André Bessette
A humble doorkeeper whose profound faith and devotion to Saint Joseph drew millions to a small Montreal shrine, making him Canada's first male saint.
1845–1937 (age 92)·Canadian Catholic brother and saint·Birthday: August 9
Biography
Born into poverty in Quebec and orphaned young, Alfred Bessette was a sickly man with little formal education, bouncing between menial jobs for years. When he finally joined the Congregation of Holy Cross at age 25, taking the name Brother André, he was given the humble role of porter—the doorkeeper—at Notre Dame College in Montreal. For decades, he greeted visitors, cleaned floors, and ran errands. Yet it was in this simplicity that his extraordinary spiritual presence grew. He developed a deep devotion to Saint Joseph, and soon stories spread of his prayers leading to healings and comfort. With only a few cents and relentless persistence, he championed the construction of a small chapel on Mount Royal dedicated to Joseph. That chapel grew, through the donations of thousands he inspired, into the majestic St. Joseph's Oratory, one of the world's largest shrines. Brother André, the unassuming doorkeeper, became a symbol of hope, attracting countless pilgrims until his death at 91. He was canonized in 2010.
#1 When André Was Born
The biggest hits of 1845
André's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1845Born
1850Started school
1858Became a teenager
1861Could drive
President: Abraham Lincoln
1863Could vote
President: Abraham Lincoln
1866Turned 21
President: Andrew Johnson
1875Turned 30
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1885Turned 40
Karl Benz builds the first gasoline-powered automobile
President: Grover Cleveland
1895Turned 50
First public film screening by the Lumiere brothers
President: Grover Cleveland
1905Turned 60
Einstein publishes the theory of special relativity
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1915Turned 70
The Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat
President: Woodrow Wilson
1925Turned 80
The Scopes Trial debates evolution in schools
Home: $4,366President: Calvin Coolidge"Sweet Georgia Brown" — Ben Bernie
1937Died at 92
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
Key Achievements
- Instrumental in the founding and expansion of St. Joseph's Oratory in Montreal, now one of the world's major Catholic pilgrimage sites.
- Canonized as a saint in 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI, becoming the first male saint born in Canada.
- Credited with thousands of reported instances of healing and spiritual comfort through his intercessory prayers to Saint Joseph.
- Served for over 40 years as the porter and caretaker of Notre Dame College in Montreal, a role central to his ministry of hospitality.
Did You Know?
His heart, which he associated with his compassion and love for the sick, is preserved as a relic at the Oratory.
He was initially rejected by the Holy Cross order due to his frail health but was accepted after a priest intervened on his behalf.
He had a particular fondness for giving medals of Saint Joseph and dabbing oil from a lamp burning before the saint's statue to the sick.
Despite being associated with a massive basilica, he lived in a small, sparsely furnished room next to the original chapel until his death.
“It is with the smallest brushes that the artist paints the most exquisitely beautiful pictures.”
