WHO ARE WE, THE CROSIERS IN THE CONGO? 

The Crosiers are an international Catholic community of religious men founded in the year 1210 by Blessed Theodore de Celles in what is now Belgium. Inspired by the Cross of Jesus and the spirituality of St. Augustine, the first Crosiers established a dynamic and integrated life-style of community living, liturgical prayer and pastoral ministry. Now about 400 priests and brothers world-wide, the Crosiers work to inspire hope in people in Europe, the United States, Brazil, Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The Crosiers came to the then Belgian Congo in 1920. For 73 years, we worked in the Diocese of Bondo (Uële) in northeastern Congo. In 1984 we went to the Diocese of Butembo-Beni where we established our initial formation programs for young Congolese and where we work in parishes and in human development programs. In 1991 we founded a community in Kinshasa, the capital city, for our seminarians studying theology, and where we also conduct a center for "street-kids." In Africa we are called the "Region of the Martyrs of Bondo," a name which recalls the massacre of 23 of our European members during the Simba rebellion in 1964-65.

Today in Africa we are 2 foreign missionaries, 12 congolese priests, 3 deacons, 3 brothers and about 55 young Congolese in training. Welcome to our website!