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Tens of thousands of pilgrims from all over the world flocked to the Vatican earlier this month to celebrate the six newest saints recognized by the Catholic Church. And there in St. Peter's Square, amid the faithful singing Spanish hymns and the boosters waving flags and scarves, was Father Dan.
The Rev. Daniel Kayajan, pastor of St. Rita Roman Catholic Church in Dade City, made the trip to Rome with fellow members of his order to celebrate the canonization of one of their own: Brother Andre, nicknamed the "Miracle Man of Montreal" for healing the crippled and the sick.
Upon his return, Kayajan talked to the Times about his trip.
So how did you get to go?
I'm with Congregation of Holy Cross, and one of our guys was made a saint, Brother Andre. Our province runs from Maine to Florida (and officials decided to send some members to Rome). Basically it was first-come, first-served. I guess I got my foot in the door early on.
And what was it like?
There must have been tens of thousands of people. We were just in the middle of them. It was fun. There were people from all over the world: Australia, Italy, Poland. It was a lot of fun to be there as a church. It shows the Catholic Church is one of the few organizations in the world that's in just about every country on the planet.
What can you tell us about Brother Andre?
Andre came to Congregation of Holy Cross in Montreal, and he died in 1937. He was a fairly sick young man. At first there was some resistance from the superiors (to admit him to the religious order); they didn't know if he would be able to do this, physically. Eventually they did allow him in … and he ends up being the doorman at the College of Notre Dame in Montreal — basically just taking care of things, sweeping up. … (People who came to him with problems found that) his prayers to St. Joseph helped a great deal. He'd light candles to St. Joseph, and with the oils from the candles he would anoint those folks. Little by little it was obvious he had the gift of healing, through his faith and the gifts God had given him. … If you go to St. Joseph's Oratory (a basilica in Montreal that started as a small wooden chapel Andre built in 1904) you'll see crutches and braces and wheelchairs from the people who didn't need them anymore.
How did this experience help you as you come back to your parish?
It helps my faith in God through someone like Andre. He had no airs about him. He was a very simple fellow — simple in the best sense of the word. His dedication, his ability to allow God to use him is just fantastic stuff. To see it within the context of the larger church, the Vatican, St. Peter's Basilica, it was a great trip….
It keeps me humble for sure, it helps me keep my feet on the ground. It helps me understand my congregation's role in the world as teachers and healers of the faith.
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