Basil Moreau
Encyclopedia
The Blessed
Father Basil Anthony Marie Patrice Moreau, CSC (February 11, 1799–January 20, 1873) was the French
priest
who founded the Congregation of Holy Cross
from which three additional congregations were founded, namely the Marianites of Holy Cross
, the Sisters of the Holy Cross
, and the Sisters of Holy Cross
. Father Moreau was beatified on September 15, 2007 in Le Mans, France.
, a small village near Le Mans
, France, Fr. Moreau grew up in the midst of the turmoil of the French Revolution
. As his parents were devout Catholics involved in the underground Church, the aspect of the Revolution which most affected him was the suppression of the Church.
The ninth of 14 children, Basil was accustomed to a sparse life; yet, by the generosity of his pastor who tutored him, he was able to achieve a good primary education. Feeling himself called to the priesthood, Basil entered the diocesan seminary
in 1814, when the hostilities of the Revolution toward the Church had subsided. The seminary was run by the Society of Saint-Sulpice
and schooled him in the French school of spirituality
which remained an inspiration in his preaching and writings all his life. At age 22 in 1821, Basil Moreau was ordained
a priest of the Diocese of Le Mans
at the Old Visitation Convent Chapel of the Sacred Heart
, while the Cathedral of St. Julien in Le Mans was under restoration.
, illiterate, and without the benefit of the sacrament
s. As a young priest and throughout his life, Basil was an effective preacher who preached parish missions and offered the sacraments on an itinerant basis to rekindle the neglected faith in towns and villages throughout the region.
In 1835, many things happened that would be central to Fr. Moreau’s work for the rest of his life. He was assigned to be the assistant superior
of the seminary at Le Mans, where he was a popular and inspiring professor of theology
. He founded a group of priests within the Diocese of Le Mans that would assist him in his various endeavors to re-invigorate the Church throughout the region, especially preaching parish missions. He called them the Society of Auxiliary Priests. In the same year, an older priest of the same diocese, Fr. Jacques-Francois Dujarié
, who fifteen years before in 1820 had founded a band of young men to re-establish and teach in the schools throughout the region, handed responsibility for them over to Fr. Moreau on account of his failing health. While not technically religious because they had not made a novitiate or taken public vows, many of these young men, known as the Brothers of St. Joseph, desired to become a recognized religious organization.
The congregation took its name from the neighborhood of Sainte Croix in Le Mans, where the 12th century church, Notre Dame du Sainte Croix, was to become the mother church of the new foundation. Holy Cross, following the example of its founder, would be ultramontane
in its outlook, even adopting at the behest of Pope Pius IX
the Roman collar
and the black cape for the priest (which is identical to the pope's, but in black).
. To this day, though in separate congregations, the priests, brothers and sisters of Holy Cross call themselves informally the Holy Cross Family.
is located in Hayward, California
, about 25 miles (40.2 km) southeast of San Francisco. It is among nine Catholic high schools in the Diocese of Oakland
, and it is sponsored by the South-West Province of the Congregation of Holy Cross. Moreau Catholic is affiliated with many other Holy Cross educational institutions worldwide, but they are the only one named after the founder of Holy Cross, Blessed Father Basil Anthony Moreau.
Moreau Seminary, located on the University of Notre Dame
campus, is the main seminary for the American congregation of the Holy Cross Fathers.
He is also credited with playing a key role in the foundation of the University of Notre Dame as well as Saint Mary's College in Notre Dame, Indiana. He had a vision for unifying the two same-sex schools, but was prevented from doing so by the Vatican in Rome due to their beliefs that men and women should not live together. He was eventually stripped of his responsibilities for the two schools.
In 1966, the Josephites (or Brothers of Holy Cross) founded the third institution of higher education in Notre Dame, Indiana to base its educational philosophy on the teachings of Basil Moreau. Holy Cross College began as a community college with the mission of helping students with the intent to transfer into one of the other two institutions. However, in 2003 Holy Cross College became a residential baccalaureate liberal arts college with its own reputation for superior teaching.
The University of Portland
in Portland, Oregon is run by the Congregation of Holy Cross. It features the Moreau Center for Service and Leadership, which connects students to service opportunities throughout Portland and beyond.
