Brother André: Salt + Light celebrates canonization of Brother André with new documentaries and launch of daily Mass from St. Joseph’s Oratory

Matthew Harrison

September 21, 2010
Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation will launch three media projects directly linked to Brother André, the Canadian hero who will be proclaimed a saint by Pope Benedict XVI on October 17 at the Vatican. The new projects include French and English-language documentaries as well as the broadcast of a daily Mass in French from the crypt of St. Joseph’s Oratory, the world-renowned shrine founded by Brother André Bessette in 1904. All projects will be introduced this October in time for the canonization of Brother André and in conjunction with the inauguration of Salt + Light’s first bureau in Quebec.
FrreAndr425“Brother André was devoted to the Eucharist and there could be no better way to celebrate his canonization than to offer daily mass in French to our television audience across Canada, especially to the people of his beloved Quebec Province," says Father Thomas Rosica, CSB, CEO of Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation. “Our upcoming documentaries on the life of St. André of Montreal, in addition to our coverage of the events surrounding his canonization, will help us to appreciate even more the great gift that Brother André has been to the Church in Canada.”
“The relationship between our archdiocese and Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation has been one of the most positive and strongest affiliations I have experienced throughout my time as Archbishop,” says Jean-Claude Cardinal Turcotte, Archbishop of Montreal. “Like many, I have grown accustomed to tuning in to Salt + Light Television for quality documentaries, programs, daily information and liturgies. I am delighted that they have devoted some of the limited resources of their foundation to telling the story of Brother André and that they are investing in Quebec.”
God’s Doorkeeper
Directed by a team of filmmakers at Salt + Light led by Mary-Rose Bacani, Sébastien Lacroix and Marc Boudignon, these two high-definition productions take viewers to the heart of Brother André’s universal story of charity, holiness and hope. Shot and produced over the summer months, the documentaries feature an exclusive line-up of interviews and footage filmed in Quebec, New Hampshire, Indiana, Oregon and Rome. Interviews include those who continue Brother André’s legacy, as well as individuals who were touched by his healing and extraordinary compassion.
The documentaries are available for purchase at the Salt + Light Online Store, at an introductory price of $19.95.
CANADA/BASILICANational broadcast of daily mass (in French) from St. Joseph’s Oratory
On October 19, Salt + Light Television will premiere a broadcast of the daily Mass from the crypt of Saint Joseph’s Oratory, to air live, Monday through Saturday, at 8:30 am with a repeat in the afternoon. This long-awaited Mass has been made possible thanks to a generous donation by To God Go Foundation, a Montreal-based registered charity established by J.-Robert Ouimet that is devoted, in large part, to conveying the teachings and beauty of the Catholic faith through electronic media.
“It’s thanks to supporters like J.-Robert Ouimet and the Supreme Council of the Knights of Columbus, that we can offer of message of hope and charity to our viewers and supporters,” says Fr. Rosica. “Without their contributions, as well as the support of Saint Joseph’s Oratory and the Congregation of Holy Cross, we could not have launched these exciting and much-needed initiatives which are accessible to all through the miracle of modern media.”
To help people learn more about Brother André and stay informed on ceremonies and developments related to his canonization, Salt + Light has launched a special online microsite, saltandlighttv.org/brotherandre (you can also see a trailer of the documentary here).