In Loving Memory of a Cherished Reader

I am leaving Montreal in a few days for New Brunswick. As a result, I have been trying to do various activities. One thing I’ve wanted to do for a long time is to visit Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal. I visited it several years ago when my mom came to visit me. That must have been over 10 years ago. I haven’t been back since, so I really wanted to visit before my departure. Also, I was hoping for my own little miracle. 

I wrote about this a while ago on my blog: I have a tumor on my jaw. It’s not visible, and I’m not experiencing any pain at the moment. However, I can assure you that I saw it with my own eyes: there is indeed something on my jaw, showing as a small white spot on a special x-ray. The CHUM (hospital) called to open my file back in June, but I haven’t heard from them since. I waited a year for that appointment, as my dentist discovered the tumor last year. I haven’t seen a specialist yet, but no worries—I decided to take the matter into my own hands by visiting Saint Joseph’s Oratory. Here's a few pictures:

In his time, Brother André welcomed hundreds of pilgrims, listening to them, praying, and on many occasions, his prayers resulted in miraculous healings. Even today, you can see evidence of those miracles at the Oratory. There are various crutches and canes left behind by pilgrims who were healed by Brother André. In the Catholic Church, Brother André is recognized as a Saint. He was considered a Saint by many even during his lifetime. My goal when visiting the Oratory was clear: I wanted to be healed, so I could avoid surgery. My dentist was never able to explain how the surgery would be performed, whether they would operate on my face or my jaw, or what to expect. So I’ve been waiting for over a year now, not knowing what I’ll be dealing with. But as I mentioned earlier, I decided to take matters into my own hands.

I also wanted to buy some souvenirs from the Oratory and a little something for a kind man I called "my favorite reader." We had been exchanging emails for years after he reached out to me through my blog. I found emails from him dating back to 2016 in my mailbox. I didn’t conduct an extensive search, but we had known each other since at least 2016. He was from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. I knew my dear reader was religious, so I was excited about sending him a little gift, just for fun. He never shared his birthdate with me, despite my asking, so I thought it would be a nice surprise, almost like a birthday gift.

I visited the Oratory on September 22, which was a Sunday. Of course, I stopped by Brother André's tomb at Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal, asking for healing. For a reason I couldn’t explain, I suddenly started crying and felt a deep sadness. I didn’t understand why. I thought it might be a sign that my tumor was actually cancerous and that I was about to face a tough battle. However, according to my dentist, my tumor is not cancerous, though they’ll need to verify that after the operation. Fortunately, I don’t have a history of cancer in my immediate family, so I never really considered that my tumor could be cancerous.

While standing in front of Brother André's tomb, I felt confused and didn’t know what to think, but as I was still crying, I felt something warm in my right hand, as if someone were holding it. That comforted me, and I stopped crying, telling myself, “I’ll be okay.” Now, I think that might have been my guardian angel trying to tell me that my special reader had passed away. Just try to be a little clearer next time, okay, please?!

I continued my visit, lighting a candle for my reader and his brother (he lived with his brother. I thought he only had one brother, but he actually had two), and I also lit one for myself, for my jaw. I visited the Oratory’s souvenir shop to buy a few items. I had them blessed by a priest and continued my visit. A few days later, I prepared a package for my reader, including a letter. I went to the post office, and when I returned, for some reason, I decided to Google him. That’s when I found out that my dear friend had passed away. He died on September 14 at home. Sadly, I had already sent the package before learning about his death.

I knew his name and address, but I had never seen a picture of him. When I clicked on his obituary, guess what? There was no picture. I found it strange, as there’s usually a picture with an obituary, or at least most of the time. My guess is that he might have requested not to have one, as if he knew I would check on him. He once sent me a picture of himself as a child, but never as an adult. On the other hand, I sent him pictures of myself, and we built a friendship over the years, exchanging news from time to time. His last email to me was on June 23. He was always kind and funny. Our exchanges were always respectful. I happily called him "my favorite reader," and he called me his "favorite blogger." It always made me laugh.

Maybe my jaw hasn’t been healed from my visit to the Oratory—or maybe it has, I don’t know. The only way to find out would be to have another special x-ray done at my dentist, which costs $300 plus tax since it’s not covered by my insurance. Still, I’m glad I visited the Oratory, because I wouldn’t have wanted to spend weeks without knowing my special friend had passed away. For that, I’m grateful. My friend died at the age of 76, and I will always cherish his memory.

Here’s a birthday card that he sent me, which I have on top of my fridge:

It gives you an idea of his character and how kind he was. 💕