Congregación de Santa Cruz

What Congregación de Santa Cruz does

Congregación de Santa Cruz (Congregation of Holy Cross) is a Catholic religious congregation of priests and brothers founded on March 1, 1837 in Le Mans, France by Blessed Basile Moreau, who united the Brothers of St. Joseph with his Auxiliary Priests into the Association of Holy Cross. The Holy See approved its Constitutions on May 13, 1857, formally constituting it a religious congregation. Its core charism is to serve as "Educators in the Faith," and its mission is delivered through three primary service lines: Catholic education (schools and universities worldwide, including Notre Dame University in Bangladesh and Fe y Alegría 25 in Peru), parish ministry (sacraments, preaching, and pastoral care, with one parish in Canto Grande, Peru serving approximately 250,000 people), and missionary outreach and social justice (including Yancana Huasy for disabled children, optometry clinics, and family-enterprise hubs in Bangladesh).

The congregation is headquartered at the Generalate in Rome, Italy (Via Framura 85) and operates through 16 provinces and districts across 15+ countries on 5 continents (United States, Canada, Mexico, France, Italy, Bangladesh, India, Haiti, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana, Brazil, Chile, Peru, and Papua New Guinea). Governance flows from the Superior General (currently Br. Paul Bednarczyk, C.S.C., elected 2022) through a General Council and provincial/district superiors in each region. Affiliated ministries include Holy Cross Family Ministries, Family Rosary, and Family Theater Productions, which extend the congregation's media and prayer-based outreach.

The congregation generates revenue through donations from lay faithful (channeled via the Association of St. Joseph and direct contributions to the Generalate) and through educational tuition and fees from congregation-operated schools; financial information is not publicly disclosed. It maintains active social media, a comprehensive website, and participates in events such as World Youth Day for vocations outreach. As of 2026 it continues to ordain bishops, accept Final Vows of new religious, open new parishes, and pursue partnerships with Vatican dicasteries and the University of Notre Dame — evidence of ongoing institutional momentum.

Name

Congregación de Santa Cruz

Legal name

Congregation of Holy Cross

Website

https://holycrosscongregation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1837

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Congregación de Santa Cruz (Congregation of Holy Cross) is a Catholic religious congregation of priests and brothers founded in 1837 in Le Mans, France, operating 16 provinces across 15+ countries to deliver Catholic education, parish ministry, and missionary and social-justice outreach worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Education and Parish Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (813110), Religious Organizations (8131), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Religious Organizations (81311)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)

akta.pro primary industry

Religious Orders & Monastic Communities (Monasteries, Convents) (BPAGAJAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Christian Colleges with Theological Programs (EDAHAKAG), Denominational & Ecclesiastical Governance Bodies (Dioceses, Synods, Conferences) (BPAGAJAB), Missionary Training Colleges & Schools (EDAHAKAF), Catholic Broadcasting (MPABALAB)

Keywords

• Catholic education services
• Parish ministry
• Missionary outreach
• Religious formation
• Catholic school networks

Headquarters

HQ city

Rome

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices15 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Financial Contributions: The Congregation depends on generous collaboration, prayers, and financial support from lay men and women to continue serving the Church and world as Educators in the Faith. Donations are sought through contact via [email protected].
2. Educational Tuition and Fees: Revenue generated from schools operated by the Congregation, including Catholic educational institutions worldwide such as the University of Notre Dame and other Holy Cross schools.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Congregación de Santa Cruz (Congregation of Holy Cross) is a Catholic religious congregation of priests and brothers that operates Catholic educational institutions (from primary schools through universities such as the University of Notre Dame), provides parish ministry with sacraments and pastoral care, and conducts missionary outreach and social justice ministries across 16+ countries. Founded in 1837 by Blessed Basile Moreau in Le Mans, France, with the Generalate now in Rome, Italy, the congregation is sustained by donations from lay faithful and by educational tuition.