The Holy Cross High School, New Orleans in New Orleans, Louisisana was founded by Fr. Basil Moreau. It was once Holy Cross College, but is now Holy Cross School. It is located on Paris Avenue.
Beatification
Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
Father Basil Anthony Marie Patrice Moreau, CSC (February 11, 1799–January 20, 1873) was the French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
priest
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
who founded the Congregation of Holy Cross
Congregation of Holy Cross
The Congregation of Holy Cross or Congregatio a Sancta Cruce is a Catholic congregation of priests and brothers founded in 1837 by Blessed Father Basil Anthony-Marie Moreau, CSC, in Le Mans, France....
from which three additional congregations were founded, namely the Marianites of Holy Cross
Marianites of Holy Cross
The Marianites of Holy Cross is a Roman Catholic congregation of nuns, founded in Le Mans, France, in 1841, by the Blessed Father Basil Anthony-Marie Moreau, CSC...
, the Sisters of the Holy Cross
Sisters of the Holy Cross
The Sisters of the Holy Cross headquartered on the same grounds as Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame, Indiana, is one of three Catholic congregations of religious sisters which trace their origins to the foundation of the Congregation of Holy Cross by the Blessed Father Basil Anthony-Marie Moreau,...
, and the Sisters of Holy Cross
Sisters of Holy Cross
The Sisters of Holy Cross, headquartered in Montreal, Canada is Catholic congregation of religious sisters which traces its origins to the foundation of the Congregation of Holy Cross in 1837 in Le Mans, France by the Blessed Father Basil Anthony-Marie Moreau, CSC. Two other congregations of...
. Father Moreau was beatified on September 15, 2007 in Le Mans, France.
Upbringing
Born on February 11, 1799, in Laigné-en-BelinLaigné-en-Belin
Laigné-en-Belin is a commune in the Sarthe department in the region of Pays-de-la-Loire in north-western France. It is perhaps best known as the birthplace of Blessed Basil Moreau, founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross.-References:*...
, a small village near Le Mans
Le Mans
Le Mans is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Mans. Le Mans is a part of the Pays de la Loire region.Its inhabitants are called Manceaux...
, France, Fr. Moreau grew up in the midst of the turmoil of the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
. As his parents were devout Catholics involved in the underground Church, the aspect of the Revolution which most affected him was the suppression of the Church.
The ninth of 14 children, Basil was accustomed to a sparse life; yet, by the generosity of his pastor who tutored him, he was able to achieve a good primary education. Feeling himself called to the priesthood, Basil entered the diocesan seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
in 1814, when the hostilities of the Revolution toward the Church had subsided. The seminary was run by the Society of Saint-Sulpice
Society of Saint-Sulpice
The Society of Saint-Sulpice is a Catholic Society of Apostolic Life named for Eglise Saint-Sulpice, Paris, in turn named for St. Sulpitius the Pious. Typically, priests become members of the Society of St. Sulpice only after ordination and some years of pastoral work. Uniquely, Sulpicians retain...
and schooled him in the French school of spirituality
French school of spirituality
The French School of Spirituality was the principal devotional influence within the Catholic Church from the mid 17th Century through the mid 20th Century not only in France but throughout the church in most of the world...
which remained an inspiration in his preaching and writings all his life. At age 22 in 1821, Basil Moreau was ordained
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
a priest of the Diocese of Le Mans
Roman Catholic Diocese of Le Mans
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Le Mans , is a Roman Catholic Latin Rite diocese of France. The diocese is a suffragan of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Rennes.-Area:It comprises the entire department of Sarthe...
at the Old Visitation Convent Chapel of the Sacred Heart
Sacred Heart
The Sacred Heart is one of the most famous religious devotions to Jesus' physical heart as the representation of His divine love for Humanity....
, while the Cathedral of St. Julien in Le Mans was under restoration.
Ministry as a young priest
Restoration of the Church was the principal theme and work of Fr. Moreau's life. As most of the pastors and teachers in France before the Revolution were priests and religious who were forced into exile, by the 1820s most of the nation was ill-catechizedCatechism
A catechism , i.e. to indoctrinate) is a summary or exposition of doctrine, traditionally used in Christian religious teaching from New Testament times to the present...
