Where does the Holy Cross Mission Center (HCMC) serve?
Currently, we serve at approved Holy Cross ministries in Bangladesh, Chile, Kenya, Peru, Tanzania, and Uganda. In order to provide sufficient support and oversight to these diverse and far-flung communities, the HCMC Director visits these international ministry sites at regular intervals.
While we do not formally support missions in the following countries, we do have Holy Cross contacts in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Ghana, Haiti, India, Italy, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines.
How can I financially support the international mission sites of Holy Cross?
You can donate online using our secure online donation form or you can mail a check made payable to “Holy Cross Mission Center” to the following address:
Holy Cross Mission Center
P.O. Box 543
Notre Dame, IN 46556
How can I visit the international mission sites of Holy Cross?
The HCMC collaborates with sponsoring organizations at Holy Cross colleges, universities, parishes, and schools to help students, faculty, and staff experience firsthand the communities at the Holy Cross missions. In these partnerships, the HCMC is available to provide connections, country or site-specific education, pre-trip formation, and post-trip guided retreats.
The following are existing sponsoring organizations for international service-immersion trips to Holy Cross missions:
University of Notre Dame:
Center for Social Concerns
Baraka Bouts
Bengal Bouts
King’s College:
International Study Abroad Office
Campus Ministry
Physician’s Assistant Program
Holy Cross College:
Campus Ministry
Stonehill College:
Campus Ministry
University of Portland:
Moreau Center
Campus Ministry
Other:
Moreau Seminary
Holy Cross parishes
We invite mission trip inquiries from additional campus organizations, Holy Cross parishes, and Holy Cross high schools. Contact us at hcmc@holycrossusa.org to setup a discovery call.
I visited a Holy Cross mission site. What now?
Reflect. Dwell on the experiences that you had at Holy Cross missions, paying special attention to moments of encounter with another human being.
Pray. Share those reflections with the God who is Truth and Love, asking Him to show you how to live in communion with Him and His people that you encountered at a Holy Cross mission site.
Share. We invite you to share your photos and reflections with us at hcmc@holycrossusa.org! We love to share inspiring stories from Holy Cross mission sites.
Live the Mission. This will look different for each of us, but we can say for certain that any encounter with Christ made present in His people is an invitation to be transformed, to live differently, and to love unconditionally in the model of Jesus Christ.
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What educational resources do you have?
- Holy Cross Missionary Heroes’ cards featuring: Servants of God Theotonius Amal Ganguly, Vincent McCauley, and Flavian LaPlante; and Archbishop Marcos McGrath, C.S.C.
- Pre-trip formation exercises
- Post-travel retreat exercises
- Our Holy Cross priests and brothers who have experienced the missions are happy to share their personal experiences
- Presentations by our Director or Assistant Director for Community Engagement (see topics below)
As the HCMC’s Assistant Director for Community Engagement, Michael Jezewak plans and organizes educational opportunities for our partner organizations: parishes, colleges and universities, high schools, and grade schools. He brings to this role eight years of experience as a Catholic high school educator of history, theology, and English; a Master of Arts in Education from Loyola Marymount University; a California Teaching Credential in Social Science; and experience public speaking to audiences of diverse ages, races, socioeconomic backgrounds, and religious backgrounds. You are invited to reach out to him at hcmc@holycrossusa.org to consider how he can benefit your Holy Cross ministry by creating educational resources for you or by speaking on any of the following topics:
- Overview of HCMC’s work: countries, ministries, partnerships, etc.
- Origins and development of the HCMC
- Timeline of the international missionary endeavors of Holy Cross, including archival photos
- Twinning and the 100-year history of innovative support for Holy Cross missions through the HCMC
- Bangladesh, Chile, Kenya, Peru, Tanzania, or Uganda by the Numbers
- Servants of God Theotonius Ganguly, Vincent McCauley, and Flavian LaPlante as models of the missionary work of Holy Cross
- Local inculturation at Holy Cross ministries in the U.S. and abroad
- The salmon-colored envelope and the “Holy risk of Mission”
- Remnants of the Fourth Vow in Holy Cross priests, brothers, and their lay collaborators today
- Reflections on Holy Cross Catholic education in the U.S. and abroad
- Becoming an Intercultural Congregation: statistics and frameworks that will shape the Congregation in the coming decades
- Catholic Social Teaching lived out at Holy Cross missions, integrating Scripture and Church documents along with photos and contemporary anecdotes, as necessary
I (or my organization) have expertise that could benefit Holy Cross missions—medicine, technology, clean energy, healthcare, education, social work, international relations, entrepreneurship, etc. How can I partner with you?
To begin this process, please draft a one- to two-page proposal, including a timeline, and email it to hcmc@holycrossusa.org. The HCMC will be happy to consult with the relevant Holy Cross leaders around the world in order to determine how to proceed.
I am a Holy Cross priest or brother currently serving at an approved Holy Cross ministry in Bangladesh, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Peru, or Chile. How can I receive financial support from the HCMC for my approved ministry need or project.
Please review our Project Funding Guidelines for an overview of our grant lifecycle process and to access the HCMC Grant Application.
I am NOT a Holy Cross priest or brother serving at an approved Holy Cross ministry in Bangladesh, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Peru, or Chile. Can I still receive financial support from the HCMC for a need or project?
No. As a ministry of the U.S. Province of Priests and Brothers, the HCMC provides formal support only to approved Holy Cross ministries in the Sacred Heart of Jesus Province of priests and St. Joseph Province of brothers (Bangladesh), the District of Chile-Peru, and the Province of East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda), all of which are jurisdictions with historical ties to what is today the U.S. Province. While we do not have the authority to provide additional support to other Holy Cross jurisdictions, we are establishing processes and procedures that will be beneficial if the U.S. Province instructs us to expand our support to other Holy Cross missions in the future.
What research opportunities exist at the international mission sites of Holy Cross?
Whether you are an academic, an undergraduate or graduate student, or a research organization, we welcome opportunities for you to connect with Holy Cross missions under a few conditions:
- Your research must provide a tangible benefit to the Holy Cross ministries where you expect to conduct it.
- You must submit a formal Research Proposal to be reviewed by the HCMC, our academic advisors, and our international mission site partners. Research Proposals should include the purpose, methodological approach, expected benefit to the ministry site, a timeline of the phases of research, and funding model.
Please contact our office at hcmc@holycrossusa.org for additional details.
We are conducting a Mission Appeal for the HCMC. Do you have any informational or promotional materials that we could use?
Yes! Thank you for supporting the international ministries of Holy Cross in this way. We have resources for Holy Cross speakers who will give Mission Appeals and parishes who will host a Mission Appeal: