Page 9 - Michael Journal 2020 March

u being united with God in prayer. His spare time was
spent either in the presbytery of the parish, talking to
Father Provencal, or in the church itself in the presence
of the Blessed Sacrament, absorbed in prayer for hours
at a time. It was during these years that he started what
was to be his lifelong habit — long, deep conversa-
tions with Saint Joseph. In his Epistle to the Philippians
(3:20), Saint Paul said, “Our conversation is in Heaven.”
For our little French Canadian pauper, these words
were not a pious platitude, but a beautiful reality.
To the U.S. and Back
About the year 1863, when he was eighteen years
old, he emigrated to the United States, thinking that the
milder climate of New England and the opportunities
for better employment would benefit his frail health.
He settled in Connecticut and worked in various towns
including Hartford, alternating higher paying, but more
strenuous, factory labor with less difficult, lower pay-
ing, farm work. Not much is known about this period
except that his vagabond existence never changed; it
seemed he would always be a wanderer.
Many years later, Brother Andre related an inci-
dent from his laboring years: One day, while working
in a field, he stopped momentarily to rest. As he leaned
on his rake for support, he asked Saint Joseph where
he would die. At that moment, he had not exactly a
vision, but a vivid daydream in which he saw a large
stone building with a cross on top. He had never seen
this building before, but received a definite mental im-
pression of its size, proportion, color and windows, all
of which suggested a barracks. Years later, the vision
was confirmed when he became the brother porter
of that very building — the College of Notre Dame in
Cote-des-Neiges.
Biographers have assumed that, since Brother
Andre actually died in a hospital in Saint Laurent and When the young Alfred Bessette joined the Holy
not the College of Notre Dame, he misinterpreted his Cross Brothers, he took the name of Brother Andre
dream. But this is not so, for the word “death” can in honor of the parish priest of St. Cesaire, Father
have many meanings, naturally as well as supernatur- Andre Provencal.
ally. Just as in the case of the Old Testament Joseph, it the beginning, for Alfred wanted to give himself com-
was in the mystical sense that this dream was fulfilled. pletely. Though as yet he had no plans for the reli-
Alfred did die at the College of Notre Dame. When a gious life, he knew that he would have to take leave
priest stood over him and pronounced, “Alfred Bes- of worldly affairs to enter a greater union with his
sette, henceforth thy name will be Brother Andre,” Beloved. It must have been a wondrous thing to see
Alfred Bessette died, cloaked in the black pall of the the pious young man begging for guidance, storming
religious habit, and Brother Andre, a religious of the Heaven with petition after petition, and offering up his
Holy Cross Congregation was born. many trials and sufferings in an effort to discern what
We will discuss his religious vocation soon his true vocation was.
enough. For now, let us continue with his travels: His prayers and supplications were answered. Not
After three years in the United States, the young way- long after his return to Canada, Alfred went to see his
farer returned to his native country, still a vagabond spiritual Father with whom he had kept contact during
and, by worldly standards, still a failure. But he came his travels, Father Provencal. The same loving, pater-
back weary of the world, for it had nothing to offer nal hand which guided Alfred to Saint Joseph while
him but distractions from the things of God. still a child, also brought him to his vocation. He didn’t
While in New England, his associates used to have to take his little one far. Across the street from
marvel at the fact that almost all of his spare time was Father Provencal’s parish Church was a new building
spent in prayer. Little did they know that this was only that had been built during the time Alfred was away

10 MICHAEL March/April 2020 www.michaeljournal.org