, illiterate, and without the benefit of the sacrament
Sacrament
A sacrament is a sacred rite recognized as of particular importance and significance. There are various views on the existence and meaning of such rites.-General definitions and terms:...
s. As a young priest and throughout his life, Basil was an effective preacher who preached parish missions and offered the sacraments on an itinerant basis to rekindle the neglected faith in towns and villages throughout the region.
In 1835, many things happened that would be central to Fr. Moreau’s work for the rest of his life. He was assigned to be the assistant superior
Superior (hierarchy)
In a hierarchy or tree structure of any kind, a superior is an individual or position at a higher level in the hierarchy than another , and thus closer to the apex. It is often used in business terminology to refer to people who are supervisors and in the military to people who are higher in the...
of the seminary at Le Mans, where he was a popular and inspiring professor of theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
. He founded a group of priests within the Diocese of Le Mans that would assist him in his various endeavors to re-invigorate the Church throughout the region, especially preaching parish missions. He called them the Society of Auxiliary Priests. In the same year, an older priest of the same diocese, Fr. Jacques-Francois Dujarié
Jacques-Francois Dujarié
Father Jacques-François Dujarié was a French Catholic priest of the Diocese of Le Mans, France ordained underground in the height of the terrors of the French Revolution...
, who fifteen years before in 1820 had founded a band of young men to re-establish and teach in the schools throughout the region, handed responsibility for them over to Fr. Moreau on account of his failing health. While not technically religious because they had not made a novitiate or taken public vows, many of these young men, known as the Brothers of St. Joseph, desired to become a recognized religious organization.
Foundation of Holy Cross
Following the developments of 1835 which placed in Fr. Moreau’s hands all the pieces of a nascent religious community, he began to lay the groundwork for just that. In 1837, under the leadership of Fr. Moreau, the Brothers of St. Joseph and the Society of Auxiliary Priests joined by signing together the "Fundamental Pact of Union", becoming two equal societies in one community, the Congregation of Holy Cross.The congregation took its name from the neighborhood of Sainte Croix in Le Mans, where the 12th century church, Notre Dame du Sainte Croix, was to become the mother church of the new foundation. Holy Cross, following the example of its founder, would be ultramontane
Ultramontanism
Ultramontanism is a religious philosophy within the Roman Catholic community that places strong emphasis on the prerogatives and powers of the Pope...
in its outlook, even adopting at the behest of Pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX
Blessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal...
the Roman collar
Clerical collar
A clerical collar is an item of Christian clerical clothing. It is a detachable collar that buttons onto a clergy shirt or rabbat , being fastened by two metal studs, one attached at the front and one at the back to hold the collar to the shirt. The collar closes at the back of the neck, presenting...
and the black cape for the priest (which is identical to the pope's, but in black).
Foundation of the Holy Cross Sisters (Marianites of Holy Cross)
There is good evidence that Fr. Dujarie’s dream was to found a religious community of three societies, priests, brothers, and sisters under one rule and one superior general. Fr. Moreau made good on that vision by founding in 1841 a third society within the Congregation, that of the sisters. Taking his inspiration from Fr. Dujarie, Moreau named the societies the Salvatorists, the Josephites and the Marianites, after the three persons of the Holy FamilyHoly Family
The Holy Family consists of the Child Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and Saint Joseph.The Feast of the Holy Family is a liturgical celebration in the Roman Catholic Church in honor of Jesus of Nazareth, his mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and his foster father, Saint Joseph, as a family...
. To this day, though in separate congregations, the priests, brothers and sisters of Holy Cross call themselves informally the Holy Cross Family.
Important dates in the life of Fr. Moreau
- 1799 Born February 11, 1799 in Laigné-en-BelinLaigné-en-BelinLaigné-en-Belin is a commune in the Sarthe department in the region of Pays-de-la-Loire in north-western France. It is perhaps best known as the birthplace of Blessed Basil Moreau, founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross.-References:*...
, a village near Le MansLe MansLe Mans is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Mans. Le Mans is a part of the Pays de la Loire region.Its inhabitants are called Manceaux...
