Hundreds of Catholics from across the country are gathering in Montreal and at the Vatican to mark a unique journey which began humbly more than a century ago.

Blessed Brother Andre Bessette, a frail orphan who grew to become a folk hero in Quebec, will officially be recognized as a saint at the Vatican during a canonization ceremony on Sunday, more than seven decades after his death.

Renowned among believers for his healing abilities and his role in the creation of Montreal's majestic Saint Joseph's Oratory, Brother Andre lived to the age of 91 and became known in his time as a miracle worker.