St. Andre Bessette Novena
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Show HideSt. Andre Bessette was a member of the Holy Cross Brothers religious order. He lived in the 1800s in Canada, and he suffered from difficult physical ailments throughout his life.
St. Andre Bessett also had a deep devotion to St. Joseph. Through this devotion, St. Andre Bessett was credited with thousands of miraculous healing during his lifetime!
You can use this novena to seek intercession from St. Andre Bessett in your own life!
About St. Andre Bessette
St. Andre Bessette was born in 1845 in Quebec as Alfred Bessette. His parents were of the working class, and he was the eighth of twelve children. Four of his siblings died when they were infants.
Alfred was very sickly and frail from his infancy. When he was nine years old, his father died in an accident at his job as a lumberman. Three years later, Alfred’s mother died of tuberculosis.
As a young man, Alfred’s chronic stomach pain made it impossible for him to hold a job for very long. He traveled between farms and shops looking for work to sustain him, but he was always fired quickly when employers realized how little work he was able to do.
Alfred’s pastor recognized qualities of holiness in Alfred. He sent Alfred to the Holy Cross Brothers in 1870 when Alfred was twenty-five years old. He sent with Alfred a note that said, “I am sending you a saint.”
The Holy Cross Brothers were reluctant to accept Alfred. They were a teaching order, and Alfred did not know how to read or write.
Alfred did not know where else he could go. But he also believed that he belonged in this order. The Brothers agreed to accept him into the novitiate, but they soon discovered that he was not strong enough to do much work. They asked him to leave the order.
In desperation, Alfred appealed to the bishop. The bishop intervened and ensured that Alfred was able to stay in the order and profess his vows. Alfred took the religious name Brother Andre.
As a member of the Holy Cross Brothers, Andre was given the duties of porter, sacristan, laundry worker, and messenger.
Andre had a deep devotion to St. Joseph. He recommended prayer to St. Joseph for everyone he encountered who was in need of help or healing. Many sick people claimed to have been cured through Andre’s prayers, but Andre gave all credit to St. Joseph’s intercession.
Andre volunteered to nurse the sick when an epidemic broke out at a college nearby. No one afflicted with the disease died. He again attributed the healings to St. Joseph, but Andre’s fame as a healer began to spread.
He was soon receiving eighty thousand letters a year. His devotion to St. Joseph helped bring others to spiritual renewal and healing as well.
When Andre died at age ninety-one, a million people came to see his body. He was canonized in 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI.
St. Andre Bessette’s Feast Day: January 6th
Why Pray the St. Andre Bessette Novena?
Though there is no official patronage for St. Andre Bessette, he can be a great saint to pray to for a lot of reasons!
You can ask for St. Andre Bessette’s intercession if you suffer from poor health, especially chronic stomach pain, since he suffered greatly from chronic stomach pain.
You can also seek his intercession while searching for employment or attempting to keep your job, since his poor health made it difficult for him to keep any job for very long.
St. Andre Bessette is also a great saint to pray to if you’re hoping to enter religious life or are having trouble pursuing a religious vocation, as he was almost turned away from entrance to the Holy Cross Brothers.
You can pray the St. Andre Bessette Novena for any intention!
St. Andre Bessette Novena Prayers
St. Andre Bessette Novena - Day 1
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us Your servant, St. Andre Bessette, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the openness to Your will and desire to serve You that led him to pursue a religious vocation.
St. Andre Bessette, you began on the path to holiness early on in your life. Your parish priest recognized in you the characteristics of holiness and the virtues of a saint. You had a deep desire to serve God in religious life, even though the path to this vocation was difficult.
Please bring my petitions before God Whom you served so devotedly!
Despite your physical difficulties with the work required of you, you persevered in pursuing your vocation. Even when your superiors were ready to turn you away, you did not give up on the path you felt called to.
Pray for me, that I may persevere in serving God despite all difficulties in my life. Pray that I may never weary of seeking to serve Him fully.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Andre Bessette, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Andre Bessette Novena - Day 2
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us Your servant, St. Andre Bessette, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the holiness he showed throughout his life of service to You amidst chronically poor health.
St. Andre Bessette, you suffered from poor health from the time of your infancy. As a young man, your poor health prevented you from remaining at any job for very long. Despite your physical struggles, you continued to serve God faithfully.
Please be faithful in presenting my prayer intentions to God!
Your poor health nearly prevented you from pursuing your religious vocation. But rather than wallow in your sufferings, you persevered in seeking to serve God.
Pray for me, that I may never allow any sufferings to deter me from serving God. Pray that I may be faithful despite all obstacles.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Andre Bessette, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Andre Bessette Novena - Day 3
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us Your servant, St. Andre Bessette, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the holiness he showed in seeking to serve You from the time he was a young man alone in the world.
