Congregation of Holy Cross

The Congregation of Holy Cross is a religious order of priests and brothers that was founded in 1837 by Blessed Basil Anthony Moreau (1799–1873) in the small French town of Sainte-Croix (Holy Cross). This group of brothers and priests served a variety of needs as the Church was rebuilt following the French Revolution. Within a few years, the missionary spirit of their founder, who was beatified in 2007, and the zeal of these men to make God known, loved, and served prompted them to go far beyond the borders of France. Today members of Holy Cross live and work in sixteen countries on five continents. In the United States, Holy Cross missionaries founded—and continue to serve—many schools, including the University of Notre Dame and the University of Portland.