As followers of Jesus, carrying the hope He offers, the men of the Congregation of Holy Cross set out to walk in the footsteps of those who’ve gone before them—living the spirit and teachings of Christ and the Holy Cross Constitutions in all they do. The Constitutions tell us:
As disciples of Jesus we stand side by side with all people. Like them we are burdened by the same struggles and beset by the same weaknesses; like them we are made new by the same Lord’s love; like them we hope for a world where justice and love prevail. Thus, wherever through its superiors the congregation sends us we go as educators in the faith to those whose lot we share, supporting men and women of grace and goodwill everywhere in their efforts to form communities of the coming kingdom. (Constitutions 2:12)
While worlds apart in some ways—different climates, different cultures, different ways of life, and different struggles—there’s a unity that comes from shared faith and mission. On site visits for the Holy Cross Mission Center this past year, I was struck by how similar even the physical places are. In Kenya, I shared with a local community that if the people were speaking Spanish, I would have been convinced we were in a neighborhood of Peru where Holy Cross serves. In both of these places, families do everything they can to build small homes, to run small businesses—many things coming together from scraps of wood, metal, and plastic, whatever they can gather from their surroundings. Though they sit on opposite sides of the world, the communities in Dandora, Nairobi, Kenya and Canto Grande, Lima, Peru have much in common—makeshift homes, packed together, filled with families of faith served by Holy Cross.
The men of Holy Cross understand that, no matter where you’re from or what your situation is, everyone is in need of Christ’s love and compassion. In this way, connecting with people goes beyond particular culture, economics, or politics. Holy Cross’ approach to serving the most vulnerable recognizes and celebrates the dignity of each person, made in the image of an all-loving God.
I continue to be reminded of the great privilege that I have as Director of the Mission Center to come to know our Holy Cross communities throughout the world. To see the bond of faith that unites us no matter where we are is a blessed reminder of how universal our Church is. The support of our friends and partners helps us fulfill what our Constitutions call us to—“supporting men and women of grace and goodwill everywhere in their efforts to form communities of the coming kingdom.”
Published by Rev. Thomas J. Eckert, C.S.C., Holy Cross Mission Center Director
July 2025
