St. Joseph Province is the religious society of the Brothers of Holy Cross in Bangladesh. It was established in 1998. The St. Joseph Province consists of 130 Brothers who serve in various apostolates, such as education, Rehabilitation center, youth formation, social work, and pastoral ministry. The province runs 22 schools, 2 technical schools, 10 hostels, 1 ashram (Retreat Center) and several development projects for the poor and marginalized communities. The province also collaborates with the local Church and other religious congregations in promoting justice, peace, and interreligious dialogue.

The Congregation of Holy Cross (CSC) is a Catholic religious congregation of men and women founded in 1837 by Basil Moreau, in Le Mans, France. The congregation works as educators in the faith in 16 countries, in schools, parishes, and missionary work. The congregation’s motto is Ave Crux Spes Unica, which means Hail the Cross, Our Only Hope. The congregation is composed of religious Priests, Brothers and Sisters.

• A Brother is an educator in the faith
• A Brother is a man with hope to bring
• A Brother is a witness of God’s love
• A Brother is a Teacher
• A Brother is a good friend
• A Brother is a good counselor.
• A Brother is a Man of prayer

• To be faithful to the charism and spirituality of Holy Cross, and to live the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in community.
• To serve the Church and the people of Bangladesh, especially the poor and marginalized, through various ministries of education, health care, social work, and pastoral care.
• To promote justice, peace, and interreligious dialogue in a multi-cultural and multi-religious context.
• To foster vocations and formation of young men who want to join the Congregation of Holy Cross as brothers.

To become a Holy Cross Brother, you need to follow a process of discernment and formation that prepares you for a life of service to God and the Church as a religious brother. The process consists of several stages:

• Initial discernment: You can contact a vocations director who will help you explore your call and guide you through the application process. You can also participate in discernment retreats, visits, and other opportunities to learn more about the Congregation of Holy Cross and its mission.
• Aspirancy: This is a three years long program that allows you to live in a formation house with other aspirants who are discerning their vocation to Holy Cross. You will engage in prayer, study, service, and spiritual direction, and prepare for the novitiate.
• Novitiate: This is a year of intense spiritual formation that takes place in a secluded location in Colorado. You will deepen your relationship with God and the Congregation through prayer, silence, sacraments, and study of the history, charism, and spirituality of Holy Cross. You will also make a 30-day retreat based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. At the end of the novitiate, you will profess your first vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience for one year.
• Temporary profession: This is the period between your first vows and your final vows, which usually lasts for four to six years. You will live in a community with other temporarily professed brothers and continue your formation in various aspects: human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral. You will also engage in different ministries of Holy Cross, such as education, health care, social work, and pastoral care. You will renew your vows annually until you are ready to make your final profession.
• Final profession: This is the culmination of your formation process, when you make a lifelong commitment to God and the Congregation of Holy Cross as a brother. You will profess your final vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in a solemn ceremony, and receive a ring as a sign of your fidelity. You will then continue to serve the Church and the world as a Holy Cross Brother, according to your gifts and talents, and the needs of the Congregation.

• General Education
• Technical Education
• Youth Formation
• Retreat Center & Retreat Preaching
• Counselling
• Rehabilitation Center
• Publications

If you are interested in joining the Brothers of Holy Cross, you can contact our vocations director.

Thank you for your interest in supporting the mission of St. Joseph Province, Bangladesh, the religious society of the Brothers of Holy Cross, a Catholic religious Brothers founded by Blessed Basile Moreau. There are different ways you can support the province financially, such as:

• Donate to the province fund
• Donate to the formation fund
• Donate to the Education fund
• Donate to the Development fund
• Donate to the poor fund
• Donate to the Mariam Ashram fund
• Donate to the Healthcare fund