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Who We Are

This family is the Congregation of Holy Cross, founded by Basil Anthony Moreau. ... We are a religious congregation composed of two distinct societies of religious, one of priests and one of brothers, bound together in one indivisible brotherhood.

— Constitutions of the Congregation of Holy Cross, 1:6

We are a Roman Catholic congregation of priests and brothers called by Jesus Christ and founded by Blessed Basil Moreau to be men with hope to bring. Following in his footsteps and the footsteps of our heroic confreres from throughout our history, we continue to lay down our lives for Christ through final vows and ordination to the priesthood so that His hope can be present in our Church and world today. 
 
We are men of hope because our religious vows of poverty, celibacy, and obedience, professed according to our Constitutions, conform our lives more closely to Jesus Christ and serve as a sign in our passing world to the coming Kingdom.
 
We are men of hope because our brotherhood as priests and brothers unites us as a family and witnesses in an alienated world to our union in the Body of Christ.  We are men of hope because our work as educators in the faith prepares people not only for life in this world, but also for eternal life in the world to come.
 
And ultimately, as heirs to the unique spirituality given us by Blessed Moreau, we are men of hope because of our zeal for Christ and His Church, our trust in Divine Providence, and our faith in the Cross of Christ as our only hope – Ave Crux, Spes Unica.  
 

Holy Cross Priests and Brothers

Priests and Brothers

One of the distinguishing marks of the Congregation of Holy Cross is that our community consists of both religious priests and religious brothers. Understanding who we are in Holy Cross involves learning how these two vocations are complementary and bind us together in a common life and common mission.

Notre Dame de Sainte-Croix, LeMans, France

History

Who we are as the Congregation of Holy Cross is rooted in our history, dating back to our founding by Blessed Basil Moreau in 1837. Reading our history as a congregation helps shed light on our identity and mission today.

Profession Cross

Spirituality

The Congregation of Holy Cross has a unique spirituality that defines who we are and is part of the spiritual heritage left to us by our holy founder, Blessed Basil Moreau. He patterned our religious community after the Holy Family, instilled a trust in Divine Providence, inflamed a zeal for ministry, and witnessed to the Cross of Christ as our only hope. Learning our spirituality is a big step in learning who we are.

Holy Cross Heroes

Holy Cross Heroes

Over the life of the Congregation of Holy Cross, several of our religious have exemplified what it means to be a Holy Cross religious. Learning about these heroes of our community, like Blessed Basil Moreau, Saint André Bessette, Servant of God Patrick Peyton, and Servant of God Vincent McCauley, reveals in a tangible way who we are for the Church and world.

Perpetual Vows

Vows

As religious priests and brothers, who we are is inextricably rooted in our religious vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Also known as the evangelical counsels, these vows are essential to understanding the vocation of a Holy Cross religious.

The Constitutions of The Congregation of Holy Cross

Constitutions

Our Constitutions, often quoted on this website, are our rule of life as religious. Eloquent, even poetic at times, they are at once a beautiful articulation of and a moving reflection on who we are in Holy Cross. Reading the Constitutions, along with the reflection questions provided, is a great help in discerning a vocation to Holy Cross.

Final Vows and Ordination

Ordination and Final Vows

One of the best ways to learn who we are in Holy Cross is to see those who are casting their lots with us to be a part of our life and mission through final vows and ordination. These celebrations are a great sign of hope not just for Holy Cross, but the wider Church and world.