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

Welcome to the third of a series of blogs on the legacy of Brother André! As I mentioned in previous blogs celebrating Br. André Bessette’s canonization, a Salt + Light crew traveled to the United States in July for the documentary on Br. André.  Our last stop was… Manchester, New Hampshire!  We wanted to stop ...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

Prime Minister Stephen Harper welcomed news from the Vatican this morning that Brother André Bessette, CSC, will be declared a saint on October 17th 2010. “Brother André’s life shows us the power of faith and the importance of concern for the sick and others in need.” read a statement from the Prime Minister’s office, “In ...read more

My morning routine always begins by checking the Holy See Press Office’s Bollettino, or its English counterpart, the Vatican Information Service. While not all of the communiqués seem relevant to my work—bishop appointments to Switzerland, the creation of a new diocese in Malaysia—other announcements can be electrifying. Like today, the Vatican hinted at the imminent ...read more

“Pray for my conversion.” I remember coming across these words when reading about Brother Andre Bessette, the pious porter who was known as the miracle maker of Mount Royal, in Quebec. It struck me as an odd statement. Brother Andre, proclaimed blessed in May 1982, was a very holy man. How could a living saint ...read more