Blessed Basil Moreau
Blessed Basil Moreau, C.S.C. (born February 11, 1799 AD in Laigné-en-Belin, Sarthe, France; died January 20, 1873 AD in Le Mans, Sarthe, France) was a French Catholic priest who founded the Congregation of Holy Cross (C.S.C.) in 1837 — the religious congregation that would establish the University of Notre Dame in Indiana (USA) in 1842 and become one of the most significant Catholic educational communities in the world. Born in the Sarthe region of northwestern France, he was ordained in 1821 and worked to rebuild Catholic life in France after the devastation of the Revolution. He founded Holy Cross, combining priests and brothers in a single apostolic family devoted to education and mission. He was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI on September 15, 2007. His feast day is January 20.
Stored in Cargo: Blessed Basil Moreau
| Blessed Basil Moreau | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | January 20 |
| Profession | French diocesan priest; founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross (C.S.C.); educator; missionary; spiritual writer |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Congregation of Holy Cross (C.S.C.); French Catholic Church; 19th-century French Catholic renewal; Le Mans diocesan tradition; Marian spirituality (August 15 founding) |
| Patronage | The Congregation of Holy Cross; the University of Notre Dame; educators; missionaries; France; the Sarthe region; those who found religious communities; those who suffer financial difficulties for God's work |
| Attributes | Priest's vestments; a cross (the Holy Cross, congregation's symbol); a globe (missionary vision); the Notre Dame dome and basilica; the Sarthe region; the motto ''Spes unica'' |
| Birthplace | Laigné-en-Belin, Sarthe, France |
| Death Place | Le Mans, Sarthe, France |
| Cause of Death | Natural death; died January 20, 1873, in Le Mans, France; he was 73 years old; he had spent 52 years of priesthood working for the rebuilding of Catholic life in France and the world through the Congregation of Holy Cross; his final years were marked by misunderstanding, financial difficulties, and opposition from some within and outside the congregation he had founded; he bore these sufferings with patience and in union with the Cross; he died peacefully in Le Mans; Pope Benedict XVI beatified him on September 15, 2007 |
| Primary Shrine | Le Mans, Sarthe, France — his tomb at the Sainte-Croix chapel; January 20 feast; Holy Cross pilgrimage; University of Notre Dame chaplaincy tradition |
| Liturgical Class | Not in universal Roman calendar; January 20 feast in the Congregation of Holy Cross and in France |
| Historic Class | Not in 1962 calendar |
Biography
Basil Moreau was born February 11, 1799, in Laigné-en-Belin in the Sarthe, in the final years of the French Revolutionary period. He was ordained a priest in 1821 and served in the Diocese of Le Mans, working to rebuild Catholic educational and spiritual life after the devastation of the Revolution.
He founded the Congregation of Holy Cross (Congregation de Sainte-Croix, C.S.C.) on August 15, 1837 — the feast of the Assumption — at the Sainte-Croix chapel in Le Mans, combining his auxiliary priests with the Brothers of Saint Joseph.
In 1842, his confrere Father Edward Sorin founded the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. In 1857, Moreau himself visited the United States and the Notre Dame community.
His final years were marked by financial difficulties and misunderstanding, which he bore in the spirit of the Cross that was his congregation's center and motto.
He died January 20, 1873, in Le Mans.
He was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI on September 15, 2007.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Laigné-en-Belin, Sarthe, France
Death location: Le Mans, Sarthe, France
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Shrines
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Known shrines
- Sainte-Croix complex, Le Mans, Sarthe, France — his tomb; January 20 feast; Holy Cross pilgrimage site.
- Basilica of the Sacred Heart, University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA — his memory honored; Holy Cross presence.
Feast day
January 20
Veneration
Blessed Basil Moreau (1799–1873) was a French priest who founded the Congregation of Holy Cross on August 15, 1837, in Le Mans — the congregation that established the University of Notre Dame (1842) and became one of the most significant Catholic educational and missionary communities in the world; his motto Ave Crux, Spes Unica (Hail the Cross, Our Only Hope) expresses his spirituality. Beatified Benedict XVI, 2007. Feast January 20.
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