We are pleased to partner with the YMCA partner to provide before and after school child care, Ontario Early Years Centre and a School's Cool summer program at St. André of Bessette Catholic School. Call our child care partner at (289) 200-3217 to learn more about our services.
About Our School
At St. André of Bessette Catholic School, it is our mission to be an inclusive Catholic learning community that inspires every student to achieve their full potential through faith and education. We recognize our call to love and serve from our Master teacher Jesus Christ, and we are committed to creating a Catholic learning community under the protection of Mother Mary.
The Catholic Graduate Expectations are our foundation as we strive for academic excellence and the acknowledgement of those who achieve it. We recognize God as the source of all life and actively work to focus on social issues within our local and global communities.
We celebrate the diversity within our community with a collaborative approach to learning, in cooperation with parents, the Catholic faith community, and other organizations that recognize the value of our mission. Within the context of Catholic teaching and Sacramental living, our school community strives to demonstrate respect and reverence for all life, thus nurturing a safe, Christian environment for the entire school community.
Our patron saint is St. André of Bessette. Brother André, was born Alfred Bessette on August 9, 1845, in St. Grégoire, Quebec. He was sickly and not expected to live long, and remained in frail health his whole life. Unable to read or write, and sick more often than well, Alfred went from one lowly job to the next until he joined the congregation of the Holy Cross. As he was uneducated, Brother André was assigned the humblest of tasks, including being the porter: answering the door and welcoming visitors. As part of his daily duties, Brother André would visit the sick in the hospital or in their homes. Many of them were healed by his prayers. More and more people came to him for advice and hope. Soon the news of Montreal's humble brother spread far and wide. Brother André took none of the credit, giving it to St. Joseph instead.
Devoted to St. Joseph, Brother André began to gather money to build a chapel to St. Joseph. After more than 50 years of prayers and donations, the St. Joseph Oratory was finally built at the top of Mount Royal. After Brother André's death in 1937, a million people came to the Basilica to pay their respects to this simple, humble man. On May 23, 1982, Pope John Paul II beatified Blessed Brother André. In October 2010, Pope Benedict XVI canonized St. André Bessette.
Brother André Catholic School was proud to join Canada and the world in celebrating our patron saint. Although he is now known as St. André Bessette, he will always be Brother André to our community. We try to follow his example of devotion, doing humble tasks for the good of others, along with being prayerful and welcoming of all who come through our doors.
As Catholic educators, we live according to our Father's code and to lead our students, by example, to live the basic truths of the gospel message. This is an awesome, yet inspiring challenge which we share with the parents of our young men and women.
Children learn what they live. Each day we have the opportunity to teach our students:
- to love by the way we love;
- to be generous by our generosity;
- to be passionate by our compassion; and
- to be forgiving by the way we forgive.
However, a person cannot give what he or she does not have. Unless we are living the Gospel message, we cannot lead our students to do so.
There are many hallmarks of a Catholic educator, including:
- Prayer - The challenges of our vocation, and indeed life in general, are great. To meet them we need to follow Christ's advice that we "ask the father in My name". Each Catholic educator has a duty to expose students to his or her particular style of prayer in order to assist students to recognize the value of prayer in daily life.
- Eucharist - Parish, school, and staff liturgies provide opportunities to celebrate our faith. Our example can testify to the Eucharist as a joyful source of strength and community building.
- Social Justice - This is the heart of the Christian message, that we "love one another as I have loved you". As our brother's and sister's keepers, we must be concerned about the aged, the poor, the oppressed, and any other marginalized group - both at home and abroad.
St. André Bessette Catholic School opened in 2005 and was, at the time, the largest school opening in Durham Catholic District School Board history. Originally named Brother André Catholic School, it was renamed in 2016 following the canonization of St. André Bessette, the humble Canadian religious brother known for his deep faith and devotion to St. Joseph. A distinctive feature of the school is the collection of more than 400 hand-painted tiles displayed in the foyer, created by students, staff, clergy, and parent council members. Together, these tiles symbolize the individuality, creativity, and sense of belonging that continue to define the school's vibrant community.
St. Andre Bessette’s Feast Day is January 7.
Our school hours are as follows:
8:40 a.m. - School Begins
10:05 - 10:20 a.m. - Morning recess
11:25 a.m. - 12:25 p.m. - Lunch
1:50 - 2:05 p.m. - Afternoon recess
3:10 p.m. - Dismissal
St. André, your devotion to St. Joseph is an inspiration to us. You gave your life selflessly to bring the message of his life to others. Pray that we may learn from St. Joseph, and from you, what it is like to care for Jesus and do His work in the world. Amen
Our Board's School Year calendar is now available. We encourage you to visit our school year calendar webpage to learn more about upcoming events and activities happening at school.
We welcome your questions, comments and concerns.
Ajax, ON L1T 4Y4
Phone: (905) 619-8021
Fax: (905) 619-1366