Brother Andre Canonized Today

CANONIZATION OF BLESSED ANDRE BESSETTE:

VATICAN CITY, 12 FEB 2010 (VIS) - In the Consistory Hall of the Vatican Apostolic Palace at 11 a .m. on Friday 19 February, an ordinary public consistory will be held for the canonization of Blessed Andre Bessette (nee Alfred), Canadian professed religious of the Congregation of the Holy Cross (1845-1937)

Some Limits Needed

My sister's letter in the Ottawa Citizen today


http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Some+limits+needed/2560671/story.html

The Ottawa Citizen February 13, 2010

Re: Don't ignore reproductive rights, Feb. 11.
Columnist Elizabeth Payne writes that "This government can't talk about improving global maternal health without talking about access to contraception and abortion." I think that she assumes our sad Canadian reality of no abortion law is a good thing and should now be exported to Third World countries, too.
Most Canadians, including many who call themselves pro-choice, believe that there should be some limits on abortion. As did the Supreme Court justices in their Morgentaler decision in 1988 when they said it was up to Parliament to provide protection for the unborn. Parliament, sadly, continues to not heed the Supreme Court's advice.
Then in an astonishing display of irony, Payne writes that "For Canada to lead a G8 campaign promoting maternal and child health in the poorest parts of the world that ignores reproductive rights would be both counterproductive and paternalistic."
For Canadians to impose our any-time, any-reason, or no-reason, abortion realities to Third World countries, takes the notion of being paternalistic to new lows.Patricia Maloney,

Ottawa
© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

Pat's Article on Lifenews January 19, 2010: Supporting Women in Canada Means Educating That Abortion Hurts Women

Recently the Pro-Choice Action Network (Pro-Can), decided to go on the offensive against Crises Pregnancy Centres , resulting in a scathing report condemning these centres in British Columbia, Canada.
My sister Patricia Maloney responded to their report with this excellent Article Supporting Women in Canada Means Educating That Abortion Hurts Women LifeNews January 19, 2010
which is posted at http://www.LifeNews.com/int1440.html
I urge you to take the time to read Pat's terrific editorial

Maureen

Mon Cher Oncle Andre

BESSETTE, ALFRED, named Brother André, lay brother of the Congregation of Holy Cross was born . 9 Aug. 1845 in the parish of Saint-Grégoire (Mont-Saint-Grégoire), Lower Canada, son of Isaac Bessette and Clothilde Foisy; died. 6 Jan. 1937 in Notre-Dame-de-l'Espérance hospital in Ville Saint-Laurent, Que.


Today January 6th we celebrate the life of one of Canada’s truly inspiring people, Alfred Bessette whom most Canadians know as Brother Andre. I remember many years ago my mother telling me that we were indirect descendants of Brother Andre and from a very early age I have always addressed him in my prayers as “mon cher oncle Andre”. Today I know that brother Andre was more likely a very distant cousin but I love to call him “mon cher oncle Andre” just the same and so when I ask him to pray for me and for my family and others I continue to address him in this manner. Through the years I have seen answers to many of my prayers which I credit to the intervention of my dear cousin. There are literally hundreds, if not thousands of Brother Andre’s relatives living in Ottawa today: i.e. the Maloney, Brousseau, Guillet, Toomey, and McCann families just to name a few. The way mom explained the connection is like this.

Mom’s grandfather Modeste Guillet’s mother’s maiden name was Marie Bessette. This is a small photo I have of my great grandfather on the left. What I was told many years ago was that Marie Bessette was the sister of Brother Andre’s Father Isaac Bessette. However, recently I have found that Isaac did not have any sisters and so this information was incorrect. Thankfully my cousin Valerie Lafleur's husband Claude recently unravelled the mystery and for this we are all grateful. Please see footnote below

