André Bessette
Canadian Catholic brother and saint (1845–1937)
Feast: 6 January (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Who they were
Alfred Bessette was born at Saint-Grégoire, south of Montreal, worked at Saint-Césaire and, like many young men of his time, spent a while in the factories of New England before returning home. He put his whole trust in his parish priest, André Provençal.
As Brother André of the Congregation of Holy Cross, a frail and sickly man, he became the apostle of St Joseph and had a great shrine built in his honour. He died on 6 January 1937, aged 91.
The miracles
The Dicastery's biography does not describe the miracles approved in the cause.
Why that counted as sanctity
A humble, sickly brother whose total trust in God and devotion to St Joseph drew countless people to prayer.
- Dicastery for the Causes of Saints - biography: André (Alfred) Bessette
- Wikidata Q517066 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — André Bessette (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.