Little Brother André, who built that very big Basilica of St Joseph on Mount Royal, Montreal, has now had the introduction of his beatification cause discussed by the cardinals and prelates of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, though he died only 18 years ago.
At the same time the Congregation discussed the introduction of the cause of Fr Basil Moreau, founder of Brother André’s community, the Congregation of the Holy Cross. Fr Moreau died 82 years ago.
Brother André began the work of founding St Joseph’s Basilica about 50 years ago. Now it is visited every year by about 3,000,000 pilgrims. It has a medical bureau like the one at Lourdes for the investigation of cures claimed at the shrine.
The church was raised to the rank of a basilica by the Holy Father this year, which is being celebrated in Canada as the Year of St Joseph.
Brother André, born in Canada, was 92 when he died.
Fr Moreau, born in France, died when Brother André was about 28. He, too, came of a poor family. He founded an institute for poor priests, and his congregation developed out of it.
From The Catholic Herald, March 25, 1955