CONGREGATION OF HOLY CROSS.
In 1820 James Francis Dujarié, parish priest of Ruillé-sur-Loir (Sarthe), founded, under the name of "Brothers of St. Joseph," an association of laymen to help parish priests in the priestly ministry and in teaching. It developed rapidly, so much so that, by decree of Louis XVIII of 25 June 1823, it was declared to be of public utility. On 31 Aug. 1835, Dujarié, old and infirm, with the consent of the bishop of Le Mans, transferred to Basil Moreau authority and powers over the Congregation of the Brothers of St. Joseph. Moreau was at that time vice-rector of the major seminary of Le Mans, and had founded in the same year an association of auxiliary priests, living with him in the seminary, also destined to help parish priests in the preaching of missions and retreats.
Having accepted the office of superior of the Brothers of St. Joseph, he transferred their novitiate to the suburb of Le Mans, in order to provide more easily for the formation of the novices, and in 1836 he moved with the auxiliary priests from the seminary to Holy Cross, into a house near that of the Brothers, and on 1 March 1837, with the consent of the bishop, the members of the two communities, 8 ecclesiastics and 51 brothers of St. Joseph, gathered in the house of Holy Cross, signed a "Fundamental Act" by which they accepted the union of the two communities under the same superior general. The new institution was called the Association of Holy Cross, from the name of the place where it was founded. Pontifical approval came on 25 May 1856, and on 13 May 1857 the constitutions of the institute were approved under the name of the C. of Holy Cross.
Its purposes are preaching, especially in the countryside and in missions abroad, and the Christian instruction and education of youth in schools. It developed rapidly, and the missions multiplied in the department of the Sarthe and in the neighboring ones. In 1840 priests and brothers were sent to North America. In 1841 the house of Notre Dame du Lac was founded there, and in 1843 a college was opened which later became the University of Notre Dame du Lac, even today among the most prosperous in North America. In 1847 there were founded in Canada first a parish with a college at St. Laurent near Montreal, and later, in 1846, the University of St. Joseph, at Memramcook, in the province of New Brunswick. In 1852 the apostolic vicariate of Dacca in eastern Bengal (India) was entrusted to the C. of Holy Cross, abandoned in 1875 and resumed in 1888. The province of the United States has recently opened a college at Santiago, Chile. To the province of Canada belongs the famous shrine of St. Joseph du Mont-Royal. The mission of Bengal has been divided into two dioceses: Dacca and Chittagong. The province of France, which disappeared with the suppression, was reorganized in 1926. Today the C. is divided into 3 provinces (France, United States of America, Canada) and has been entrusted with the dioceses of Dacca and Chittagong (India). It numbers 1497 religious with 80 houses.
Bibliography
Giorgio Sauvage