Born near Montreal in 1845, his Baptismal name was Alfred and he was the eighth of twelve children, but four of his siblings died in infancy. 

His father, Isaac, was a carpenter and lumberjack and his mother, Clothilde, taught the children from home. 

When he was four years old his father was killed by a falling tree and then, at the age of twelve, Alfred’s mother died of tuberculosis, leaving him and his siblings orphans. 

A local family took him in and he found work as a farmhand. 

From there he worked as a shoemaker, blacksmith, and even went to work in the U.S. during the Civil War. 

Finally, a local Pastor noticed Alfred’s great devotion to The Lord and recommended him to The Congregation of The Holy Cross in Montreal with a letter saying; “I am sending you a Saint.” 

Initially rejected because of his poor health he was accepted in 1872 after the Bishop intervened, and he took the name “Andre”. 

He was given the job of doorkeeper at Notre Dame College in Montreal, where he also worked as a Sacristan, messenger, and housekeeper. 

He prayed constantly and had a special devotion to St. Joseph. He also spent time with the sick, praying with them, and blessing them with oil. 

In time Andre became known for his gift of healing but he would say; ”I did not cure. St. Joseph cures.” 

Still, requests came pouring in by mail, in time more than 80 thousand, and with the help of four secretaries, Andre was able to respond to them all. 

He also helped his congregation buy land for an Oratory to be built on nearby Mount Royal. 

When the owners would not sell that land, Andre and others climbed the hill and planted medals of St. Joseph in the ground. Suddenly, the owners changed their minds. 

When the construction stalled, Andre placed a statue of St. Joseph in the middle of where the Chapel would be and, ultimately, the construction resumed. 

It took fifty years but the Oratory was finally finished, thirty years after his death. 

Andre died on this day in 1937 and is buried in the Oratory. 

St. Andre Bissette, please pray for us.