror from the Masonic French Revolution, where the religious orders were both endangered and martyred. 

Fr. Dujarie called his association the Brothers of St. Joseph. With changes made over the next 17 years, this brotherhood eventually became the Congregation for the Holy Cross. The men were put under the care of Canon Basile Moreau. After another 20 years, Pope Pius IX made the brotherhood an official Congregation of the Church. 

The Cure' of Ars (St. John Vianney) rightly foretold that the Congregation was "destined to perform great works..." *1 The Congregation went on to develop many of their men who were academically excellent both in the schools they produced and in the books they wrote. Notre Dame University in Indiana is just one of their well-known endeavors. But it was the little educated, yet extremely humble, fervent and lovingly prayerful Brother Andre' who has notably surpassed his very capable brothers in recognition and holiness.

*1  http://catholicism.org/br-andre.html; Saint André Bessette: Montreal’s Miracle Worker

PART 2 ON SAINT ANDRE' WILL BE PUBLISHED THIS NEXT WEEK AND TELL MORE ABOUT HIS LIFE IN THE BROTHERHOOD.