Brothers of Holy CrossOur Founder
Blessed Basil Anthony Mary Moreau, C.S.C.
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| 1799 | Born, Feb. 11, Laigné-en-Belin (Sarthe), France; eighth child of Louis Moreau (+1830), farmer, and Louis Pioger (+1825). |
| 1814-1817 | Attends the school at Chateau-Gontier |
| August 15th: Father Moreau makes his religious profession | |
| 1817-1821 | Attends Seminary in Le Mans |
| 1820 | In Ruillé, Father Dujarié establishes the Brothers of St. Joseph |
| 1821 | Aug. 12, ordained a priest by Bishop de la Myre of Le Mans (Ordained at 22 years of age). |
| 1821 | Oct. 11, Basil arrived at Saint-Sulpice in Paris to continue his theological studies - Theology and Spirituality - under the Sulpicians. |
| 1822 | June - Fr. Moreau assisted Fr. Dujarié at the first annual retreat of the Brothers of St. Joseph. |
| 1822 | July – Fr. Moreau entered the Solitude at Issy; Fr. Mollevaut was superior |
| 1823 | Became professor of philosophy, minor seminary of Tessé |
| 1825 | Became professor of dogma, St. Vincent’s Seminary, Le Mans |
| 1830 | Appointed professor of Sacred Scripture, St. Vincent’sBecame Vice Rector and Spiritual Director at Seminary |
| 1830 | § Brothers were located in 46 schools and one novitiate§ Mushrooming of schools§ Brothers novitiate lasted only a few weeks§ Br. Andre was running the community§ An epidemic - cholera outbreak at this time |
| 1833 | Bishop Bouvier and Fr. Mollevant were spiritual directors of Moreau |
| 1833 | Bishop asked Moreau to oversee the establishment of the Good Shepherd Sisters. Moreau wrote the rules and later on became their superior. |
| 1834 | Jan. 22, J. B. Bouvier elected bishop of Le Mans; Fr. Heurtebize appointed rector of St. Vincent’s and Moreau named ass’t. superior. |
| 1835 | Aug., Moreau, 2 priests and 2 seminarians went on retreat at Latrop and organized the Auxiliary Priests of Le Mans (to preach missions) |
| 1835 | § There were 69 Brothers in 27 schools§ Brother Andre wrote the Bishop for Help |
| 1835 | Aug. 31, at conclusion of Brothers’ annual retreat at Ruille, Bp. Bouvier accepted Dujarie’s resignation and named Moreau as director of the community. |
| 1835 | Nov. 1, Moreau moved mother house and novitiate of Brothers to his property of Notre Dame du Bel Air (3 kgm from seminary) in the Sainte-Croix quarter of Le Mans. |
| 1835 | Introduces vows – Br. Andre 1st to take vows |
| 1836 | Sept., Moreau and 9 Auxiliary Priests leave St. Vincent’s for a rented house. (Bouvier sent Moreau from the seminary!) |
| 1836 | Nov., Brothers open elementary boarding school in the above house. |
| 1837 | Mar. 1, Fundamental Act of Union between Brothers and Priests signed. This was basically a legal act. This formed the Association of Sainte Croix (Holy Cross). United were 54 brothers and 7 priests |
| 1838 | First sisters at Holy Cross |
| 1838 | Oct. 6, boarding prep school opened at N. -D. de Ste-Croix, Fr. Pierre Chappé, director |
| 1840 | Apr. 28, first three Brothers left for Algeria (This lasted for about 33 years)(4 brothers and 1 priest of which Br Andre was a member) |
| 1840 | § 1840-1864 was a period of expansion – missionaries were went out every 2 years |
| 1840 | Aug. 15, Moreau and four priests make vows in C.S.C. |
| 1840 | Aug.22: the Associateion of Holy Cross is born |
| 1840 | Oct. 18: Opens Novitiate for the Priest at La Solitude |
| 1840 | Sisters founded (trained by Good Shepard Sisters) - St. Mary of the Seven Dolars was one of the 1st sisters of the Marianites of Holy Cross |
| 1841 | Aug. 4, first four Marianites took the habit (includes Sr. Mary of the Seven Sorrows) |
| 1841 | Aug. 5, seven religious left for U.S. (6 brothers + 1 priest)Fr. Sorin, age 26; Br. Vincent, age 43, Two novices – age 16 |
