The History of the Sisters of the Holy Cross:
A Journey Through Time
The Sisters of the Holy Cross trace their origin to the Congregation of Holy Cross, founded in the 19th century by Blessed Basil Anthony Moreau in Le Mans, France. Today, there are three Holy Cross branches of women religious, the Marianites of Holy Cross (headquartered in Louisiana), Sisters of Holy Cross (Montreal, Canada), and our Congregation—the Sisters of the Holy Cross (Notre Dame, Indiana).
1843
Father Moreau sent four Marianite Sisters of Holy Cross from France to the United States. They were Sister Mary of the Sacred Heart, Sister Mary of Bethlehem, Sister Mary of Nazareth, and Sister Mary of Calvary. Sent by the request of Father Edward Frederick Sorin, CSC, they arrived in northern Indiana to assist Holy Cross priests and brothers who had recently founded a school for young men known as the University of Notre Dame.
The names of these first four sisters symbolized the life of Holy Cross members: Bethlehem, Nazareth, Calvary and the Sacred Heart. Regardless of their foresight and zeal, they could have never imagined what the Congregation has become today.
The sisters initially provided domestic assistance to the priests, brothers and students. But in short order, they turned their attention to the care of orphans and the education of young women a few miles north of South Bend, Indiana. Informed by the Indiana bishop that there were enough women religious in the state, the sisters took up residence in Bertrand, Michigan, where they began teaching the local children. On July 16, 1844, they opened their first school on the bank of the St. Joseph River: Saint Mary’s Academy.
The land and small building were donated by Madeline Bertrand, a Potawatomi woman who ran a trading post with her French husband, Joseph. Occupied by children, postulants and sisters, the accommodations marked the beginning of an ongoing ministry of education.
At the request of the bishop of Dhaka, Father Moreau missioned Holy Cross sisters, priests and brothers to Bengal. The sisters were soon leading the Catholic school and orphanage in Dhaka and another in Chittagong. After serving there for 24 years, circumstances forced the withdrawal of the group of religious.
As a new bishop was appointed in Indiana, the sisters were invited back to Notre Dame. By this time, the Congregation had grown in size to 30 sisters.
As directress of Saint Mary’s Academy, Mother M. Angela (Gillespie), CSC, relocated the sisters’ boarding school (and its 60 students) from Bertrand to a site just west of the young Notre Dame campus.
A strong advocate of women’s education, Mother Angela instituted courses in advanced mathematics, philosophy, modern languages, music and the arts. She went on to publish a series of educational readers and served as the editor of Ave Maria, a Catholic periodical founded by Father Sorin.
Construction began on Bertrand Hall to provide for the growing academy. Built with “Notre Dame brick,” the five-story, state-of-the-art building housed the entire school by providing classrooms and dormitory for the students.
At the time of completion, it could house up to 60 boarding students in addition to day students. The growing academy, strengthened by the reputation of the sisters and the opportunity it provided young woman, quickly outgrew the space when it was completed in 1862. Just two years later, construction was started on Bertrand Annex. This addition served as the Music Hall with dormitory on the upper floor.
As the country approached a time of great division and turmoil, the sisters’ mission evolved once more. Just six months after the outbreak of the Civil War, Indiana Governor Oliver P. Morton reached out to the Congregation with a desperate plea to care for wounded soldiers.
Despite having no formal nursing training, six courageous Holy Cross sisters answered the call and traveled to Paducah, Kentucky, and Cairo, Illinois, to serve the sick and wounded. This was the beginning of the sisters’ health care ministry.
Shortly after the Civil War, the Congregation opened its first hospital: Saint Mary’s Infirmary in Cairo, Illinois.
By the end of the 19th century, the women of Holy Cross evolved into three distinct and autonomous congregations.
1867—Marianites of Holy Cross, Covington, Louisiana, U.S.
1869—Sisters of the Holy Cross, Notre Dame, Indiana, U.S.
1889—Sisters of Holy Cross, Saint-Laurent, Montreal, Canada
Two decades later, the Constitutions of the Sisters of the Holy Cross received official approval from Rome, and Mother M. Augusta (Anderson), CSC, was elected the first American superior general.
1895
Mother M. Pauline O’Neill, CSC, was elected directress of Saint Mary’s Academy. Under her leadership, the institution became officially recognized by the state of Indiana as a bachelor degree-granting institution—the first of these conferred in 1898. Renamed Saint Mary’s College, Mother Pauline became its first president. Saint Mary’s went on to become one of the first colleges in the country, and the first in Indiana, to establish a bachelor’s degree program in nursing.
Four Sisters, M. Olga (Hughes), Marie Estelle (O’Brien), M. Rose Monica (Weber) and M. Rose Bernard (Gehring), established a permanent mission in Bengal, India (now Bangladesh) and carried out transformative work in areas of education and health care. They started a primary school that rapidly became a middle school. And after opening a small clinic for women and children, it was not long before they were seeing 125 patients a day.
