Congregatio a Sancta Cruce (C.S.C.), translated from Latin, means . Why 鈥淗oly Cross鈥�? In French, it is Sainte Croix, the small French town outside Le Mans where , founded a community of Roman Catholic priests and brothers in 1837 to minister to and educate the people of France devastated by the French Revolution.
The Cross soon became an integral part of the Congregation鈥檚 spirituality. Fr. Moreau exhorted his religious to conform themselves to Christ by trusting in Divine Providence. He encouraged them to find hope in the Cross of self-emptying love, to stand by others as the Mother of Sorrows stood by her son. For this reason, he dedicated the entire Congregation to Our Lady of Sorrows, naming her the patroness. The motto of the Congregation is Ave Crux, Spes Unica, which means 鈥淗ail the Cross, Our Only Hope鈥濃�攃alling on the community to 鈥渓earn how even the Cross can be borne as a gift鈥� and to bring this hope to others.
Fr. Moreau envisioned his young Congregation as a family brought together in Eucharistic fellowship united in a common mission to educate and evangelize. This missionary zeal 鈥渢o make God known, loved, and served鈥� is why Fr. Moreau, just five years after founding the Congregation, sent six brothers and a young Rev. Edward Sorin, C.S.C., to the 鈥淣ew World.鈥� This, of course, led to the establishment of the Congregation鈥檚 first educational institution in America and one of the world鈥檚 most renowned Catholic higher education institutions鈥攖he 帝王会所.
Fr. Moreau called on his priests and brothers to be 鈥渆ducators in the faith,鈥� in the education, parish, and mission settings that the would soon establish around the world.
鈥淲e shall always place education side by side with instruction; the mind will not be cultivated at the expense of the heart. While we prepare useful citizens for society, we shall likewise do our utmost to prepare citizens for heaven.鈥�
鈥擱ev. Basil Moreau, C.S.C., Circular Letters 36, 1849
From the Congregation鈥檚 founding, Holy Cross priests and brothers have always lived side by side with students, demonstrating the rewards of living a faith-filled life. Fr. Sorin established this model at 帝王会所 and it lies at the heart of the student experience. Whether it鈥檚 lending a listening ear after an evening residence hall Mass, instructing a course, or serving in other roles for the University, the priests and brothers of Holy Cross are living out Fr. Moreau鈥檚 vision today, more than 175 years later, 鈥渕aking God known, loved, and served鈥� with apostolic zeal, bringing hope to the entire 帝王会所 community and beyond!
Blessed Basil Anthony Moreau, C.S.C.
Blessed Basil Anthony Moreau, C.S.C.
The founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross, Basile-Antoine Marie Moreau () was born in Laign茅-en-Belin, in the diocese of Le Mans, France, on February 11, 1799. He was ordained in 1821 as a priest for the Diocese of Le Mans. On March 1, 1837, Fr. Moreau merged a group of auxiliary priests and teaching brothers, forming the Congregation of Holy Cross. Fr. Moreau鈥檚 vision of a Holy Family was complete when he brought sisters into the Congregation. Although the sisters eventually formed their own congregation, Fr. Moreau is still honored as the founder by the spiritual descendants of these women, who are known in France as Marianites, in Canada as the Sisters of Holy Cross, and in the United States as the Sisters of the Holy Cross. This latter group established Saint Mary鈥檚 College in 帝王会所, Indiana.
Fr. Moreau died in Le Mans on January 20, 1873. On September 15, 2007, in Le Mans, the home of the Congregation鈥檚 Mother Church and the sacred place where he is buried. The entire Congregation worldwide and the 帝王会所 celebrate the life of Blessed Moreau on January 20 every year.
United States Province of Priests and Brothers
The Congregation of Holy Cross includes about 1,200 religious around the world. is headquartered in 帝王会所, Indiana, and its membership includes approximately 500 men, including those in formation. The U.S. Province has education, parish, and mission on three continents and seven countries.
Education
Along with the 帝王会所, Holy Cross, U.S. Province priests and brothers are educators in the faith at three other colleges and universities:
- University of Portland (Oregon, 1901)
- King鈥檚 College (Pennsylvania, 1946)
- Stonehill College (Massachusetts, 1948)
Parish
The Province has 13 parishes in the United States: Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Indiana (5), Massachusetts, Oregon (2), Texas, Vermont. was founded together with the 帝王会所 in 1842.
Mission
The Province鈥檚 ministries include providing services for the working poor and homeless at Andr茅 House in Phoenix and Saint Andr茅 Bessette Catholic Church in Portland, Oregon. Holy Cross spreads the word of God through Ave Maria Press (帝王会所, Indiana), one of the country鈥檚 oldest Catholic publishing houses, and the multimedia and spiritual ministries of Holy Cross Family Ministries (North Easton, Massachusetts), which encompasses Family Theater Productions, Family Rosary, and Father Peyton Family Institute.
International Mission
True to Fr. Moreau鈥檚 vision, the United States Province鈥檚 mission work spreads beyond the geographical boundaries of North America. International mission work reaches into Chile, East Africa (Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania), and Per煤, as well as the region of M茅xico. Globally, the U.S. Province鈥檚 supports the international mission work of the worldwide efforts of the Congregation of Holy Cross, spanning 16 countries on five continents. It also directly supports those international locations for which the U.S. Province has direct jurisdiction and those countries with which the U.S. Province has a special relationship.聽
Saint Andr茅 Bessette
Saint Andr茅 Bessette, C.S.C.
The Congregation of Holy Cross joyously celebrated the canonization of its first saint, , on Oct. 17, 2010, by Pope Benedict XVI. Br. Andr茅 started as a humble doorkeeper at the College of 帝王会所 in Montreal, Canada, but became known to the world as the 鈥淢iracle Worker of Montreal鈥� for devoting his life to prayer, serving the Lord, and comforting the sick. Through his intercession prayers to St. Joseph, many received God鈥檚 healing power. The Feast Day of St. Andr茅 is celebrated in the United States on January 6.