This blog was submitted by Fr. Andrew Gawrych, CSC, of the Indiana Province of the Congregation of Holy Cross. It is still sinking in. Brother André Bessette is now a canonized saint! Perhaps like many of you, I watched with great devotion, pride, and joy the canonization Mass early this morning. One of my own, ...read more

The sun was slowly beginning peek through the clouds and a cool breeze floated through the silent streets of Rome. It seemed like any other Sunday, until I turned the corner and arrived at St. Peter’s Square. The line of pilgrims started at each entrance and wrapped around the fence the separates Roman territory from ...read more

MONTREAL — The live broadcast of the canonization Mass for Br. André October 17 and the vigil held the night before drew several thousand people to St. Joseph’s Oratory. Some came to participate in a major historic event; others came to pay tribute to their close ties to the saint. Judith Boyce arrived at the ...read more

MONTREAL — Quebecers have been rejoicing for months, ever since the Vatican announced February 19 that their beloved Br. André would be made a saint. Now that Pope Benedict XVI formally canonized St. André Bessette, or St. Brother André (a more intimate title approved for him for local use), the celebrations can officially begin. In ...read more

MONTREAL — Anticipation is high in Montreal with only hours to go before the canonization of Br. André in Rome. “There’s a constant flow of pilgrims coming and going,” said Danielle Decelles, a communications officer at the oratory, October 17 at 1 am. Reams of people continue to stream into the crypt church of St. ...read more

MONTREAL — St. Joseph’s Oratory was overflowing with pilgrims on the eve of Br. André’s canonization in Rome. An estimated 1,500 pilgrims attended the evening mass Oct. 16, which led into a six-hour vigil of prayer, meditation, adoration and song. Every seat in the crypt church was filled for the mass; people stood in the ...read more

This blog was submitted by Father Andrew Gawrych of the Congregation of Holy Cross “Are you going to Rome?” That was the question I heard numerous times over the past couple of weeks at the University of Notre Dame. I live in the undergraduate seminary on campus, and I work as the Associate Director of ...read more

Welcome to the fourth of a series of blogs on the legacy of Brother André! In the past blogs, we went from Indiana to New Hampshire. Now we move to Oregon. I met Fr. Edwin Obermiller once I landed in Portland, Oregon, as part of the filming for the documentary on Br. André. Although I ...read more

Fr. Andrew Gawrych greeted me with a smile, one humid summer’s day in July at Notre Dame University in Indiana.  He had just arrived to take up his new position as Associate Vocations Director for the Indiana Province of the Congregation of Holy Cross — a big job for a newly ordained young American priest!  ...read more

Today he is 165 years old.  If he were still alive, that is. Even before he died in 1937, people all over the world regarded him as a saint.  About two months from now, on October 17th, Brother André Bessette CSC will be the first Canadian-born male to be officially named a saint by the ...read more