, France, the 9th of 14 children; his father was a wine merchant. - 1814 Entered the diocesan seminary.
- 1821 Ordained a priest at age 22.
- 1835 Taught and served as assistant superior in Le Mans; named leader of the Brothers of St. Joseph founded by Fr. Jacques Dujarié. Founded the society of Auxiliary Priests.
- 1837 United the brothers and priests into the Association of Holy Cross.
- 1840 Professed vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.
- 1844 Received the vows of Léocadie GascoinLéocadie GascoinLéocadie Gascoin was the co-founder and superior of the Sisters Marianites of Holy Cross. Her name in the congregation was Marie des Sept-Douleurs....
and three Marianites. - 1857 Received papal approval of the constitutions for the Association, which became the Congregation of Holy Cross.
- 1866 Resigned as superior general, but continued an active preaching and retreat ministry.
- 1872 Celebrated his Golden Jubilee.
- 1873 Died on January 20 at age 73.
- 1955 The cause for his beatification was introduced in Rome.
- 2003 Proclaimed VenerableVenerableThe Venerable is used as a style or epithet in several Christian churches. It is also the common English-language translation of a number of Buddhist titles.-Roman Catholic:...
. - 2007 BeatifiedBeatificationBeatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
in Le Mans
Legacy
Moreau Catholic High SchoolMoreau Catholic High School
Moreau Catholic High School is a college preparatory Roman Catholic secondary school founded by the Southwest Province of the Congregation of the Holy Cross. It is located in Hayward, California, within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland under the care of Salvatore J. Cordileone, the Bishop of...
is located in Hayward, California
Hayward, California
Hayward is a city located in the East Bay in Alameda County, California. With a population of 144,186, Hayward is the sixth largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area and the third largest in Alameda County. Hayward was ranked as the 37th most populous municipality in California. It is included in...
, about 25 miles (40.2 km) southeast of San Francisco. It is among nine Catholic high schools in the Diocese of Oakland
Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Northern California. The diocese comprises Alameda and Contra Costa Counties in the San Francisco Bay Area...
, and it is sponsored by the South-West Province of the Congregation of Holy Cross. Moreau Catholic is affiliated with many other Holy Cross educational institutions worldwide, but they are the only one named after the founder of Holy Cross, Blessed Father Basil Anthony Moreau.
Moreau Seminary, located on the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
campus, is the main seminary for the American congregation of the Holy Cross Fathers.
He is also credited with playing a key role in the foundation of the University of Notre Dame as well as Saint Mary's College in Notre Dame, Indiana. He had a vision for unifying the two same-sex schools, but was prevented from doing so by the Vatican in Rome due to their beliefs that men and women should not live together. He was eventually stripped of his responsibilities for the two schools.
In 1966, the Josephites (or Brothers of Holy Cross) founded the third institution of higher education in Notre Dame, Indiana to base its educational philosophy on the teachings of Basil Moreau. Holy Cross College began as a community college with the mission of helping students with the intent to transfer into one of the other two institutions. However, in 2003 Holy Cross College became a residential baccalaureate liberal arts college with its own reputation for superior teaching.
The University of Portland
University of Portland
The University of Portland is a private Roman Catholic university located in Portland, Oregon. It is affiliated with the Congregation of Holy Cross and is the sister school of the University of Notre Dame. Founded in 1901, UP has a student body of about 3,600 students...
in Portland, Oregon is run by the Congregation of Holy Cross. It features the Moreau Center for Service and Leadership, which connects students to service opportunities throughout Portland and beyond.
The Holy Cross High School, New Orleans in New Orleans, Louisisana was founded by Fr. Basil Moreau. It was once Holy Cross College, but is now Holy Cross School. It is located on Paris Avenue.
External links
- Basil Moreau, newly published biography available from Ave Maria Press
- Basil Moreau bio at Patron Saint Index
- Venerable Father Basil Moreau - A Man Against His Times, at Catholicism.org
- The Brothers of Holy Cross vocation information
- The Congregation of Holy Cross, United States Province of Priests and Brothers
- Holy Cross Vocations, United States Province of Priests and Brothers
- The Fighting Jardiniers, a play by Bill Lawrence, commissioned by St. Mary's College, Notre Dame, Indiana