| 1843 | Marianite Sisters are sent to the United States |
| 1844 | Received the vows of Leocadie Gascoin and three Marianites. |
| 1847 | Apr. 25, foundation in Canada - 1 priest, 1 seminarian, 8 brothers and 3 sisters left Le Mans for Canada; arrived Saint Laurent, May 27. |
| 1849 | Father Moreau is elected superior general for life |
| 1849 | Jan. 13, Institution de N. –D. de Ste-Croix fully accredited. |
| 1850 | Nov. 13, Basil arrived in Rome with four Brotrhers to open an orphanage at Santa Prisca. Nove. 23, he kissed the foot of Pope Pius IX during ceremony at St. Peter’s. Nov. 26, audience with pope. Dec. 9, Pope gave C.S.C. the direction of Vigna Pia. |
| 1852 | Apr., affairs of C.S.C. transferred to the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith in Rome. June, evangelization of East Bengal entrusted to C.S.C. by Propagada Fide. Nov. 5, three priest, two Brothers and Three Sisters left Le Mans for Bengal. By year’s end, C.S.C. consists of 75 priest, 281 brothers and 121 sisters. |
| 1853 | Mission in Eastern Bengal |
| 1855 | October: Father Moreua's "night of the spirit" |
| 1856 | Foundation in Paris. Foundation in Polands. |
| 1856 | May 19, papal brief in favor of C.S.C. |
| 1857 | Apr. 27, Pius IX approved constitutions of C.S.C. |
| 1857 | Sisters break off from Congregation |
| 1857 | Moreau visited North American foundations. |
| 1858 | June 28, first Constitution and Rule of the Marianites approved by Bp. of Le Mans. |
| 1860 | Aug., first general chapter of the Marianites |
| 1860 | Nov. 25, Ordination of Pierre Dufal as vicar apostolic of East Bengal. |
| 1861 | Affair of Br. Marie-Julien in Paris plunges C.S.C. into debt. |
| 1862 | Visitation of the North American Houses by Fr. Charles Moreau. |
| 1863 | Aug., general chapter authorized erection of provinces for France and North America. French Province established; North American Province postponed. |
| 1865 | May, provincial chapter establishes North American Province with Sorin as provincial and seat at Notre Dame du Lac. Nov., Moreau called to Rome by Vatican and goes in Dec. |
| 1866 | June 14, Moreau’s resignation as superior general accepted by Pope Pius IX; Fr. Pierre Chappe become vigar general of C.S.C. |
| 1866 | Aug., general chapter separated North American Provinces into provinces of Indiana and Canada and elected Pierre Dufal as superior general. |
| 1868 | Feb., Dufal resigned as superior general. July, general chapter elected Fr. Edward Sorin superior general, transferred generalate to Paris and ordered mother house in Le Mans to be sold to pay community’s debts.Moreau is out of office and out of community |
| 1869 | April. 28, Moreau moved out of N. –D. de Ste-Croix to a house across the street owned by his sisters.July 27, Sisters of the Holy Cross (St. Mary’s Indiana) canonically separated from Marianites.Oct. 2, furnishings of N. –D. de Ste-Croix sold. |
1869 1869-1873 |
Moreau spent his last years in the house owned by his siters at 20, rue Notre Dame (today: Jeanne d’Arc). The Marianited Sisters, whose mother house was a few streets away, brought him his meals. He continued to be active as a preacher of retreats and parish missions and in taking the place of parish priests who were ill or needed to be away. While replacing the pastor at Yvre-l’Eveque, near Le Mans, in December 1872, he became ill and died at age 73 after his return to Le Mans on Jan. 20, 1873. |
| 1955 | The cause for his beatification was introduced in Rome. |
| 2003 | On Saturday, April 12th (2003), at a consistory held in the Vatican, Pope John Paul II proclaimed the heroic virtues of the Servant of God, Basil Moreau, and bestowed on him the title venerable. |
| 2007 | Basil Anthony Mary Moreau declared Blessed - September 15 |