Heroes & Stories
Heroes and Prayers — Brothers and Priests on Paths to Canonization
Blessed Rev. Basil Moreau, C.S.C.
A man of zeal at local and global levels
Fr. Basil Moreau, C.S.C., the founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross, was born in 1799 in a small village near Le Mans, France. He grew up amidst the turmoil of the French Revolution. As a young priest, he felt compelled to revitalize a Church devastated by years of civil war. With nearly two-thirds of France’s clergy and religious exiled or killed, Fr. Moreau helped restore hope by organizing a group of Auxiliary Priests to preach, teach and bring the message of Christ to those in neglected towns and villages.
In 1835, at the bishop’s request, Fr. Moreau took direction of the Brothers of Saint Joseph, a group of young men formed into a teaching community in 1820 by Fr. Jacques Dujarié. Following his vision of starting a new religious community modeled on the Holy Family, Fr. Moreau united his auxiliary priests and the Brothers of St. Joseph in 1837 to form the Congregation of Holy Cross. Four years later, he founded a women’s group, the Marianites of Holy Cross. Together, the Holy Cross religious, united by their founder and their vows, ministered first in France, and later in other parts of Europe, Asia, North and South America, and Africa—always going to places where the needs were the greatest.
Fr. Moreau remained Superior General of the Congregation of Holy Cross for many years, enduring trials of every sort. Despite his struggles, he continued to bring hope to others through his preaching and retreats. Pope Benedict XVI beatified him on September 15, 2007, Our Lady of Sorrows, the feast day of the Congregation of Holy Cross. Blessed Fr. Moreau remains an inspiration to men and women who live his vision of “bringing hope to others” in more than 15 countries throughout the world.
(from www.holycrossbrothers.com)
Prayer for the canonization of Blessed Basil Moreau
Lord Jesus, Source of all that is good, you inspired Blessed Basil Moreau to found the religious family of Holy Cross to continue your mission among the People of God. May he be for us a model of the apostolic life, an example of fidelity and an inspiration as we strife to follow you.
May the Church proclaim his saintliness for the good of all people. Lord Jesus, you said, “Ask and you shall receive.” I dare to come to you to ask that you hear my prayer. It is through the intercession of Blessed Basil Moreau that I ask…
May I learn to imitate his holiness and service and look to him confidently in times of need. Amen.
Blessed Brother Andre, C.S.C.
A man of simple service and great devotion
Alfred Bessette was born in 1845 near Montreal, Canada to a poor, working-class family. He experienced great tragedy in his life—his father died after a lumbering accident when he was only 9-years old, and his mother died from tuberculosis when he was 12. The deaths of his beloved parents, and his own struggles with illness, only made his faith in God and compassion for others that much stronger.
After a short stint working in the textile mills of the United States, Alfred returned to his native Canada and pursued his calling as a Brother of Holy Cross. He entered the Congregation of Holy Cross in 1870 and was given the name Bro. André. His first assignment, which was to last him 40 years, was as the doorman of the community’s school in Montreal, Notre Dame College.
Bro. André developed a deep devotion to St. Joseph, the foster father of Jesus and the patron saint of the Brothers of Holy Cross. As people came to the school, burdened by their own struggles and suffering, Bro. André directed them to pray to St. Joseph. Through Bro. André’s healing touch, thousands of people were cured and he became known as the “Miracle Man of Montreal.” One of his greatest contributions during his lifetime was building St. Joseph’s Oratory, the largest shrine in the world dedicated to St. Joseph.
Bro. André died in 1937 at the age of 92. The last words on his lips were the name of his beloved saint, “Joseph.” Over a million people came to pay him their final respects. Recognizing the saintly life of this humble man, Pope John Paul II beatified him in 1982. To this day, thousands come in pilgrimage to St. Joseph’s Oratory, where his tomb lies, to receive spiritual and physical healing. The memorial of Blessed Bro. André is celebrated on January 6.
(from <www. holycrossbrothers.com)
Prayer for the canonization of Blessed Brother Andre
Lord, you have chosen Blessed Brother Andre to spread devotion to Saint Joseph and to dedicate himself to all those who are afflicted. Grant through his intercession the favor that we now request…
We also pray that the Church may canonize him as soon as possible. Grant us the grace to imitate his piety and charity so that, with him, we may share the reward promised to all who care for their neighbors out of love for you. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Servant of God Archbishop Theotonius Ganguly, C.S.C.
