To Free from suffering following the example of Saint Brother André

Over the years, the Counseling Office of Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal, a space of welcome, of listening, and of compassion, has without question become a valuable service offered to people who are wounded, not necessarily physically – as was the case in the time of Brother André (1904 to 1937) — but rather psychically, psychologically, emotionally, affectively, morally, and religiously.

This unconditional acceptance in the name of Jesus is offered as Jesus did freely: open to everyone, without judgment, without partiality, no matter their race, their language, or their religious affiliation (Jew or pagan). His compassionate gaze deeply touched the hearts of the afflicted, flooding them with a surge of faith, hope, and limitless confidence.

At Saint Joseph’s Oratory, there are priests, religious women and men, and laypeople who are there to receive those wounded by life, (whether personally, professionally or relationally) to listen and sympathize with them, following the example of Saint Brother André. They provide comfort, support, and encouragement with a Word which liberates and heals, a Word which sparks hope and self-assurance.

Counselor and pilgrim examine and reflect upon certain events which have caused pain in the individuals’ past, thus affording a new lease on life in their quest for meaning, helping to identify within themselves the resources necessary to face the challenges they encounter. Then they can, with God’s help and with that of their guides, turn the page to rediscover gradually a new way of living marked by peace, joy, and serenity. As from a source of living water, a new vitality radiates from them, emerging from their passage toward pardon, and reconciliation with themselves, with others, and with God.

In the footsteps and in the spirit of Brother André, these helpers, concerned with interior peace for these persons, assist in easing the effects of their traumatic past, and encourage them to move toward a brighter future.