SAINT BROTHER ANDRÉ
Oratory of Saint
Joseph
He was a small man – not overly
educated –
always delicate – precarious
health.
He knew his weaknesses –
but always told people – he
prayed without cease.
With the years, prayer overcame
weaknesses. People noticed
something –
came to talk with him – shared
their problems of life – looked
for advice.
Many came physically sick –
Brother André
healed them. With time, many
healings occurred.
He became known as a healer.
Those healed, left their
crutches – medical wrappings
behind.
Brother André had a dream –
he loved St. Joseph – wanted a
basilica
in his honor.
For years, he travelled far and
wide –
amassing funds for a basilica.
He never saw it finished – but
knew it would be one day.
It was completed after his death
– I am sure
he is happy to see his dream
come true. Each year, thousands
come to visit and honor St.
Joseph –
touch the tombstone of Brother
André.
Newspapers estimate – one million
people
came to his wake and funeral.
Brother André touched many
people’s lives – still does
today.
Crowds come to the basilica –
touch his
tombstone. He continues his work
–
sign of life in a desperate
world.
Robert
Trabold
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CANADIAN PILGRIMAGE
Robert Trabold
At the beginning of September, I had the opportunity
to make a two week pilgrimage to Québec, Canada visiting the various shrines
along the St. Lawrence River. It was a contemplative pilgrimage because I went
by myself and not with a group; I tried to be for most part silent in my visits
to the various shrines. I repeated my usual mantra and watched my breathing in
order to touch God’s presence. In Québec city, I visited the burial chapel of
Mary of the Incarnation, a remarkable and relatively unknown mystic who reached
the heights of contemplative prayer. To me she was the Theresa of Avila of
North America. I spent two days of silence there not saying too much because I
knew that Mary knew all the problems that I brought on this trip and the
problems of my world. I then drove to Trois Rivières where I visited the famous
shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary who appeared there to several people in the
19th century. Over the years, the place became very famous and many people went
there. The shrine was situated on the vast and mighty St. Lawrence River. The
sky is very blue in that part of the world and makes the river also deep blue.
For this reason, I have called this area Mary’s country because of the intense
blue in nature. I was silent and felt God’s presence in the lovely setting of
the church on the banks of the river. I spent many hours of silent prayer in
the ancient chapel where the apparitions of the Virgin took place. I felt her
presence acutely which gave me confidence that she was happy that I made such a
long trip and would remember my concerns and the problems of the world and
bring us more peace. The interior of the basilica on the grounds was very
beautiful and the dim atmosphere from the deep red and blue stained glass
windows gave an aura of mystery which led me into silent prayer.
The last leg of my pilgrimage was
five days spent in Montréal where I visited various shrines. I went to one of
the most celebrated Canadian ones, the Oratory of Saint Joseph, which had the
burial chapel of St. Brother André. The latter was a remarkable man. People
came from all over the world to talk to him about their problems and he had the
gift of healing them from their physically aliments. The church walls had many
of the crutches that people have left behind upon their cure. At the time of
his death, the newspapers reported that one million people came to his wake and
funeral. I felt the power of this saint when I was in his burial chapel and
touched with other people the marble of his tomb stone. There was an acute
silence in that room which lead me to believe that Brother André was there and
was aware of all my problems and those of the world. I did not say many words
but just let the silence touch me and lead me into the presence of the divine.
In contemplative prayer, silence is the language of God. I also had the
opportunity to visit a lovely chapel devoted to St. Padre Pio, a modern
structure and very beautiful in the interior. Like the Marian shrine in Trois
Rivières, it was situated in lovely grounds which added to its sense of
holiness. I was very touched by the statue of Padre Pio to the right of the
altar and felt a great silence coming from it. He was a man like Saint Brother
André who touched many people helping them with their problems and healing them
of their infirmities. I sat there many hours in silence repeating my mantra and
watching my breathing. I intensely felt the presence of the saint and Jesus. It
gave me confidence that they have not forgotten us and would bring more justice
and peace to our world.
In making this pilgrimage to a
foreign country and distant from my home in New York City, I was physically
away from my daily life and concerns. In
this distance, a space opened up where Jesus then was able to enter into and
was with me in silence. Prayer was not too difficult and although distractions
never left me, I was able to rest in silence and meet the Beloved Jesus who was
happy that I made the effort to visit these holy places in a distant land. He
entered this space which the pilgrimage made and both of us met. It was
presence meeting presence and I met Jesus, the Virgin and the saints in a
special way.
This intense encounter with the
divine and the saints reminded me also that this journey would end after two
weeks and that I would continue in the future my pilgrimage of life. I came
back home and my life with all its joys and concerns were there. I realized
that my years on earth were a pilgrimage and I was travelling on to my eternal
home. The earth was not my true home but a temporary one. I hope that in my journey
on earth, the encounters that I had with Jesus and the saints in Québec, Canada,
will give me the strength and faith to continue on this trip. I need to be
faithful each day to my practice of contemplative prayer and be active to make
our world more of a place of justice and peace.
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