[2] Pope Benedict XVI approved the decree of sainthood for Bessette on 19 February 2010, with the formal canonization taking place on 17 October 2010.

He was born Alfred Bessette in Mont-Saint-Grégoire, Canada East (Québec), a small town situated 40 kilometres (25 mi) southeast of Montreal.

In 1849, with employment scarce and his family living in poverty, Bessette's father moved to Farnham, Quebec to work as a lumberman, but was shortly thereafter killed by a falling tree.

While with the Nadeau family, Bessette attended catechetical lessons taught by his parish's pastor, André Provençal.

He decided to present Bessette to the Congregation of Holy Cross in Montreal, writing a note to the superior, "I'm sending you a saint.

"[6] Although he was initially rejected by the order because of frail health, Archbishop Ignace Bourget of Montreal intervened on his behalf, and in 1872, Bessette was accepted and entered the novitiate of the congregation, receiving the religious name of Brother André, by which he was known for the rest of his life.

[6] As tensions increased at the college with so many of the sick coming to see the porter, the school officials decided that Bessette could no longer continue with his ministry.

There were many religious in the Congregation of Holy Cross, teachers and parents of students at the College who supported him but many others opposed him and even considered him dangerous to the well-being of the school's reputation because they regarded him as a charlatan.

Others were concerned for the good health of the children, fearing the possibility of contagion in the school spread from diseases carried by the sick who frequented Bessette.

[19] On December 19, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI promulgated a decree recognizing a second miracle at Bessette's intercession,[20] and on October 17, 2010, formally declared sainthood for him.

[27][28] Several churches have also been named for Bessette, including ones in Ecorse, Michigan,[29] Laconia, New Hampshire,[30] Portland, Oregon, Vaughan, Ontario,[31] and Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania (now closed).