Our Catholic Identity

As a college rooted in the vision and mission of Blessed Father Basil Anthony Moreau, C.S.C., founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross, we at Stonehill strive to educate our students in a discernment process for discovering and affirming their own unique vocation in life.

The word vocation comes from the Latin verb to call. In Catholic circles the term vocation is often associated with a religious call but its scope is far broader. Every person has a vocation, a distinctive call from God, most often corresponding to the unique instincts, interests, talents and dreams each of us has within our person.

A vocation is embodied through an occupation or career which best suits us, one for which we are qualified and trained and which gives purpose to our daily lives. In that sense, a vocation is concerned with life’s meaning and how we live out meaning in our fields of interest and employment.

Our primary responsibility is to assist students in identifying and pursuing their unique vocation.

Our Founders & Sponsors

Holy Cross Seal
Congregation of Holy Cross 

The priests and brothers of the Congregation of Holy Cross founded Stonehill in 1948 and continue to sponsor the College today.

When Fr. Moreau founded the Congregation in 1837, education and faith were being suppressed in France. The Congregation’s commitment to education, parish and mission – still relevant today – are rooted in the crisis of those times.

Fr. Moreau challenged his priests and brothers to become educators, envisioning vibrant communities of scholarship and faith where students would engage in a dynamic exchange of ideas. Stonehill continues this tradition of Holy Cross higher education.

Holy Cross at Stonehill Today

Members of the Congregation share in the mission of Stonehill today as administrators, faculty members and campus ministers. Rev. John Denning, C.S.C. is the ninth Holy Cross priest to serve as Stonehill’s president. In addition, twelve members of the congregation serve the college as members of its Board of Trustees; four of whom are Stonehill alumni.

The Office for Mission

Inspired by Blessed Basil Moreau's vision, the Office for Mission works with the entire Stonehill community to promote the values of a Holy Cross education.

Holy Cross in Higher Education

The Congregation of Holy Cross founded and continues to sponsor three Catholic universities and three Catholic colleges in the United States:

Fr. Moreau’s Philosophy of Education

Father Basil Anthony Moreau, C.S.C., founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross, desired that the educational institutions founded by the Congregation be catalysts for the transformation of the world, and his philosophy of education forms the living tradition by which we seek to develop the moral, spiritual, intellectual and social competencies of our students.

Jesus Christ: the Model

CHRISTIAN PEDAGOGY, 5
“Since the zeal of these teachers is guided by love, they do everything with strength and gentleness: with strength because they are courageous and unshakeable in the midst of any difficulties they face; with gentleness because they are tender and compassionate like Jesus Christ, the model of all teachers, who loved to be bothered by young people.”

The Art of Education

CHRISTIAN PEDAGOGY, 3
“It is very important that educators in our schools be trained in the art of education before trying to exercise the skill.”

A Work of Resurrection

CHRISTIAN PEDAGOGY, 16
“Hurry then; take up this work of resurrection, never forgetting that the special end of your institute is, before all, to sanctify youth.”

A Work of Formation

CHRISTIAN PEDAGOGY, 3
“Pedagogy derives from two Greek words—that for child and that for leading. It is the art of helping young people to completeness.”

The Vocation to Teach

CHRISTIAN PEDAGOGY, 4
“Since God alone provides the means for the successful accomplishment of any task, it seems evident that a person needs to be called by God to be an effective teacher. Without this call to teaching, how will anyone be able to put up with everything that teachers face daily?”

Education of the Mind and the Heart

CIRCULAR LETTER, 36
“We shall always put education side by side with instruction; the mind will not be cultivated at the expense of the heart."

Academic Excellence

CIRCULAR LETTER, 36
“We can say in a word the kind of teaching we hope to impart. Even though we base our philosophy course on the data of faith, no one needs fear that we shall confine our teaching within narrow and unscientific boundaries. No, we wish to accept science without prejudice and in a manner adapted to the needs of our times. We do not want our students to be ignorant of anything they should know. To this end we shall shrink from no sacrifice.”

Education into Justice

CHRISTIAN PEDAGOGY, 9
“With the eyes of faith consider the greatness of the mission and the wonderful amount of good that one can accomplish. And also consider the great reward promised to those who have taught the truth to others and have helped form them into justice: “They will shine eternally in the skies like the stars of the heavens.”

A Working Knowledge of Each Student

CHRISTIAN PEDAGOGY, 10
“Never forget that all teaching lies in the best approach to an individual student, that all the successes you find will be in direct proportion to the efforts you have made in this area.”

Preference for the Student Who is Most in Need

CHRISTIAN PEDAGOGY, 5
“If at times you show preference to any young person, it should be the poor, those who have no one else to show them preference, those who have the least knowledge, those who lack skills and talent, and those who are not Catholic or Christian.”

Good Citizens for Earth and Heaven

CIRCULAR LETTER, 36
“While we prepare useful citizens for society, we will likewise do our utmost to prepare citizens for heaven.”

A Moreau Prayer for the Stonehill Community

Lord God, you filled the heart of Blessed Basil Moreau,
founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross,
with zeal for the proclamation of your kingdom
through the ministry of education.
Bless the Stonehill College community
with a desire for your truth, and a passion
to make you known, loved and served.
May we work together
to educate the mind and heart
of every member of our community.
May your gracious Spirit enable this
work of resurrection
in us so that we might bring light and hope to those in
darkness and proclaim your liberating love to all in need.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord. 
Amen.

For You