SAINT BROTHER ANDRÉ OF MONTREAL

Brother André was declared a saint by Pope Benedict XVI on October 17, 2010. An ascension to sainthood is a rarity and a lengthy, arduous process. One of the stipulations to be met is the agreement by the Vatican that the candidate has performed at least two miracles. The first is confirmed before the solemn rite of Beatification takes place, which was held for Brother André on May 23, 1982, in St. Peter’s Square, making him “Blessed” in the eyes of the Church. Vatican theological and medical commissions accepted the case of Joseph Audino of Rochester, NY, who had been cured of cancer in 1958 after having invoked Brother André. The doctors considered his healing “an extraordinary and miraculous event.” The second miracle, considered and accepted as such during Brother André’s Canonization process, occurred in Quebec. Involving the astounding recovery of a young boy involved in a traumatic street accident in 1999, the doctors and theologians who reviewed the case, as well as the Holy Father in Rome, agreed the child’s recovery was scientifically inexplicable. The healing was attributed to Blessed Brother André, because the child’s parents and friends of the family, had devoutly addressed their prayers to him, hoping that the impossible might take place.

This October marks the tenth anniversary of Saint Brother André’s Canonization, and much has changed in the world.

Yet one can still seek comfort and find peace by walking the stairs up from the base of the Mountain to take in the glory of Saint Joseph’s Oratory, or the tranquility and sense of awe to be found nearby at Brother André’s original chapel and sparse living quarters, where the dream first came to pass as he helped everyone who asked. - Hélène Jasmin