Photos provided by the Holy Cross Mission Center.
Dear family and friends of Holy Cross,
As I was preparing for World Mission Month this October, I read Pope Leo XIV’s message for the 100th World Mission Day on October 18, and I could not help but think of the connections between his call to us as Christians and the lives of the Holy Cross priests and religious I have had the chance to get to know, both in the United States and abroad. At its heart, Pope Leo’s message reflects what these men strive to live each day: making God known, loved, and served.
They live authentically, true to their vows, without trying to fit into a mold the world expects of them. They bring deep care and quiet strength when things get rough, though many of them still won’t pass up an unprompted dad joke, knowing full well it may come with an eye roll! The Holy Cross priest or brother you know may have been a professor who told you about the songs he could hear through the walls of his apartment in his men’s residence hall. Or he may have been your pastor, beaming like a proud father when he asked you after Mass one morning if you had seen a picture of yourself in the Congregation’s magazine.
While no two Holy Cross men, whether in the United States or abroad, are alike, they are uniquely united in Christ and in a shared mission to know Him, love Him, and serve Him through the people entrusted to their care. Their lives remind us that Mission is not simply something we do. It is a way of living in relationship with Christ and making His love known to others, especially the poorest and most vulnerable.
This World Mission Month, I invite you to learn more about the missionary heroes of the Congregation of Holy Cross at education.holycrossmissions.org and to support the ongoing work of Holy Cross Missions at support.holycrossmissions.org.
In Christ,
Maria Kangapadan
Outreach Coordinator, Holy Cross Mission Center
Provided by Maria Kangapadan, and the Holy Cross Mission Center, August 2026
