A close look at our world as the year starts can only lead to great anxiety, but there is also room for much hope. The growing gap between rich and poor, the deterioration of our planet, famines and wars are cause for grave concern. And yet we see signs of hope: men and women are rising up and organizing to denounce abuse and propose change. From the Arab spring to the “Occupy” protesters, from ecology groups to pacifist militants, we are seeing more and more signs that make us hopeful and also give us a sense of solidarity based on our faith in Him who came to deliver us from evil.

 

Brother André was no stranger to trying times; he lived through the First World War and the Great Depression of 1929. The people who came to see him had their personal dramas as well as all the problems of living through these crises. But with his simple words he allowed them to hope. The accounts of his devotion can help us keep our heads high and continue our own commitment to work toward a world that will be a faithful reflection of God’s plans for us.

Six days after welcoming the New Year, the Oratory pilgrims were invited to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Brother André’s death. On January 6, 2012 the pilgrims gathered in the Crypt Church where, 75 years earlier, close to a million men and women filed past the mortal remains of this saintly man who had spent his life welcoming and comforting those who came, day after day, to share their worries and their suffering with him.