A new saint for North America!

Earlier today, it was announced that Holy Cross Brother Andre Bessette, C.S.C. would be canonized a saint next October 17th!

Here's the text of the announcement from the CSC site:

Friday, February 19, 2010
The Congregation's First Saint!
Earlier today, in Rome, the Holy Father announced that Blessed Brother Andre Bessette, C.S.C. will become the first saint of the Congregation of Holy Cross when he is canonized on October 17, 2010.

Announcing this great news, our Superior General, Most Rev. Hugh Cleary, C.S.C. said:

"Our entire Congregation of Holy Cross rejoices with the universal Church: Brother Andre, the miracle worker of Montreal, is the first formally recognized saint among us! Brother Andre’s early life was marked by physical frailty, poverty, illiteracy and family tragedy. Amidst them all, prayer was his peace and joy. His parish priest encouraged the orphaned Andre to seek the consecrated life as his vocation for he believed it was there that Andre would find his true home and deepest fulfillment. In recommending Andre, his pastor told the Congregation of Holy Cross that he was sending them a saint. And so it was. God chooses the weak and makes them strong. Andre was strong in faith, mighty in zeal. His humility allowed the healing strength of God to fill his being and thus bring healing to others. Through the intercession of St. Joseph, Brother Andre taught us all to pray and so to find the strength needed to live our lives in the truth of God’s love."


As you might expect this news is garnering significant attention in the Catholic world, and in the press in Canada. For more information, you can see articles at CNS, and at the University of Notre Dame's website, among many others.


Please join us in giving prayerful thanks to God for the sterling example and faithful intercessor He has given us in our Brother Andre Bessette. Let us also pray through Brother Andre's intercession, and through that of St. Joseph, that the Congregation of Holy Cross will be blessed with many more vocations to the religious life.