A pillar of strength and empathy
Theotonius Ganguly was born in East Bengal, India (now Bangladesh) in 1920. He pursued his studies through the diocesan seminary system and was ordained a priest in 1946 in Ranchi, India, for the Dhaka Archdiocese. Since he was an excellent student, he was sent to the University of Notre Dame in the United States to do his doctorate in Philosophy, writing his thesis on Yoga Philosophy. Afterwards he professed a strong desire to join the Congregation of Holy Cross, so he entered the novitiate of the congregation in Jordan, Minnesota and made his First Profession there in 1952.
Returning to Dhaka, he was assigned to Notre Dame College where he taught Logic. He was named Principal of the college in 1960, and consecrated Auxiliary Bishop of Dhaka in October of that same year. In 1965 he was named Administrator of the Archdiocese, and succeeded as Archbishop in 1967.
Although Archbishop Ganguly died of a heart attack on September 7, 1997 at the early age of 57, his name will live forever in the Church of Bangladesh. He was always a perfect religious when he lived at Notre Dame College from 1952 until he was consecrated bishop. He was the soul of gentlemanly behavior, seemingly so fragile and delicate, and yet so strong in his gentleness. He was respected by all because he had a gift of God to respect the dignity of every person. Though he lacked the decisiveness to be a good administrator—and this bothered him deeply—he more than made up in holiness for this lack in secular talent. He is universally acclaimed as a saint by the Christian community. His cause was opened in the Archdiocese of Dhaka in September 2006.
Prayer for the beatification of Servant of God Archbishop GangulyGracious Lord, we thank you for the gift of your servant, Archbishop Theotonius Ganguly, to the Church and to the people of Bangladesh. By his goodness, gentleness, and kindness you guided your people through time of suffering, deprivation, and war. His constant humility, self-giving, deep faith, and zeal for others were a day-star to a people in darkness and the shadow of death.
Lord, we ask that you bring many to know and imitate his virtues and to benefit by his devotion to you and to the service of others. We ask you through the intercession of Archbishop Ganguly to grant us the favor of…
May his life inspire us to follow his example and may the recognition of his virtues bring honor to the Church and glory to your name. Amen.
Servant of God Brother Flavian Laplante, C.S.C.
Zealous missionary of outreach and inner peace
Dorian Laplante was born in Saint-Louis de Richelieu, Canada on July 27, 1907. He entered the Holy Cross novitiate in 1923, taking the name Brother Flavian. On August 16, 1932, Brother Flavian made his perpetual profession of vows in the Congregation of Holy Cross. From 1933 until his death on June 19, 1981, Brother Flavian Laplante CSC was a Holy Cross missionary in the diocese of Chittagong, Bangladesh.
We remember Brother Flavian as a zealous missionary, a pioneer in education, an apostle to the fishermen, an advocate for justice for the fishermen, a man of action who could move mountains and finally as a contemplative hermit – ending his life in an ashram and living as a shadhu.
The witness of his life as a Holy Cross religious, as an active promoter of love, justice and solidarity for the poor, as a spiritual person, as a man of dialogue not only within the Christian community, but among people of other religions, and as a fervent devotee of the Blessed Virgin Mary is well known among the people who were in contact with him, who heard of him and who read publications concerning him. They speak and testify to the heroicity of his virtues of faith, hope and charity, of his extraordinary moral virtues of justice, prudence, courage, of his temperance, his perseverance, his endurance in suffering and his perfection in charity. They seek his intercession in prayer. The Servant of God’s reputation for sanctity grows rapidly among the people who were in contact with him – priests, religious, lay men and women, among Christians and people of other religions. His cause was opened in February 2009.
(from News from the Generalate, YR 6, NO 2, February 2009
Prayer for the beatification of Servant of God Flavian Laplante
Lord God,
We give you joyful thanks for the life of Brother Flavian Laplante, apostle to the fishermen and hermit of Diang. Through his prayers, his apostolic courage and concern for others, he restored dignity to neglected people in Bangladesh and provided for the care of orphans. His devotion to Mary, your mother, his enthusiasm and his humble life of generous service to the poor and needy invite us to dedicate ourselves to you by a life of service to those in need.
