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The Blesssed
Concepción Cabrera de Armida
(1862-1937), lay woman, married and mother of nine children was
chosen by the Lord as an instrument to communicate the Spirituality
of the Cross and to establish the Work of the Cross.
She gave a most decisive impulse to each one of the branches of the
Work with her life and her writings.
The Work of the Cross was brought to life in the Church to promote
the sanctity of the people of God in the following of Christ, Priest
and Victim.
Apostleship of the Cross
The
first branch of the tree is the Apostleship of the Cross. It was founded on May 3,
1895 in Mexico by the
Venerable Ramón Ibarra González, then Bishop of Chilapa, Guerrero.
It is noted for
being open to all faithful Christians who are part of God’s
people: laity, religious and
priests, who seek to live their baptismal consecration according to the Spirituality of
the Cross, praying and offering their daily works and trials, especially for priests and thus respond to the universal vocation to sanctity.
Sisters of the
Cross of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
This is the
branch of the tree of the Cross that most clearly goes to the heights, because its
character is contemplative prayer. It is a religious congregation of the
contemplative life. They were founded on May 3, 1897 in Mexico City.
The Sisters of the Cross
of the Sacred Heart of Jesus dedicate their lives to perpetual adoration of the
Blessed Sacrament and voluntarily offer themselves in favor of the sanctification
of priests.
Covenant of
Love with the Sacred Heart of Jesus
The third branch of the Works of the Cross,
Covenant
of Love, specifically for laity, was founded on November
8, 1909 in Mexico. The members of Covenant of Love are called to consecrate
themselves to the Father in union with Christ, Priest and Victim, through the constant
offering of their lay lives.
Its members also strive to console the Heart of Christ through a life of intimacy with Him that will allow them to know and share his most
intimate feelings.
Fraternity of Christ the Priest
The Fraternity
of Christ the Priest, for bishops, priests and deacons, was founded on January 19,
1912.
The Fraternity of Christ the Priest brings them together so that under the motion of the Holy Spirit they live their faith experience in ecclesial
communion with the Spirit of Christ, Priest and Victim, for their own sanctification and the sanctification of the priestly people.
Missionaries of the Holy
Spirit
The Missionaries of the Holy Spirit
were founded by Fr. Félix de Jesús Rougier,
M.Sp.S. on December 25, 1914 in Mexico City. They are at the same time the last branch of the tree and the axis which enlivens
all the Works of the Cross.
The missionaries of the Holy Spirit, priests, permanent deacons and brothers, live
and share in community the Spirituality of the Cross by their total consecration through the religious vows and their apostolic work.
They live their priestly spirituality offering to the Father his Son, Priest and Victim and offering
themselves with Him as a host pleasing to God.
They make their own the mission of Jesus who was sent to save us and to sanctify us through the gift of
His Spirit.
As apostles of that same Spirit they are sent to promote holiness among the people of God, according to the Spirituality of the Cross. Priests take
precedence in the apostolic action of the missionaries of the Holy Spirit. |
y all form the "Family of the Cross". Their core are the
Works of the Cross and "although they are five, in authenticity they are one, one
Work of sacrifice and love".