Product overview

Congregación de Santa Cruz (Congregation of Holy Cross) is a Catholic religious congregation offering educational services (schools and universities worldwide), parish ministry, and missionary outreach with social justice programs. The congregation operates through its provinces and districts across 16+ countries and provides digital resources including spirituality materials, photo/video galleries, and documents. Affiliated ministries include Holy Cross Family Ministries with Family Rosary and Family Theater Productions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Holy Cross Family Ministries: Ministry focused on family prayer and the rosary, continuing the legacy of Venerable Patrick Peyton
• Friends of Moreau
• Education
• Parish Ministry
• Missionary Outreach and Social Justice

Products and services

• Education Services
• Parish Ministry
• Missionary Outreach and Social Justice

Quantifiable outcome

• 28 million people reached through Fr. Patrick Peyton's Rosary rallies
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• University of Notre Dame and Vatican DicasteryflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 March 2026Partnership on Global Alliance for Laudato Si' to create an international network advancing care for our common home. Fr. Daniel Groody, C.S.C. serves as member of the Dicastery of Integral Human Development.
• Dicastery for Evangelization (Vatican)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 August 2024The Superior General and PNG missionaries were received by officials from the Vatican's Dicastery for Evangelization during orientation in Rome. Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle celebrated Mass with missionaries at the Generalate.
• Opus Prize FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Yancana Huasy in Peru, serving disabled children and families, was selected as a 2018 Opus Prize finalist. The partnership recognizes innovative social impact ministries.
• Holy Cross Family Ministries (HCFM)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerHCFM continues Fr. Patrick Peyton's legacy including Family Rosary and Family Theater Productions. HCFM organizes Global Rosary for Peace events, produces media content, and supports family prayer initiatives worldwide.
• Union of Superiors General (USG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBr. Paul Bednarczyk participated in the USG biannual assembly with approximately 125 Superiors General. The Congregation actively engages in leadership orientation and policy discussions at the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life.
• VOSH Santa Cruz (Canada)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFree eye clinic programs conducted at Holy Cross schools in Peru through Volunteers in Optometric Service to Humanity, serving underserved populations with eye care and glasses.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Society of Jesus (Jesuits): The largest Catholic male religious order, operating schools, universities, and parishes worldwide with a similar charism of education and missionary work. Direct peer in religious-orders classification, education, and global ministry footprint.
• De La Salle Brothers (Brothers of the Christian Schools): Catholic teaching religious order founded in 1680, operating a vast global network of schools with a charism centered on education. Direct peer in Catholic education ministry and provincial structure.
• Salesians of Don Bosco: Catholic religious congregation dedicated to education of youth, particularly the poor, with global provincial structures similar to Holy Cross. Closest direct peer in mission and operating model (education + missionary outreach).
• Congregation of Christian Brothers (Edmund Rice): Catholic religious teaching brotherhood founded in Ireland, operating schools worldwide with a mission to serve marginalized youth. Highly comparable in educational charism and global provincial organization.
• Marianist Brothers (Society of Mary): Catholic religious congregation founded in 1817 with a strong education-focused charism, including the University of Dayton. Direct peer in the educator-religious congregation category.
• Divine Word Missionaries (SVD): Catholic missionary congregation founded in 1875 with a global mandate similar to Holy Cross, especially in the Global South. Direct peer in missionary outreach and cross-cultural ministry.

Broad incumbents

• Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans): One of the largest and oldest Catholic religious orders with worldwide parishes, missions, and educational institutions. Comparable in global Catholic religious presence but broader in apostolate.
• Order of Preachers (Dominicans): Major Catholic religious order with a strong intellectual and educational tradition (including pontifical universities). Comparable in Catholic education and parish ministry but with a different historical charism.
• Benedictine Confederation: Federation of monastic Catholic religious communities with strong educational traditions (e.g., Benedictine colleges and universities). Comparable in Catholic education and parish work but primarily monastic in structure.

Regional players

• Society of African Catholic Clergy and Religious: Regional Catholic religious organizations in Africa operating with similar missionary and educational charisms in the same East and West African geographies where Holy Cross has provincial presence, representing comparable regional peers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@holycrosscongregation1837
• Facebookfacebook.com/cscrome
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/congregaci%C3%B3n-de-santa-cruz
• Instagraminstagram.com/holycrosscongregation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Congregación de Santa Cruz