The Congregation of Holy Cross hosted the meeting of the four Holy Cross General Councils at the Holy Cross Generalate in Rome, Italy, from October 8-10.

The biennial meeting draws together the leaderships of the four religious congregations that make up Blessed Basile Moreau’s religious family. There are three congregations of religious sisters—the Marianites of Holy Cross (Louisiana, United States), the Sisters of the Holy Cross (Indiana, United States), and the Sisters of Holy Cross (Quebec, Canada)—as well as the Holy Cross priests and brothers who together constitute the Congregation of Holy Cross (Rome, Italy).

Since the last meeting of the four councils in October 2022 at St. Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana, in the United States, the Sisters of Holy Cross and the Sisters of the Holy Cross have held their General Chapters. The Sisters of Holy Cross in July 2023 re-elected Sr. Raymonde Maisonneuve, C.S.C., Superior General, while the Sisters of the Holy Cross elected Sr. Sharlet Ann Wagner, C.S.C., as their new President in July of this year. Both General Councils have new members, making this the first meeting for many of them.

Meet the Patrons of Holy Cross

On Tuesday, October 8, after an opening prayer led by the Marianites, Br. Paul Bednarczyk, C.S.C., Superior General, welcomed all the members of the leadership teams to the Generalate and laid out the agenda. The morning was dedicated to introductions so that the council members could get to know one another and share their hopes for the meeting. In the afternoon, each council gave a report on the state of its congregation, including demographics, opportunities, and challenges. There was time for questions and conversation following each report.

On Wednesday morning, the four General Councils went to the Vatican, including a visit to the offices of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. The afternoon was dedicated to a presentation and conversation led by Sr. Ann Lacour, M.S.C., Congregational Leader, on the work of the inter-congregational Solitude Commission, which has been preparing a proposal for the future of La Solitude du Sauveur in Le Mans, France.

On Thursday morning, the four Councils had a brainstorming session on the Holy Cross International Justice Office, which is a collaborative endeavor of the four congregations. There were also presentations on the congregation’s new Holy Family Mission in the Diocese of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea and an update on the causes of the saints. In the afternoon, to conclude its meeting, the four councils explored several areas for future collaboration.