The gold medal is the symbol of ultimate success in the Olympics, and host country Canada earned the most, 14, in the just-concluded Winter Games. But on Day 7 of the competition, Catholics throughout Canada had another reason to celebrate. And their symbol of victory was not a medal, but a man. Not a superstar, but a saint — the first Canadian-born man elevated to sainthood, the ultimate podium.

“The announcement of the canonization of Brother Andre is the best thing that could have happened this year for the church of Montreal,” said Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte after learning that Blessed Andre Bessette, a Holy Cross Brother and founder of St. Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal, would be among six new saints elevated by Pope Benedict XVI this fall.

“For us, he is a symbol of victory,” the cardinal continued. “His sainthood is important not only for Catholics, but for all people who believe in God and who come to his basilica to find peace.”

At an age when Olympians are leaping, twirling, and racing, Blessed Bessette was physically weak. He suffered from a chronic stomach ailment that kept him out of school and often without work. At age 25, his health was so fragile the Holy Cross Brothers assigned him to be a doorman.

But before he died in 1937 at the age of 91, Blessed Bessette became known for his intense piety, famed for miraculous cures, and praised for his dedication to building St. Joseph’s Oratory, the largest shrine dedicated to St. Joseph in the world. The shrine sits atop Mount Royal, overlooking the northern half of Montreal.

Congratulations to our neighbors to the north, and to the Congregation of Holy Cross, the religious community of Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC.

And, speaking of Saints, we keep the applause going for the state champion Bloomington Central Catholic girls basketball team for making faith a cornerstone of their incredible season. — Thomas J. Dermody