In 1934, the Holy Cross sisters recognized that the people of Bengal would be better served by sisters who understood their language, customs and traditions. They assisted in establishing a new congregation of indigenous women, the Associates of Mary, Queen of the Apostles. These sisters have brought many women into the nursing profession, greatly benefiting women’s health in Bangladesh and the health of communities.
Sister M. Madeleva (Wolff), CSC, became president of Saint Mary’s College. The scholar, poet and advocate for the arts and education, specifically women’s education, later established the nation’s first theology graduate program for women in 1943, setting the bar for all institutions of higher learning.
Sisters arrived in São Paulo, Brazil, at the invitation of Cardinal Carlos Carmelo Vasconcellos Motta, who asked them to staff a health facility. Upon arrival, they found the facility had not yet been built, so they responded to the immediate needs they saw.
First, they expanded their education ministry by establishing Colégio Santa Maria, one of the highest-rated schools in São Paulo. Today, the sisters in Brazil operate a senior living facility, equip women with skills to support their families, and engage in human rights advocacy.
The Holy Cross sisters founded Holy Cross College, followed in 1951 by Holy Cross Girls High School, two of the most highly rated schools in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
They went on to build ministries to improve health care, facilitate women’s empowerment and expand support of marginalized communities in both India and Bangladesh. The sisters’ mission in Bangladesh has left a lasting legacy of hope, opportunity and empowerment across the region.
Left to right, Holy Cross Sisters M. Catherine de Ricci (Bartels), Patricia Gantz and M. Olivette (Whalen), with Bishop Vincent McCauley, CSC.
The bishop of Fort Portal, Uganda invited the Congregation to launch a ministry of education. When three sisters arrived, they found a country of both beauty and political unrest. Swiftly, they created St. Maria Goretti School for girls. Additional sisters soon joined them, fulfilling the need for nurses to care for wounded as a civil war escalated. Even as expatriates were fleeing the country and the U.S. embassy withdrew its diplomats, sisters were determined to stay.
By 1986, they welcomed their first two Ugandan women to the Congregation. Together, they grew in number and ministries and went on to establish, operate and staff Kyembogo Holy Cross Health Centre and Moreau Nursery and Primary School in Kirinda. Today, the sisters’ mission in Uganda has grown to include service to widows and widowers, orphaned children, and survivors of human trafficking.
The nature of the community and its mission broadened after the Second Vatican Council, with its emphasis on the role of the Church in the modern world. No longer were the sisters bound by specific ministries. Their new constitution, approved in 1982, said simply: “As a congregation whose missionary charism is to respond to the needs of the Church, we determine our types and places of service based on these needs.”
The Congregation expanded its ministry in South America, initially sending two Holy Cross sisters to Chimbote, Peru. The sisters fulfilled parish and community needs wherever they went.
In the present day, the sisters in Peru provide health care for imprisoned women, counseling for survivors of abuse, refugee support, and opportunities for Biblical study.
Left to right, Sister M. Rose Virginia (Burt), CSC, Santos Garcia and Sister Patricia A. Dieringer, CSC. The sisters lived with Santos when they first arrived in Chimbote in 1982.
The Sisters widened their ministry in Africa to Ghana to collaborate in ministries with the Brothers of Holy Cross. They went on to found Our Lady of Holy Cross School in Kasoa in 2004.
Currently, the sisters offer faith formation, lead youth ministries, and run SOAR—a plastic recycling initiative that also provides jobs for local residents.
The Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross issued its first Corporate Stand—a formal, public statement or commitment made by the Congregation to a particular social justice issue or cause. The stands reflect the Congregation’s collective values and are rooted in their mission to live out the Gospel in service to people experiencing poverty, oppression and marginalization.
Sisters broadened their ministry in North America to Mexico, with the establishment of a small health center for people living in poverty in Matamoros. Currently, Holy Cross sisters in Mexico minister through youth programs, social work and pastoral care in Monterrey.
The Congregation Justice Committee (CJC) was formed to help members of the Congregation understand and address issues systemically and from a global perspective. The committee also assists the General Leadership Team by guiding the formation of corporate stands.
Pioneer providers of health services and education in Utah, the sisters launched Holy Cross Ministries in 1994, extending their legacy of compassion and care. Today, the organization carries on the sisters’ 150 -year ministry in the region, offering early childhood education, counseling services, and relationship to underserved neighbors and communities.
Answering the call of Pope Francis, the Congregation joined the Laudato Si’ Action Platform, reinforcing the sisters’ commitment to care for the Earth and people everywhere experiencing poverty and vulnerability. This participation has elevated their ongoing commitments to sustainability initiatives, advocacy for systemic change, and promotion of environmental stewardship for the restoration of our world and all relationships.
Founded through the joint efforts of 10 congregations of Catholic women religious, including the Sisters of the Holy Cross, the Heritage and Research Center (HARC) at Saint Mary’s was established to preserve and share the rich history of their ministries.