We beseech you, therefore, to hasten the day of his beatification for the good of all people and in particular for the Church and the people of Bangladesh.
Lord, you said, “Ask and you shall receive.” We come to you to ask that you hear our prayer. It is through the intercession of Brother Flavian Laplante that we ask…
May Brother Flavian’s example encourage us to carry our own cross with patience and to strive to imitate his virtues in our daily life of service to others. We ask this grace of you who live and reign in union with the Father and the Holy Spirit now and forever. Amen
Servant of God Bishop Vincent Joseph McCauley, C.S.C.
Leading, and Carrying his Cross, in Eastern Africa
Vincent Joseph McCauley was born on March 8, 1906 in Council Bluffs, Iowa. After graduation from high school, he heard the call to priesthood and joined the formation program of the Congregation of Holy Cross at the University of Notre Dame in. After completing his theological training at the Holy Cross Foreign Mission Seminary in Washington, DC, he was ordained to the priesthood in June 1934. In October 1936, he began his missionary work in Bengal, India (now Bangladesh).
McCauley suffered health difficulties all his life, and in 1944, he was sent home from Bengal with a serious case of phlebitis. He recovered and in 1946 was assigned as rector of the Foreign Mission Seminary in Washington. After his tenure as rector ended in 1952, he continued on in Washington serving as procurator of the missions. In 1958, McCauley was assigned as superior to inaugurate a new Holy Cross Mission in Uganda, East Africa. Soon this mission became the diocese of Fort Portal, with McCauley consecrated as its first bishop in April 1961.
McCauley served the Church in Uganda as bishop of Fort Portal tirelessly. Starting with virtually nothing, he built the institutions, administrative structures and esprit de corps required for this new mission effort. Ever compassionate, he made significant efforts to assist refugees from Rwanda, Congo, and the Sudan who migrated to Western Uganda during various periods in the 1960s. In 1972, he turned the leadership of the Fort Portal diocese over to a Ugandan bishop, and became secretary-general of the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences of Eastern Africa (AMCEA), where he served until 1979.
The accomplishments of Vincent McCauley, especially in Eastern Africa, were many and significant, but his story cannot be adequately told without some reference to his association with people and his personal suffering. A victim of facial skin cancer for close to forty years, he never complained about many painful and at times disfiguring surgeries. McCauley was generous often to a fault, and always had time for others. He was warm, welcoming, and compassionate. He expressed his care in many ways, by action and word; his sincerity was never questioned by anyone. When he died on November 1, 1982 it was said “a valiant man of God died, but a saint was born.” His cause was introduced in July 2007.
Prayer for the beatification of Servant of God Bishop McCauley
God, loving Father, we thank you for the gift of your servant Bishop Vincent McCauley to the Church and to the people of eastern Africa and in particular to the diocese of Fort Portal. By his goodness, kindness, gentleness and innovation, you guided your people through times of ignorance, poverty and suffering. His constant endurance of physical pain, humility, self-giving, deep faith and pastoral zeal were an example to many people.
Lord God, we pray that we may come to imitate his virtues and so benefit from his devotion to you and his dedication to serving others. We now ask you through the intercession of Bishop McCauley to grant us the favor of…
May we be inspired to follow his exemplary life and may the recognition of his virtues bring honor to the Church. We ask this through Christ our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.
Servant of God Rev. Patrick Peyton, C.S.C.
Reaching Millions, Celebrating Rosary and Family
Father Patrick Peyton, CSC, the famous Rosary priest, who died in 1992, and who is now a sainthood candidate, was born Jan. 9, 1909, at Carracastle, Attymass parish, in County Mayo, Ireland. After immigrating to the United States in 1928 at age 19, he eventually becoming a seminarian, miraculously survived tuberculosis, and was ordained in 1941 as a priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross.
