SUMMER 07 ISSUE 9 A PUBLICATION OF THE PRIESTS OF HOLY CROSS, INDIANA PROVINCE In This Issue: 2 A Letter from the Provincial 4 Plane Speaking 5 Fr. Moreau and Parish 6 Moreau’s Missionary Spirit 7 Be Part of the Beatification 8 Moreau on Education 10 Jubilarians “Education is the art of helping young people to completeness; for the Christian this means education is helping a young person be more like Christ.” Basil Anthony Moreau. Above, Fr. Chris Cox with students at St. Adalbert’s School, South Bend. Our Philanthropic Mission: Uniting those who are called to be witnesses of Christ’s love, Rev. John M. DeRiso, C.S.C. A Simple Tool and stewards of His gifts, On September 14, 2007, Venerable Basil Anthony Moreau, C.S.C. will with our mission to proclaim be beatified by Pope Benedict XVI at LeMans, France. This issue of the Kingdom of God to all. Pillars is dedicated to his gifts, vision, and legacy. In my work as pastor of St. Joseph – a parish and school had on the lives of so many over a span of 154 years, founded by Father Sorin in 1853 with a rich heritage one is moved to ponder how, by the grace of God, the of worship, service, and educaon in the heart of vision and values of a humble 19th century French South Bend – I am privileged to witness, first hand, priest connue to live in the hearts of men and women the influence that the priests, brothers, and sisters today. of Holy Cross have had on generaons of believers in this community. An ocean and a connent away from In a leer to the religious of his congregaon dated the town of Sainte Croix, France, and spanning nearly September 1, 1841, Father Basil Moreau referred to two centuries of me, the legacy and faith of Basil himself as a “simple tool” and one “which the Lord will Moreau – founder of the Congregaon of Holy Cross soon break that He may substute for it others…” The – endure and prosper even unto today for the glory of priests, brothers, and sisters of Holy Cross and those God and the good of the people who connue to call lay men and women who are inspired by the faith of St. Joe their spiritual home. Considering the influence Father Moreau are the “simple tools” of today, at work Basil Moreau and the community he founded has in the Lord’s vineyard. see A Simple Tool, pg.3 1 SUMMER 07 ISSUE 9 Basil Anthony Moreau Rev. David T. Tyson, C.S.C., Provincial Superior Greengs, my brothers and duce to you a new col- sisters! umn in Pillars – wrien by Fr. Herb Yost, C.S.C., If you are a long me reader who many of you know of Pillars, you undoubtedly from your support of have noced our new look. We the Holy Cross decided to change the format Associaon. We also of Pillars, to hopefully make it celebrate with you the sll more readable, enjoyable, and relevant anniversaries of Holy to you. The goal remains the same, however, Basil Anthony Cross priests and to bring informaon to you, our partners Moreau, C.S.C., brothers who have in Holy Cross. As always, we welcome your founder reached milestones comments. of 25, 50 and even 60 years in service to the Lord. Our focus in this issue of Pillars is Fr. Basil An- thony Moreau’s vision, values and spirituality Today, we strive to hold to the virtues which and their relevance for the Holy Cross com- have shaped Holy Cross over the past 150 years munity and you, our friends, today. Vision is – community, hospitality, Divine Providence, described as “the ability to think about the hard work, partnership with the poor and mar- future with imaginaon or wisdom.” For Fr. ginalized, and an undying focus on the Cross Moreau, vision was combined with a com- – our only hope. plete trust in God’s will, and a passion to serve God’s people in holiness. As you read the arcles, please keep in mind that we would be nowhere without you – you sustain As we approach the beaficaon of our us in all we do. Fr. Moreau realized the impor- founder, we reflect on this man and the ways tance of collaboraon between the laity and in which his inspiring spirituality blesses our religious, a value we sll hold. You are truly a lives and ministries right now. I believe that, partner in the work of Holy Cross. We can never through the following pages, you will come to thank you enough for your prayerful support and understand more about Fr. Moreau and why encouragement. we are so grateful to celebrate his upcoming beaficaon. In closing, I just want to say, while I do not know each of you personally, I do know something In this issue you will read of ministries essen- about you. I know you desire a beer world. I al in keeping Moreau’s vision alive – Par- know you long for all to know the love and peace ish, Educaon, Missions. Fr. John DeRiso, of Jesus Christ. We share this goal and with C.S.C. provides a wonderful overview of Fr. God’s help, we will move toward it with a clear Moreau’s guiding principles and how we in vision and zeal to make God known, loved and Holy Cross live them today. We also intro- served. 