Founded nearly 200 years ago by Blessed Basil Moreau, C.S.C., the Congregation of Holy Cross is a family-oriented Catholic community dedicated to education and service.
Moreau was a dynamic religious leader who sought to rebuild a divided post-revolutionary France through the Gospel.
He founded the Congregation of Holy Cross with a vision of creating a large Christian family that included priests, brothers, sisters, and laity, united in their mission to educate and serve.
Moreau's innovative educational philosophy emphasized the development of hearts, minds, and hands, aiming to foster a holistic and Christ-like formation in young people. His commitment to inclusive education, regardless of social status, was revolutionary for his time.
Father Moreau consecrated the Congregation to Our Lady of Sorrows, with Holy Cross Brothers to the patron St. Joseph. Despite initial struggles, the community thrived, driven by Moreau's unwavering faith and devotion to the Holy Family and the Eucharist. Today, the Congregation continues to operate under the model of the Holy Family, serving families worldwide and adapting to the needs of each community.
Father Moreau's contributions were recognized by the Catholic Church when he was beatified in 2007. His legacy lives on through the 120+ Holy Cross schools and colleges across the globe, including the University of Notre Dame.
Stained glass windows of St. Edward's Holy Family Chapel.
Holy Cross Milestones
1835: Father Basil Moreau, a priest from Le Mans, France, forms the Auxiliary Priests to aid the diocesan clergy in their pastoral duties and to focus on education, amidst the religious and political upheaval following the French Revolution.
1837: Recognizing the need for a united effort, Father Moreau merges the Auxiliary Priests with the Brothers of St. Joseph, who had been established fifteen years earlier by Father James Francis Dujarié to provide elementary education in rural villages. This unification marks the official founding of the Congregation of Holy Cross on March 1.
1838: Father Moreau expands the Congregation by including a group of laywomen to support the priests and brothers. These women, who later became known as the Marianites of Holy Cross, were eventually directed to take on educational roles as well.
1840: The first members of the Congregation, including Father Moreau, publicly profess their religious vows, solidifying their commitment to their mission.
1842: The University of Notre Dame is founded by a young Holy Cross priest in the northern Indiana wilderness.
1855: The Holy See officially recognizes the Congregation as a religious institute, granting it the authority to operate globally under the Church of Rome. This recognition comes after the Congregation accepts a challenging mission in Eastern Bengal (now part of India and Bangladesh).
1856: The Congregation receives provisional papal approval, emphasizing its unique structure that combines priests and brothers in a single community, each group retaining its distinct identity while working collaboratively.
1857: The Congregation’s Constitutions are formally approved, further uniting the priests and brothers under a shared governance structure, and reinforcing their dual mission of preaching and education.
1866: Facing internal struggles and external pressures, Father Moreau resigns as superior general. Despite his resignation, his vision for the Congregation endures.
2003: Father Moreau is declared “venerable” by Pope John Paul II.
2007: Blessed Basil Moreau is beatified by order of Pope Benedict XVI.
2010: St. André Bessette becomes the first saint of the Congregation of Holy Cross when he is canonized by Pope Benedict XVI. In this year, the Church recognizes that God chose a very simple man for a remarkable life of service to the Church.