In 1942, shortly after his ordination, Patrick Peyton founded Family Rosary in Albany, N.Y. A Catholic media pioneer, he spent the 51 years of his priesthood (1941 – 1992) serving the spiritual needs of families. He conducted rosary crusades in 40 countries that drew 28 million people, including 2 million each at events in Brazil and the Philippines. Through Family Theater Productions, which he created in Hollywood in 1947, he produced 600 radio and TV programs that featured hundreds of star actors and other celebrities and had more than 10,000 broadcasts.
Father Peyton was one of the most influential Catholic priests in American history. He reached millions of people with his message of peace and prayer through radio and television. He led massive crusades around the world, preaching family unity through praying the rosary. He established a ministry that continues to spread his gospel: “The family that prays together stays together.” Today, the Church is considering him for sainthood. His Cause for Canonization was opened in June 2001and the Church has bestowed on him the title of “Servant of God.”
Prayer for the beatification of Servant of God Patrick Peyton
Dear Lord Jesus, Father Peyton devoted his priestly life to strengthening the families of the world by calling them to pray together every day, especially the Rosary. His message is as important for us as it was during his life on earth. We beg you, therefore, to hasten the day of his beatification so that your faithful people everywhere who remember his message that “the family that prays together stays together,” will imitate him in his devotion to your Mother and ours, and will be inspired by his holy life to draw ever closer to you with childlike confidence and love. Amen.
Stories: Social Justice Ministries
André House, Phoenix, Ariz.
At André House, Holy Cross religious and other volunteers engage in direct service to the homeless and unemployed, assisting with meals, job training, shelter, and other forms of counseling and training.
Valley Missionary Program, Coachella, Calif.
Through the Valley Missionary Program in the Coachella Valley of California, Holy Cross religious launched a series of innovative support services for migrant workers and have continued that ministry for several decades.
St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Portland, Ore.
At St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Portland, Ore., Holy Cross has worked in cooperation with local government authorities to shelter the homeless and elderly poor.
In Chile, Holy Cross staffs two orphanages and places a high priority on social outreach programs in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.
Media Ministries
Ave Maria Press, Notre Dame, Ind.
Founded in 1865 at Notre Dame, Ind., Ave Maria Press, a ministry of the Congregation of Holy Cross, is a Catholic publishing company that serves the spiritual and formative needs of the Church and its schools, institutions, and ministers; Christian individuals and families; and others seeking spiritual nourishment.
Holy Cross Family Ministries
In the spirit of their founder, Servant of God Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C., and under the sponsorship of the Congregation of Holy Cross, Holy Cross Family Ministries serves Jesus Christ and his Church throughout the world by promoting and supporting the spiritual well being of the family. These efforts are carried out through a number of member ministries:
Fr. Patrick Peyton, C.S.C., Memorial Center, Attymass, Balina, County Mayo, IRELAND
The centre commemorates the life and apostolic work of Fr. Peyton, C.S.C., one of Ireland’s most famous priests, known internationally as the “Rosary Priest.’ It is a place of respite, prayer, and peace, highly respected by pilgrims and a popular tourist attraction.
Family Rosary, North Easton, Mass., and Albany, N.Y.
Family Rosary seeks to support the spiritual well being of the family through prayer, especially the Rosary. This is done by making available opportunities for family members to participate in retreats, conferences, seminars, parish missions, and days of reflection.
Family Rosary International, Worldwide
The work of Family Rosary International thrives in 17 countries on five continents, making the message of prayer and family unity global. Each office promotes family prayer, especially the Rosary, and does this with respect to the local traditions and customs of each country.
Family Theater, Hollywood, Calif.
Family Theater Productions seeks to educate, entertain, and inspire families using media, including television, radio, billboards, and the Internet. With more than 700 radio and television programs and more than 10,000 broadcasts, Family Theater Productions has reached millions of individuals and families and enjoyed the support of a distinguished list of well-known actors, producers, and directors. Hollywood TV, radio production company continues founder’s 57-year mission of entertaining, supporting families.
Angelus Student Film Festival, Hollywood, Calif.
The Angelus Student Film Festival was formed by Family Theater Productions to showcase and award emerging filmmakers in an effort to encourage them to continue creating visionary projects that honor the fundamental dignity of the human person.
Other Ministries
Holy Cross and Hispanic Ministry, Austin, Tex.
St. Joseph Oratory, Montreal, Quebec
