Frère André, né Alfred Bessette

August 9^th, 1845 - January 6^th, 1937

A lay brother from Quebec (Canada) credited with thousands of miraculous healings

Brother André, a member of a Canadian religious order, was credited with many miraculous healings. He has been recognized as a saint by the Catholic Church since October 17, 2010. As a child, he suffered from fragile health and was orphaned when he was 12. Alfred Bessette, known as Saint Brother André, had a limited education. However, he donned the religious habit in 1870 and worked as a porter at Notre-Dame College in Montréal. As of 1877, miraculous healings were observed in his community. The reputation of the 'little Brother' (he was barely 5 foot tall) spread rapidly by word of mouth, and he became a popular hero. More and more visitors came to see him and a project was launched to build a chapel to receive them. A few years later, the chapel was replaced by a basilica dedicated to Saint Joseph—the Saint-Joseph Oratory—which attracts some 2 million visitors each year.