King’s College Celebrates Moreau Day Mass

King’s College celebrated the feast of Blessed Basil Moreau, founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross, on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026.  with a special Mass in the Chapel of Christ the King. Father Thomas Looney, C.S.C., president of King’s College, presided, along with Father Frank Murphy, C.S.C., religious superior of the King’s College Holy Cross community. 

Born in Le Mans, France, on Feb. 11, 1799, Father Moreau founded the congregation in 1837. In his lifetime, Moreau not only developed the basic principles that characterize the Holy Cross education that can be found at King's College today, but also sent missionaries to the United States to establish the Congregation here.  From Le Mans to the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, and then to King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, PA, the mission and educational vision of Father Moreau continues to this day.  Blessed Basil Moreau died on Jan. 20, 1873.  

January is the nationwide celebration of Holy Cross Heritage Month.  King’s College community members were invited to pray for and celebrate the mission of Holy Cross in connection with all of the other Holy Cross religious, collaborators, and apostolates in the United States and throughout the world. 

The Holy Cross community at King’s College is composed of priests and brothers of the United States and Moreau Provinces of the Congregation of Holy Cross. There has been an active community of Priests and Brothers at King’s College since its founding.  

Holy Cross Community at King’s College:

https://www.kings.edu/mykings/directories/holy-cross-community.html 

Holy Cross Heritage Month:

https://www.holycrossmonth.org/ 

United States Province of the Priests and Brothers of Holy Cross: