Oct 15/10 - Pt 1: Brother Andre

PART ONE

It's Friday, October 15th.

In a diplomatic dispute this week, the United Arab Emirates barred Defence Minister Peter Mackay from entering its air space, forcing him on a 6-hour detour.

Currently ... Man, where's a stealth F-35 fighter jet when you need one?

This is The Current.

Brother Andre

On January 12th, 1937, Alfred Bessette, better known as Brother Andre, was laid to rest in Montreal... In the freezing rain, a million people climbed the steps of St. Joseph's Oratory to pay their respects to a man they believed could perform miracles.

This Sunday, more than 70 years later ... Brother Andre will be recognized for his miracles by Rome. He will become a Saint. And once again, the faithful are being called to the steps of St. Joseph's. Brother Andre was revered during his lifetime. And to this day, he is something of a folk hero in Quebec. So the celebrations in Montreal are going to be big. Some pilgrims are even heading to Rome to see the main event first hand.

Brother Andre is said to have healed thousands. But there is one particular healing that elevated his case for sainthood. The boy Brother Andre is said to have cured has chosen to remain anonymous. And Father Claude Grou is the only person authorized to tell his story. He's the rector of St. Joseph's Oratory.

Father Mario Lachapelle will be in Rome on Sunday to celebrate Brother Andre's canonization. He's the Vice-Postulator for the cause of Blessed Brother Andre. He has been in Rome for seven years, pleading the case for his canonization

Medical Miracles - Jacalyn Duffin

Jacalyn Duffin has spent a lot of time looking at how the Vatican evaluates reports of miraculous healings. She's the author of Medical Miracles. And she spent months in the Vatican Library, pouring over 1,400 files of reported healings. She was also once hired by the Vatican to investigate a reported miracle. Jacalyn Duffin is the Hannah Professor of Medical History at Queen's University. And she was in Kingston, Ontario.