In the year 2005 Elmridge Catholic School in Gloucester was considering changing the name of the school to Brother Andre Catholic School. This was initiated by former principle Maureen Atherton who is now retired. Coincidentally our grandson Kyle Marcotte, John’s son was attending the school the year of the name change. Also that year, my good friend Jennifer Snell had just begun her first year of teaching kindness classes with her dog Smokey http://www.thekindnessprogram.org/  in Ottawa Schools.  Dr. John Dorner who was the principle of Elmridge Catholic School had heard great things about the classes from Ms. Kimberley Giles the principle of Divine Infant School in Orleans and asked Jennifer if she would visit his school as well. On Jennifer’s last day at “Elmridge Catholic School” which was 23 March 2005, she told Principle John Dorner that one of his students Kyle Marcotte was an indirect descendant of Brother Andre ( I will explain how she came upon this information in the next paragraph) . Anyways, John Dorner was quite delighted to hear this bit of news and asked Kyle if he would say a little about Brother Andre at the School Board meeting when the matter of the name change would be discussed at an upcoming Spring meeting. When the time came Kyle did a great job and even got a standing ovation when he told everyone around the table the story of his humble cousin from Saint Gregoire D’Ibverville who later joined the Congregation of the Holy Cross.  
He took the name Brother Andre, and worked for many years as the porter of Notre Dame College which is situated across the Street from Saint Joseph’s Oratory which he founded.

As porter of the College, thousands of people came to know and love him and he instilled a great devotion to his best friend Saint Joseph to all who passed his way. When a miracle happened in the presence of Brother Andre, and there are countless stories of these, It was Saint Joseph, he would tell everybody, who should be thanked. He was just Saint Joseph’s little dog.

The sequence of events which led me to learn about the Name change for “Elmridge Catholic School” to “Brother Andre” was absolutely Divinely inspired and was connected to Jennifer’s visits there. On March 17th 2005 I decided to attend mass at Saint Patrick Basilica for their yearly Saint Patrick Day celebration. I sat near the front and in no time the place filled up. When Jennifer arrived she saw a seat next to someone wearing a red coat near the front. I looked up when she asked me if there was room for her. It was just then that she noticed it was me. I had met Jennifer the previous year during the Good Shepherd Parish trip to Ireland and the British Isles which was organized by their pastor Father Joe Muldoon. I hadn’t seen Jennifer for a while so we chatted a little before mass and it was then that I found out that Jennifer chose the feast of the Epiphany that year as her retirement date from the Military in order to spend more time in prayer and in doing God’s work. At that time I told Jennifer that January 6th is the day the Church honors Brother Andre since it is the day he died and I told her about my family connection to him. By coincidence I happened to have a book about him with me which I offered to her and which she was delighted to receive.. I do not remember why I had the book with me that day; probably just to have something to read before mass. Then the conversation went on where I mentioned to Jennifer that the school that my grandson Kyle attended, Elmridge Catholic School had a beautiful statue of Brother Andre in the front entrance and I wondered why. . At that point Jennifer told me that she taught kindness classes at that school earlier in the month and would be returning a few days later to see the remainder of the classes. She then told me about the wonderful Principle John Dorner telling her that they were in the process of changing the name of the school to Brother Andre Catholic School. The remainder of the story I have related in the second paragraph from the top of the page..

I love Brother Andre. I know he had a great sense of humour, he loved to garden and greet people wherever he was, whether it was in the garden or at the door and he had a heart as big as the sky and showed his love and concern to all who passed his way.  I  recently learned that he will be declared a saint by Pope Benedict XVI later on this year. For more about his life and works please go to this link on my website. http://sites.google.com/site/faithfulcatholics/Home/saints-and-blesseds/blessed-brother-andre and the Archbishop's Blog at this link http://archbishopterry.blogspot.com/2010/01/brother-andre-en-route-to-canonization.html

Blessed Alfred Bessette, pray for us.

Footnote:
Thank you Claude Lafleur ( husband of my cousin Valerie Lafleur -nee Toomey) for figuring this out!!!

Brother Andre's Connection to me
Jean-Bessette (b 27 Dec 1672, d 18 May 1751) and Madeleine Plamondon (b 22
Mar1682, d 5 May 1750).

Their children were:

Nom Naissance Décès Père Mère Époux(se)
Marie-Jeanne Bessette 09 Fév 1696 28 Mai 1697 J. Bessette M. Benoit
Marie-Charlotte Bessette 18 Avr 1702 01 Mai 1702 J. Bessette M. Plamondon
Marie-Josephe Bessette 09 Sept 1705 05 Avr 1752 J. Bessette M. Plamondon
Barre Louis-Jean

Madeleine-Charlotte Bessette 20 Mars 1708 J. Bessette M. Plamondon
Vincelet Jacques

Jean-Baptiste Bessette 28 Mars 1711 J. Bessette M. Plamondon Paquet
Marie-Anne

Jean-Francois Bessette 19 Mai 1714 J. Bessette M. Plamondon Girard
Marie-Josephte
Legrain Marguerite

Marie-Marguerite Bessette 20 Août 1716 J. Bessette M. Plamondon
Guillaume Bessette 24 Oct 1717 03 Mai 1763 J. Bessette M. Plamondon Paquet
Marguerite


Brother Andre (Alfred) descended from their son Jean-Francois and his spouse
Marguerite Legrain.
You descended from their son Guillaume Bessette and his spouse Marguerite
Paquet.

