In three days, we celebrate the canonization of our beloved first male Canadian-born saint. Of the many pilgrims descending on Rome for this wonderful occasion, there will be 18 enthusiastic young people from Brother Andre Catholic High School in Markham, Ontario! This past Saturday, this high school group left for Rome. This is a very special trip for them.  It is the first time they are going to Rome AND they will be there for the canonization of their school’s namesake, Brother André Bessette.  The staff at Brother Andre CHS even had red canonization jackets made especially for them. The celebration of the canonization coincides with the school’s 25th anniversary.  In honour of both their anniversary and the canonization, the school asked Grade 12 student Leeza Shakkouri to paint a portrait of Brother André.  I found Leeza to be a very faith-filled young woman with a deep connection to the story of Br. André. Before the group left for Rome, I was able to visit the school and do a few interviews.  You can watch the 2-minute clip of this visit, as well as two other clips (one on pilgrims at Saint Joseph’s Oratory and the other on the Cantin family in southwestern Ontario) by going to the section called Short Videos to watch out for, at www.saltandlighttv.org/brotherandre. To all the pilgrims in Rome, we are praying for you, and we are all united in spirit as we celebrate the canonization of Brother André, Mary MacKillop, and the 2010 class of saints.