"Our Association is a visible imitation of the Holy Family wherein Jesus, Mary and Joseph, notwithstanding their difference in dignity, were one at heart by their unity of thought and uniformity of conduct."
(Moreau Circular Letter 14).
Father Moreau's devotion to the Holy Family and his idea of Holy Cross as a visible imitation of the Holy Family influenced the design of the original seal of the Congregation, which "consisted of an anchor entwined by a banner bearing the initials of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, and surmounted by three hearts. . . . Its basic soundness is evidenced by its success in infusing into the members of the Congregation a spirit that made them consciously model their mutual relations on those of the Holy Family. To that end, Father Moreau called his priests 'Salvatorists' [based on Salvator, the Latin word for Savior], his Sisters 'Marianites,' and his Brothers 'Josephites,' after their models, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph." (MacEoin, p. 7).
Although Holy Cross took its name from a neighborhood, Father Moreau did not overlook the importance of devotion to the Cross of Christ. In another circular letter, he wrote: "Only a religious spirit which understands the power of his cross can sustain our courage in the midst of all these trials. Happy indeed are we if we know how to profit by them and to understand the unspeakable advantage of becoming more and more conformed to the image of the divine Christ crucified." (Moreau Circular Letter 34). This devotion influenced the design of the later seal of the Congregation, with its motto, "Crux Spes Unica" -- "The Cross, our Only Hope."
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