Holy Cross Mission Appeals

“Road Work” to Support Our Mission

The Holy Cross Mission Center (HCMC) Founding Director Rev. Michael Mathis, C.S.C. (1923-33), was a diligent fundraiser for the Congregation of Holy Cross’s Mission in Bangladesh in the 1920s, and his successor, Rev. Francis Goodall, C.S.C. (1933-43), perfected a system whereby teams of Holy Cross priests did “road work” –– they traveled the country by car, stopping at willing parishes to preach Mission Appeals. They brought silent films of life at the missions, which captivated audiences still adjusting to the global perspectives made available by transportation and communication technologies.

Not only were these important fundraising efforts for the international ministries of Holy Cross but there is good evidence that they were effective evangelization and recruitment efforts for the Congregation. For instance, we know that a young man heard one such appeal at his home parish in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and it planted in him the desire to become a Holy Cross missionary himself. From there, he transferred from Creighton University to the University of Notre Dame to join the Congregation and serve in the missions. This man is now Servant of God Vincent McCauley, the Holy Cross priest and bishop who founded the Congregation’s mission in Uganda and played an integral part in the institutional growth of the Church in East Africa.

Today, Holy Cross priests continue this “road work” to support our international missions in Bangladesh, Chile, Kenya, Peru, Tanzania, and Uganda. Your support in facilitating a Mission Appeal will help mothers in Nairobi receive prenatal healthcare, children of Bangladeshi tea laborers receive educational scholarships, parents at Yancana Huasy in Peru support their children with special needs, and so many other life-giving causes. 

Explore our resources below to assist you in creating a successful Mission Appeal.