2 SUMMER 07 ISSUE 9 A Simple Tool continued from page 1 In parish, mission, and educaon, the dream of Father Raised in a rural French peasant environment, Moreau Moreau is alive and well. Since the community’s incep- also knew the value of hard work. As a priest, he was con- on, Moreau envisioned priests and laity working side-by- sumed with what he called “a flame of burning desire to side, collaborang together as they respond with zeal to make God known, loved, and served” (Chrisan Pedagogy, the need and call of the Church. In the early days, this took I, art. 4 – 1856) and thus save souls. Moreau encouraged the form of educang youth and preaching the Gospel in this virtue among the members of his community. He be- an effort to re-evangelize the French countryside. Today, lieved zeal for mission to be essenal to responding to the across the globe, it is much the same. Priests, brothers, need and call of the Church. and sisters, along with their lay collaborators, work togeth- er to educate youth in schools and universies and preach Today, the religious men and women of Holy Cross remain the Gospel through word and deed at home and abroad. consumed with the same desire. Our love of the Lord and As our predecessors labored to re-evangelize France, ours of those whom we serve compels us to labor intensely in is the task of the new evangelizaon: proclaiming Christ to the harvest. We pray that, true to the longing of our holy all people for the glory of God and the salvaon of souls. founder, we may be animated by this virtue in order to Father Moreau recognized the strength of unity for the “fulfill [our] dues with eagerness, affecon, courage, and sake of mission. As God is one and as the Holy Family of perseverance” (Chrisan Pedagogy, I, art. 4 – 1856). Nazareth is one, so Moreau desired that his religious of Holy Cross would be united as one so that, as a “powerful The spirituality of Basil Moreau was also characterized by lever,” they could “move, direct, and sancfy the whole an abiding trust in Divine Providence. Indeed, it is a theme world” (Circular Leer 14 – 1841). that Moreau oen returned to in the leers he wrote to his congregaon. In an age marked by distress and uncer- tainty, Moreau saw all as guided by the hand of God. He One is moved to even welcomed the cross of suffering as a path to God and as a way to being more fully-conformed to Christ. In our ponder how, by the world today, marked by its own distress and uncertainty, grace of God, the vision the religious of Holy Cross connue to proclaim Ave Crux, Spes Unica – Hail the Cross, [our] Only Hope! The men and and values of a humble women of Holy Cross and all who have been inspired by the message of this man from Sainte Croix, “see in the face 19th century French of every human being who suffers…the face of Jesus who mounted the cross to take the sng out of death” (Cons- priest continue to live tuon 8, 114). in the hearts of men and Moreau’s compassion for the suffering was directed in a women today. parcular way to the poor, the troubled, and the marginal- ized. He counseled his “dear sons and daughters in Jesus Thus today, as religious of Holy Cross bound by our com- Christ” that, if they were ever to have a marked preference mon vows of chasty, poverty, and obedience, “we serve for some over others, it should be for “the poorest, the the Lord Jesus in mission not as independent individuals most abandoned, the most ignorant, and the least gied but in a brotherhood” (Constuon 4, 33). We remain by nature,” firm in his convicon that “it is only jusce to united in our efforts to build the kingdom of God while give more to those who have received less” (Chrisan Ped- standing in solidarity with those whom we serve.