Blessed Basil Anthony Mary Moreau
Moreau Stained Glass at Notre Dame Moreau’s vision was to maximize the spiritual vigor of this association by modeling it after the Holy Family. He completed the Holy Cross family by founding a group of sisters, known as the Marianites, who were also involved in education and evangelization.
Moreau gave to each of the three groups a patron. He consecrated the priests to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the brothers to the pure heart of St. Joseph, and the sisters to the Immaculate and Sorrowful Heart of Mary. He also established Mary, under her title of Our Lady of Sorrows, as patroness for all of Holy Cross.
Soon the Church outside of France began seeking the assistance of Moreau’s fledgling congregation. He sent priests, brothers and sisters to other countries, including Algeria, the United States, Canada, and Bangladesh.
The Holy See officially declared Moreau’s group to be a religious congregation – the Congregation of Holy Cross – in 1857 by approving the association’s Constitutions. The Holy See required that the sisters be separate from this congregation of priests and brothers. The sisters later were approved as three separate congregations.