St. Andre Bessette, you lost both your parents by the time you were twelve years old. You did not have the benefit of loving parents to care for you throughout much of your youth. Despite this lack, you grew to be a faithful servant of God.
Please present my prayer petitions before the throne of God with such faithfulness!
Despite the trials of sickness with no one to care for you, you grew to such holiness that your parish priest recognized your saintliness. You continued on in this path of holiness throughout the rest of your life as you served God in the Holy Cross Brothers.
Pray for me, that I may never allow sufferings or lack of help to prevent me from serving God. Pray that I may continue striving for sanctity throughout my whole life.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Andre Bessette, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Andre Bessette Novena - Day 4
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us Your servant, St. Andre Bessette, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the holiness he showed in seeking to serve You worthily amidst a constant struggle with chronic pain.
St. Andre Bessette, you suffered from poor health your entire life. Your chronic stomach pain was so severe that it prevented you from being able to consistently hold a job. Rather than wallow in your sufferings, you persevered in seeking to serve God.
Please persevere in bringing my intentions before the throne of God!
Your chronic pain made you too weak to even perform many of the duties assigned to you in your life among the Holy Cross Brothers. But you never gave in to bitterness or despair. Instead you continued to serve God to the best of your ability.
Pray for me, that I may never wallow in my sufferings or give in to bitterness. Pray that I may seek to grow closer to God in any sufferings I may face.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Andre Bessette, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Andre Bessette Novena - Day 5
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us Your servant, St. Andre Bessette, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the holiness he showed in continuing to serve You despite a lifetime of suffering so harsh that he had difficulty working.
St. Andre Bessette, you suffered from poor health and chronic pain throughout your life. Because of this, you were turned away from many jobs. Despite these struggles, you continued to serve God faithfully.
Please continue to bring my petitions before God!
Your struggles in keeping a job were not over when you attempted to enter religious life. Even among the Holy Cross Brothers, you were nearly turned out once again. But you persevered in seeking to follow God’s will.
Pray for me, that I may always seek to follow God’s will in my life no matter what obstacles I may face. Pray that I may never allow difficulties to deter me from serving God.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Andre Bessette, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Andre Bessette Novena - Day 6
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us Your servant, St. Andre Bessette, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the holiness he showed throughout his struggles in losing one position of employment after another.
St. Andre Bessette, your early life was filled with troubles and hardships resulting from the chronic stomach pain you endured. Your condition made it difficult for you to perform work satisfactorily, and you lost several jobs. But despite these trials, you persevered in holiness.
Please persevere in presenting my petitions before God!
Though you were nearly sent away from your religious vocation as well, you sought a way to continue serving God in religious life.
Pray for me, that I may continue to serve God in my own vocation, no matter what obstacles may stand in my way. Pray that I may be faithful amidst all struggles I may face.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Andre Bessette, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Andre Bessette Novena - Day 7
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us Your servant, St. Andre Bessette, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the holiness he showed in his tireless faith and devotion to St. Joseph.
St. Andre Bessette, you had a deep love and devotion to the foster father of Christ. You turned to St. Joseph frequently in your life as you sought to be a faithful servant of God.
Please continue to present my prayer petitions before the throne of God!
When you faced difficult and impossible situations, you sought St. Joseph’s intercession. When his intercession brought about the healing of many people afflicted with illness, you made sure that all knew it came about through St. Joseph’s intercession.
Pray for me, that I may grow in my devotion to St. Joseph and to all the saints. Pray that I may remember to turn to the saints when I am in need.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Andre Bessette, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Andre Bessette Novena - Day 8
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us Your servant, St. Andre Bessette, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the holiness he showed in volunteering to nurse those who were suffering from infectious disease.
St. Andre Bessette, you volunteered to nurse the sick when an epidemic broke out at a college nearby. Though this must have been an unpleasant task, you sought to serve God in whatever way you were able.
Please continue to bring my petitions before God Whom you served!
None of the sick whom you nursed died from their disease. Rather than take credit for the healings yourself, you made sure that all knew St. Joseph’s intercession brought this about.
Pray for me, that I may always remain a humble instrument of God. Pray that I may never seek glory for myself and may be eager to tell of God’s glory instead.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Andre Bessette, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
St. Andre Bessette Novena - Day 9
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us Your servant, St. Andre Bessette, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the holiness he showed in continually seeking to serve You throughout his life filled with suffering.
St. Andre Bessette, you suffered a lot from your lifelong physical ailments. Despite the many difficulties your condition brought to all areas of your life, you continued to serve God faithfully.
Please continue to be faithful in presenting my petitions before God!
As you lived your life serving God among the Holy Cross Brothers, you became well-known for the miraculous healings your prayers helped bring about. Through your devotion to St. Joseph, you helped bring many people to spiritual renewal.
Pray for me, that I may always seek to bring others to God. Pray that I may never miss the opportunity to help others find Christ.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Andre Bessette, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.