Brother André's ancestors:
Jean Bessette & Madeleine Plamondon
Jean-Francois Bessette & Marguerite Legrain
Joseph Bessette & Marie-Francoise Barrierre
Joseph Bessette & Angelique George
Isaac Bessette & Clothide Foisy
Alfred Bessette

Maureen's ancestors:
Jean Bessette & Madeleine Plamondon
Guillaume Bessette & Marguerite Paquet
Francois Bessette & Francoise Haines
Francois Xavier Bessette & Elizabeth Dubuc
Noel Bessette & Marie Desanges Goguet
Marie Bessette & Didace Guillet
Modeste Guillet & Adelaide Murphy
Marjory Guillet & Emile Brousseau
Elaine Brousseau & Jim Maloney
ME!!!
--------------------
Footnote 2

Many years ago my mother told me that the Guillet’s had made a family tree and that is how we learned that we were indirect descendants of Brother Andre. I have contacted some of the Guillet relatives but unfortunately I have not been able to get any more information on this. If you are aware of how I can see a copy of this family tree please send me an e-mail at mtward@magma.ca

Happy New Year everyone!

Happy New Year Mike, Debbie and Leo, John and Chantel, Chris and Adelaide, and to the grandchildren ( who are my pride and joy) Kyle, Christopher, Matthew, Daniel, Bailee and Emilee. And to my brother and sisters and Mikes brothers and sister and to their spouses and their children ( our nieces and nephews) all our aunts and uncles and cousins and their children and to all our friends, I will you all a very Happy and Prosperous New Year. May God bless you all !!!

Holy Family

Happy Feast of the Holy Family

Saint Juan Diego

 I took this from the Archbishop's Blog

Today's liturgical optional memorial is not found in our missals as it is of recent origin. His canonization by John Paul II took place a few days after the Holy Father concluded Toronto, Canada's World Youth Day, on July 31, 2002 in Mexico City.


Today's feast anticipates the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Saturday, a day of prayer acknowledging the spirituality of the Native Peoples of America.

St. Juan Diego was born in 1474 in Cuauhtitlan, located 20 kilometers north of Mexico City.

On December 9, 1531, a native Mexican named Juan Diego rose before dawn to walk fifteen miles to daily Mass in what is now Mexico City. Juan lived a simple life as a weaver, farmer, and laborer. That morning, as Juan passed Tepeyac Hill, he heard music and saw a glowing cloud encircled by a rainbow.

A woman's voice called him to the top of the hill. There he saw a beautiful young woman dressed like an Aztec princess. She said she was the Virgin Mary and asked Juan to tell the bishop to build a church on that site. She said, "I vividly desire that a church be built on this site, so that in it I can be present and give my love, compassion, help, and defense, for I am your most devoted mother . . . to hear your laments and to remedy all your miseries, pains, and sufferings."

The bishop was kind but skeptical. He asked Juan to bring proof of the Lady's identity. Before Juan could go back to the Lady, he found out his uncle was dying. Hurrying to get a priest, Juan missed his meeting with the Lady. The Lady, however, met him on his path and told him that his uncle had been cured.

She then told Juan to climb to the top of the hill where they first met. Juan was shocked to find flowers growing in the frozen soil. He gathered them in his cloak and took them at once to the bishop.

Juan told the bishop what had happened and opened his cloak. The flowers that fell to the ground were Castilian roses (which were not grown in Mexico). But the bishop's eyes were on the glowing image of the Lady imprinted inside Juan's cloak.

Soon after, a church was built on the site where our Lady appeared, and thousands converted to Christianity. Our Lady of Guadalupe was declared the patroness of the Americas.

He died on May 30, 1548, at the age of 74.

Juan Diego deeply loved the Holy Eucharist, and by special permission of the Bishop he received Holy Communion three times a week, a highly unusual occurrence in those times.

Pope John Paul II praised Juan Diego for his simple faith nourished by catechesis and pictured him (who said to the Blessed Virgin Mary: “I am a nobody, I am a small rope, a tiny ladder, the tail end, a leaf”) as a model of humility for all of us.

