St. Raphael Roman Catholic Church

CONGREGATION OF HOLY CROSS (CSC)

To serve with zeal “to make God known, loved, and served, and thus save souls” – that was the charge that Blessed Basile Moreau CSC, our founder, gave the Congregation of Holy Cross.  Blessed Basile founded the Congregation on March 1, 1837, in Sainte-Croix, which at the time was a small village outside of Le Mans, France. We are an apostolic religious congregation composed of two distinct societies of religious brothers and religious priests “bound together in one indivisible brotherhood.”

Throughout our historyour mission has been to share in the Church’s mission by working as educators in the faith. In all of our ministries, whether schools, parishes, or other works of missionary outreach and social justice, we serve side-by-side with our collaborators through educating hearts and minds and building communities of the coming kingdom.

Today, the Congregation of Holy Cross consists of over 1,200 perpetually professed religious brothers and religious priests. Through our vowed religious life, our apostolic work, and our conviction that “the cross is our only hope,” we strive to be men with hope to bring in the 16 countries in which we live and serve. Our motto is SPES UNICA.  

Fr. Francis is a member of the Region of English Canada where they are responsible for pastoral ministry through parishes in Toronto (St. Ann, St. Joseph, Holy Name and the Native Peoples’ Mission), in Waterdown (St. Thomas), in Welland (St. Kevin), in various ministries in Montreal, Quebec, and in Moncton, St. John and Fredericton, New Brunswick.  They also support international CSC missions, especially in India, Haiti Dominica and Peru.