BROTHER ANDRE  BESSETTE - 

BEING SHOWN THE DOOR! 

Today January 6^th - is the feast of another North American Saint: Brother Andre Bessette [1845-1937]

He is known for his welcoming smile as the greeter doorkeeper at St. Joseph’s. So we too smile at his famous line: “When I joined this community, the superiors showed me the door, and I remained there for 40 years.”

I have a nice memory of taking a dream trip for my mom and dad  - to see the 3 Famous French Canadian Shrines: Sainte Anne de Beupre, then Cap-de-la-Madeline which was at the meeting spot of the St. Laurence and Saint-Maurice rivers in Quebec, and finally St. Joseph’s Oratory in Montreal.

We first went to Sainte Anne de Beupre - pictured right below this: 

Next we we went to Our Lady's shrine at Cap-de-la-Madeline. Here's a picture of the old shrine right below:

It was the late 1960’s. I remember my sister Peggy and I making fun of my mother who had to climb any long series of steps at a shrine on her knees. Just take a look at these steps at St. Joseph’s Oratory in Montreal - which was the 3^rd and last stop for us.

That was the first time I heard the name of Brother Andre.

Hearing about his life at this great shrine of St. Joseph impressed me. What grabbed me from moment one was that smile and that look of this Holy Cross Brother.  I was to see it in several Redemptorist brothers in my life time.

As I did yesterday for St. John Neumann, here is a short video I found on line about this neat  person - Brother André Bessette, C.S.C.