André House is inspired by and named after a Holy Cross Brother, André Bessette who was known for offering a welcoming presence to the afflicted, hope for the discouraged and healing for the sick. He is beatified by the Roman Catholic Church and soon will likely be canonized a saint. André was born in 1845 to a family of 12 and was orphaned at an early age. Plagued by bad health and poverty, he spent his first twenty five years wandering as a laborer on farms and in factories in both Canada and the United States. At one point, he even worked as a manual laborer in a young, western city named Phoenix.

In 1870 back in Canada, he joined the Holy Cross Community in Montreal. He was given simple work as a janitor and door-keeper at a Holy Cross school. Soon he became known as a kind person with great faith who was willing to listen. Those who visited him found a hospitable presence, comfort and healing. Very often, they also found relief of mind and body. Brother André's reputation as a healer spread to the point that thousands flocked to him daily.

On January 6, 1937, over a million people gathered for the funeral services of Brother André Bessette, then known as the "Miracle Man of Montreal". The epitaph on his gravestone sums up his life: