Today is Founders' Day for the Society of the Holy Cross (SSC), the oldest fraternal society of priests and bishops in the Church of England and the Anglican Communion, which was brought into being in 1855 by a small group of orthodox catholic priests led by Father Charles Lowder. Today there are more than a thousand members around the world in parishes, missions, chaplaincies, schools and other areas of pastoral ministry, committed to witnessing to the Cross of Christ by their lives and ministry. SSC is organised in Provinces under Provincial Masters elected by the Brethren. Within each Province are various Regions headed by Regional Vicars, and the work of the Society at the local level is carried forward in Chapters led by their Local Vicars. Priests of the Society can be recognised by the small gold lapel cross that they generally wear. On it is inscribed the motto of the Society - in hoc signo vinces - in this sign, conquer!
Blessed Charles Lowder, pray for us.
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On 28 February 1855 in the chapel of the House of Charity in Soho, Lowder and five other priests founded the Society of the Holy Cross (SSC) and Lowder became the first Master. The five other founder members were Charles Maurice Davies, David Nicols, Alfred Poole, Joseph Newton Smith and Henry Augustus Rawes (three of whom would later become Roman Catholics). Lowder took up the austerest form of the society's rule of life and so committed himself to celibacy. The society grew quickly drawing other Anglo-Catholic priests from some of the poorest slum areas in London. Before long the society was at the forefront of the Catholic revival. The society was particularly influential in the second phase of Anglo-Catholicism following Newman's reception into the Roman Catholic Church. Many of the great SSC heroes were at one time Lowder's curates, including Father Mackonochie and Father Wainright (both of whom were later vicars of St Peter's, London Docks).
Blessed Father Lowder, pray to God for us!
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