Page 10 - Michael Journal 2020 March

Brother Andre’s first assignment was as

the porter of the Congregation of Holy Cross
brothers’ college in Montreal, a position he

held for almost forty years. As he jokingly re-
marked: “When I joined the Congregation of
Holy Cross, they showed me the door... and I

stayed there for forty years!”

from Saint Cesaire. The building was a school where his superiors and respected by the brothers. During
some eighty pupils were taught by six brothers, mem- the novitiate he progressed in the spiritual life under
bers of a fledgling religious congregation known as his spiritual director, Father Hupier, and in the reli-
the Congregation of the Holy Cross. gious life under his novice master, Father Gastineau.
Acceptance and profession He also learned to read, a skill which he applied with
great fervor to the Holy Scriptures and the Imitation of
Alfred’s meeting with these brothers was an Christ, as well as to the lives of the saints. As part of
event of singular importance. He was impressed by the Holy Cross religious formation, novices were re-
them; their black habit with Roman collar, cincture quired to memorize the entire Sermon on the Mount.
and medal of Saint Joseph, their manly bearing and But Brother Andre didn’t stop there. In later years, he
devotion all attracted him. Nevertheless, he was nerv- memorized the Passion of Our Lord as it is contained
ous. These men were educated; they ran a school — in each of the four Gospels, being able to recite the
just the six of them — with eighty children. Alfred was entire Passion word for word according to whichever
still an illiterate. But Father Provencal soon relieved Evangelist he wished. In addition to this, he had whole
him of that worry, assuring his young friend there was sections of many spiritual books memorized.
a need in the order for janitors and manual laborers. As it would happen, one area of his life which did
His fears allayed, Alfred soon came fully to desire the not improve during the novitiate was Brother Andre’s
life which he saw before him in these six men. miserable health. It was so bad that he was not al-
On the brothers’ part, however, there was reser- lowed to make his temporary vows as a Holy Cross
vation. Could this frail little one actually live up to the brother. There was even talk of dismissing him from
great rigor of religious life? Could he take the forma- the community. Naturally, this upset the frail little ser-
tion that they had all been through? Was his apparent vant of God, who wanted to work out his salvation as
piety enough to overcome such deficiencies? These a religious. Desperate to save his vocation, he took
were real concerns for the brothers, though they did advantage of a visit by Bishop Bourget, the bishop of
not express them to the lad. They simply answered Montreal, to the college. Overcoming his timidity, the
the questions Alfred asked about their rule, their his- novice knocked on the door of the prelate’s room and,
tory, and their devotion to the Holy Patriarch, Saint once admitted inside, threw himself at the feet of his
Joseph. Without discouraging him, they said nothing Excellency. In tears, he explained the situation. To-
to indicate any desire that he join them. wards the end of the conversation, the young brother
Alfred was not at all put off by the brothers’ lack of humbly declared, “My only ambition is to serve God
enthusiasm. As was already his common practice, he in the most obscure tasks.” The bishop, having heard
sought Divine Assistance to overcome this challenge all he needed, said, “Don’t be afraid, child. You will
and prayed all the more. Then, in 1870, he made up be admitted to the religious profession.” He was true
his mind that, if they would have him, he would join to his word; Brother Andre made his profession on
the Congregation. They accepted him into the noviti- August 22, 1872.
ate in Cote-des-Neiges, and he took the habit of the Our Lady’s Porter
order. The novice master, Father Gastineau, gave him His first assignment was as porter of the College
a great welcome. Perhaps he was expecting much of of Notre-Dame-du-Sacre-Coeur in Cote-des-Neiges,
the new arrival, because before Brother Andre got to the same college where he spent much of his novi-
the novitiate, the novice master received a letter from tiate. This was the position he held for nearly forty
Father Provencal which said, “I am sending a saint to years. As is common in the lives of all of the saints —
your Congregation.” and, indeed, in the lives of all men — there was never
Brother Andre was a good novice, well liked by a time when he was without crosses, some of them u

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