The following excerpt is from the booklet “St. Benedict’s Church / 125 Years” written in 1995 by Susan Richard. The stories were reordered to correspond to the chronology of the events. Dates marked with an asterisk (“*”) has been corrected (Susan had an approximate year or decade).

An Angel Comes and Goes

In the early beginning of the parish, the new settlers had very little and it was difficult to survive. A man arrived in the area and set up a little general store close to the church. No one knew him or where he came from, which was quite unusual not to know someone’s heritage. He sold groceries, harnesses, etc. In those days, farmers charged everything they bought from spring until after harvest and paid their debts after, the crop was in.

One day in late fall, the man disappeared and left his store. He was never heard of after that time. No one had to pay their bills. The people said it was an angel sent by God to help them in their time of great need.

Jules Sauvageau Cured

Another story told in regard to the intercession of St. Anne involves a parishioner, Jules Sauvageau, who was born December 18, 1865*. The story was told by Irene Sauvageau, daughter-in-law of Jules. Jules lived on a farm by the current Pronovost residence.

Jules became ill at approximately 35 years of age. He was told by doctors he had cancer and needed surgery. He prayed to St. Anne and promised he would make a monthly contribution to the work of St. Anne if she assisted him. He refused the surgery. Jules died 45 years later of an unrelated condition. When an autopsy was performed, no cancer was found in his system. Jules was Yvette Stalcup and Bud & Renold Cossette’s (current parishioners) grandfather. He died on December 7, 1945*, and is remembered as a very kind, spiritual and faith-filled man.

Grasshopper Plague

Robert Cossette recalled his mother, Alma, and other parishioners telling of the great grasshopper plague of the early 1900’s during Father LaLande’s pastorate. The parishioners fought the grasshoppers with prayer. They formed caravans of horses, buggies and wagons, following each other, and prayed over each field as they traveled up and down the roads which passed fields belonging to parishioners. Each family prayed many rosaries that day as well as calling for the intercession of St. Anne to save their crops. When they were done, a cloud of grasshoppers rose into the air so thick they blocked out the sun. The grasshoppers were gone and the crops were saved.

Fernand Duval Cured

Fernald Duval (Apr. 3, 1930-Aug. 13, 2022*), brother of parishioner Arcade Duval (1927-2018*), was cured of infantile paralysis due to the intercession of St. Anne when he was five years old. His leg brace hangs at the Shrine of St. Anne de Beaupre in Quebec, Canada.

The Healing of Marge Cossette

One of the miracles which is attributed to the intervention of St. Anne occurred in 1953 to the Robert and Angela Cossette family of St. Benedict’s. As they were returning home with their three children, traveling by car on old Highway 81, their four year old daughter, Marge, leaned on the door handle of their ’49 Mercury. This backward opening door (called “suicide doors”) opened and Marge fell from the car on to the pavement. The car was traveling at approximately 55-60 MPH. As Robert and Angela looked to the back, they were horrified to see their four year old daughter’s body and head strike the pavement many times before they were able to bring the car to an abrupt stop and run to their daughter’s side.

Marge’s legs, arms, face and body were skinned and bloody as she lay unconscious by the side of the road. She was raced to St. John’s Hospital in Fargo by her parents.

Doctors told the Cossette’s if her brain did not hemorrhage in 72 hours, she could possibly have a chance of recovery. Otherwise her recovery was very questionable.

The family returned home and prayed. (Families were not allowed to stay at the hospital at that time.) Just short of 70 hours later the Cossettes were informed from a neighbor that the hospital had called and Marge would need to be taken immediately to surgery since she had begun to hemorrhage. Robert and Angela went immediately to the hospital where they prayed over Marge and put a small, light-weight tissue paper image of St. Anne in Marge’s mouth. This image of St. Anne was smaller than a postage stamp and was used by people for healing. They continued to pray and placed a statue of St. Anne next to her bedside. As Marge’s surgery took place, the family (about 15 people) gathered to pray. They prayed two rosaries and again called on St. Anne, the grandmother of Christ, to intercede on her behalf to save their child’s life.

The doctor who normally performed this type of surgery could not be located, so, in the emergency, another doctor who had very limited experience, performed the surgery. A hole was drilled in each side of Marge’s head to remove the blood clots which had formed.

Marge’s aunt. Annie Brunette, that night prayed to St. Anne and lit a blessed candle, which burned all night long. In the morning the candle no longer had flame but the drippings had formed a wax shape of St. Anne with Mary in her arms. (If you look closely, even the crown on St. Anne’s head can be seen).

When Marge awoke following surgery, she immediately recognized the statue of St. Anne at her bedside. Marge was hospitalized for twelve days and then returned to her home, where she totally recovered. Robert and Angela promised if Marge was to survive they would subscribe her as a life member to the “Annals of St. Anne de Beaupre”, the magazine published monthly on behalf of the Shrine of St. Anne located in Quebec, Canada. Marge still receives this magazine on a monthly basis at the age of 46. [Editor’s note: this article was written in 1995.]

The small statue formed by the drippings of the candle was given to Marge by her aunt when she turned 16 years old, twelve years later. It was at that time that Marge and her parents, Robert and Angela, found out about the candle.

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