The Holy Heroes of Holy Cross

The celebrations of Holy Cross Heritage Month are punctuated by the feast days and birthdays of Holy Cross heroes, men and women alike, whose lives testified to the good and holy work that Holy Cross was established to do. From the feasts of St. André Bessette and Blessed Basil Moreau to the birthday of Venerable Patrick Peyton — Holy Cross Heritage Month in many ways revolves around these saints and saints-in-the-making. But who exactly are the holy heroes of Holy Cross? Let’s take a look at two extraordinary men: Father Basil Moreau, C.S.C. and Brother Flavian Laplante, C.S.C.

The Founder and Visionary: Father Basil Moreau, C.S.C.

Of the men and women of the Holy Cross family, no one has had a greater impact on the community and its mission than Father Basil Moreau. Basil Moreau was born in Laigné-en-Belin outside of Le Mans, France, on February 11, 1799. The ninth of fourteen children, Basil showed signs of a vocation to the priesthood as a young boy, “celebrating Mass” at a makeshift altar in his room and writing short homilies that he would recite to his mother and sisters. The young Basil idolized the men and women — especially the priests — who had kept the faith in the midst of persecution.

Basil entered the diocesan seminary at the age of seventeen, where he quickly emerged as a rising star with a brilliant mind and a zealous heart. Though he was born at its tail end, Moreau was greatly affected by the revolution and desired to rebuild the Church that the revolutionaries sought to destroy. He had a special passion for education and young people; after forming Holy Cross, Moreau embarked on a mission to revitalize Catholic education in France, piloting his unique educational vision at Notre Dame de Sainte Croix, the school attached to the motherhouse. 

Forming Christians

Moreau believed that education should cultivate the whole person – mind, heart, and soul – offering an experience that was formative intellectually and spiritually. “The mind will not be cultivated at the expense of the heart,” he famously wrote in his treatise Christian Education. The ultimate goal of Holy Cross schools, however, was evangelization: “I am convinced that the first duty of a teacher is to form Christians,” he explained to the early Holy Cross educators. Holy Cross schools were educational missions, introducing young people to knowledge, virtue, and faith all at once. As Holy Cross spread around the world, it brought its distinct educational vision with it. Today, Holy Cross operates more than 120 schools globally.

Moreau sent the men and women of Holy Cross around the world to spread the good news of Jesus. As it opened schools, Holy Cross also established missions, parishes, children’s homes, and even hospitals to serve the most needy. Moreau entered eternal life on January 20, 1873, passing on a legacy of charity and zeal to the men and women of Holy Cross. He was beatified in 2007.

The Apostle to the Fishermen: Brother Flavian Laplante, C.S.C.

Lesser known among the Holy Cross heroes (but remarkable nonetheless), Flavian Laplante was born in French Canada on July 27, 1907. He was introduced to Holy Cross as a high school student, entering the Congregation at the age of only sixteen. Attracted to the life of a lay brother, Flavian made his perpetual vows in 1928, first serving as a teacher and dorm supervisor at the College Notre Dame, made famous by its beloved doorkeeper, Brother André Bessette.

In 1932, he was reassigned to the Holy Cross mission in Bangladesh, where he soon found himself caught up in the turmoil and chaos of the Second World War. When the Japanese invasion of Burma sent thousands of Burmese Hindus, many of whom were fishermen, fleeing into Bangladesh, Holy Cross sprang into action. Brother Flavian jumped into the trenches, dedicating the rest of his life (nearly fifty years!) to the plight of these displaced fishermen.

A Missionary Spirit

 

As the war raged on, Flavian worked to secure new boats for the fishermen whose own vessels had been commandeered by the British. He regularly assisted the fishermen when they went out to sea, and he even joined rescue missions to save captured fishermen from pirates (yes, you read that correctly).

Brother Flavian built an orphanage for refugee children, established cooperatives for the economically disadvantaged fishermen, and worked long hours on the docks to ensure that everyone received fair wages. In the midst of all of this, he managed to find time to organize massive Marian feast celebrations that attracted scores of pilgrims, proving that good works and the devotional life can (and should) go hand in hand. 

Brother Flavian entered eternal life on June 19, 1981. Revered across the Holy Cross world as a paragon of the missionary spirit, Brother Flavian was declared Servant of God in 2009.

To learn more about the holy heroes of Holy Cross, visit our previous articles here. Happy Heritage Month, and remember – never stop striving for sainthood!