The Congregation of Holy Cross welcomed 17 new novices at a reception Mass on October 15, 2020, at the Holy Cross Novitiate in Barishal, Bangladesh. The Mass was celebrated by the Most Rev. Lawrence Subrato, C.S.C., of Bishop of the Diocese of Barishal. Seven of the novices are from the St. Joseph Province, and thus pursuing the vocation of religious brother. The remaining 10 novices belong to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Province and are discerning a call to be a religious priest.

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As part of the ceremony, Fr. Ashim Gonsalves, C.S.C., Novice Master, and Br. Shimul Rozario, C.S.C., Assistant Novice Master, presented each novice with a candle to serve as a reminder of their baptismal promises, as well as a copy of the Constitutions of the Congregation. One of the main focuses of the Novitiate learn is reading, studying, and praying with the Constitutions so as to grow in the religious vows as Holy Cross incarnates them. Area priests and religious were invited to the Mass and afterward shared in an agape meal.

A few days after their reception, Fr. Frank Quinlavin, C.S.C., preached a six-day retreat to the novices to open the novitiate year. 

The Holy Cross Novitiate in Barishal is one of seven novitiates currently in the Congregation of Holy Cross.