Why is St. André the Patron of our Conference?
Saint of our Land and our Times
- St. Brother André Bessette is the first male Canadian born saint – so he is truly the saint of this land
- He is a recent saint who died less than 100 years ago in 1937 and canonized in 2010 – that is just 14 years ago
Embodied JY Missionary Spirit
- St. Brother André was a missionary disciple joining in the mission of the Congregation of Holy Cross (CSC – Congrégation de Sainte-Croix)
- He fulfilled his mission in blooming where he was planted. Although he did not travel much, the impact of his ministry radiated to many souls near and far
- He was a man of simplicity and humility, yet one with great zeal for God’s kingdom – following in the footsteps of St. Joseph and not too dissimilar to the style of St. Francis of Assisi
Man of Relationships - Primary Conference Theme
- St. Brother André completely invested in his relationship with Jesus, Mary and especially St. Joseph
- He invited others into that relationship and renewed their faith and brought healing to many
- With a caring attitude and spending time listening he built up deep relationships even though the encounters were short
- Through the years of relationship building he was able to unite people for a common cause as attested through the millions of dollars that poured in to build St. Joseph’s Oratory and the millions of people that attended his funeral!
May St. Brother André’s life inspire us too in our relationships with God and each other and let us seek his intercession and the intercession of St. Joseph in our mission to build God’s kingdom at the service of the Church in Canada!