Pope John Paul II's homily during Juan Diego's canonization


I thank you, Father ... that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes; yea, Father, for such was your gracious will" (Mt 11:25-26).

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
These words of Jesus in today's Gospel are a special invitation to us to praise and thank God for the gift of the first indigenous Saint of the American Continent.

With deep joy I have come on pilgrimage to this Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Marian heart of Mexico and of America, to proclaim the holiness of Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, the simple, humble Indian who contemplated the sweet and serene face of Our Lady of Tepeyac, so dear to the people of Mexico....
Today I address a very affectionate greeting to the many indigenous people who have come from the different regions of the country, representing the various ethnic groups and cultures which make up the rich, multifaceted Mexican reality. The Pope expresses his closeness to them, his deep respect and admiration, and receives them fraternally in the Lord's name.

What was Juan Diego like? Why did God look upon him? The Book of Sirach, as we have heard, teaches us that God alone "is mighty; he is glorified by the humble" (cf. Sir 3:20). Saint Paul's words, also proclaimed at this celebration, shed light on the divine way of bringing about salvation: "God chose what is low and despised in the world ... so that no human being might boast in the presence of God" (1 Cor 1:28,29).
It is moving to read the accounts of Guadalupe, sensitively written and steeped in tenderness. In them the Virgin Mary, the handmaid "who glorified the Lord" (Lk 1:46), reveals herself to Juan Diego as the Mother of the true God. As a sign, she gives him precious roses, and as he shows them to the Bishop, he discovers the blessed image of Our Lady imprinted on his tilma.

"The Guadalupe Event," as the Mexican Episcopate has pointed out, "meant the beginning of evangelization with a vitality that surpassed all expectations. Christ's message, through his Mother, took up the central elements of the indigenous culture, purified them and gave them the definitive sense of salvation" (14 May 2002, No. 8).

Consequently Guadalupe and Juan Diego have a deep ecclesial and missionary meaning and are a model of perfectly inculturated evangelization.

"The Lord looks down from heaven, he sees all the sons of men" (Ps 33:13), we recited with the Psalmist, once again confessing our faith in God, who makes no distinctions of race or culture.

In accepting the Christian message without forgoing his indigenous identity, Juan Diego discovered the profound truth of the new humanity, in which all are called to be children of God. Thus he facilitated the fruitful meeting of two worlds and became the catalyst for the new Mexican identity, closely united to Our Lady of Guadalupe, whose mestizo face expresses her spiritual motherhood which embraces all Mexicans.
This is why the witness of his life must continue to be the inspiration for the building up of the Mexican nation, encouraging brotherhood among all its children and ever helping to reconcile Mexico with its origins, values, and traditions.

The noble task of building a better Mexico, with greater justice and solidarity, demands the cooperation of all. In particular, it is necessary today to support the indigenous peoples in their legitimate aspirations, respecting and defending the authentic values of each ethnic group. Mexico needs its indigenous peoples and these peoples need Mexico!

Beloved bothers and sisters of every ethnic background of Mexico and America, today, in praising the Indian Juan Diego, I want to express to all of you the closeness of the Church and the Pope, embracing you with love and encouraging you to overcome with hope the difficult times you are going through.
At this decisive moment in Mexico's history, having already crossed the threshold of the new millennium, I entrust to the powerful intercession of Saint Juan Diego the joys and hopes, the fears and anxieties of the beloved Mexican people, whom I carry in my heart.

Blessed Juan Diego, a good, Christian Indian, whom simple people have always considered a saint! We ask you to accompany the Church on her pilgrimage in Mexico, so that she may be more evangelizing and more missionary each day. Encourage the Bishops, support the priests, inspire new and holy vocations, help all those who give their lives to the cause of Christ and the spread of his Kingdom.

Happy Juan Diego, true and faithful man! We entrust to you our lay brothers and sisters so that, feeling the call to holiness, they may imbue every area of social life with the spirit of the Gospel. Bless families, strengthen spouses in their marriage, sustain the efforts of parents to give their children a Christian upbringing. Look with favor upon the pain of those who are suffering in body or in spirit, on those afflicted by poverty, loneliness, marginalization, or ignorance. May all people, civic leaders and ordinary citizens, always act in accordance with the demands of justice and with respect for the dignity of each person, so that in this way peace may be reinforced.

Beloved Juan Diego, "the talking eagle"! Show us the way that leads to the "Dark Virgin" of Tepeyac, that she may receive us in the depths of her heart, for she is the loving, compassionate Mother who guides us to the true God. Amen