Bishop of Salford joins us for Marie Thérèse Day 2025

As a College, we marked 147 years of history on Marie Thérèse Day – our founders’ day – with a special visit from the Bishop of Salford.

We celebrate Marie Thérèse Day on 21^st January every year, in recognition of the founders of the religious order, ‘Daughters of the Cross’ – Jeanne Haze and her sister Ferdinande.

The sisters were drawn to those most in need and opened a school for poor children in their hometown of Liège, Belgium. They were soon joined by other young women wishing to lead a religious life before establishing the religious order in September 1833, with Jeanne taking the name Marie Thérèse.

The Daughters of the Cross of Liège came to the Salford Diocese and set up a small school in Bury in 1878. This became a large girls’ grammar school in 1905 – Bury Convent – before becoming what we know as Holy Cross Sixth Form College in 1979.

Bishop John Arnold led the Blessed Marie Thérèse Day Mass in our College chapel, before blessing the cross belonging to the Daughters of the Cross.

The cross was originally positioned at the top of the apex in the College’s original chapel, known as St Joseph's Convent Chapel. The cross has been carefully and respectfully restored, and now resides in the garden outside the Kentigern building.

The Bishop also blessed the College’s Sanctuary Garden, which has recently been refurbished by staff and students alike, and which contains a number of statues significant to the College’s extensive history.

Carina Vitti, Principal of Holy Cross College, said: “It was an honour to invite the Bishop of Salford to give his blessing to our founders’ cross, and our Sanctuary Garden. Marie Thérèse Day is always a day for great reflection and celebration at Holy Cross, and we’re incredibly grateful the Bishop could be part of it.

“It was a pleasure to also welcome two Daughters of the Cross Sisters to our day of celebration – Sister Maureen O'Brien, a former Principal of Holy Cross, and Sister Gillian Price. Sister Maureen began the blessing of the cross, which was a historic moment for us all.”

Bishop John Arnold said in his address: “Compassion is something that needs to be expressed so we can be aware of the needs of others. This is what prompted Blessed Marie Thérèse to establish an order of sisters who were engaged in the needs of others. And that is why we are here today.”

Holy Cross Lay Chaplain, Kelly Needham, said: “Our founders’ day is always a special occasion – we come together to remember and honour our history, the Daughters of the Cross legacy, and everything that has gone before us.

“We’d like to thank Bishop John Arnold for helping us mark the occasion as we celebrate making history in our present. We give thanks and look forward with hope for the College's future.”