In honor of Basil Moreau: Essential Writings, this week's Book of the Week, we asked Fr. Andrew Gawrych, one of the editors of the book, a few questions about his experience. Fr. Drew edited the book with Fr. Kevin Grove, with whom he has worked on two other books including The Cross, Our Only Hope and You Have Redeemed the World, both prayer books in the Holy Cross tradition. Fr. Drew and Fr. Kevin are both priests of the Congregation of Holy Cross. 

1. What made you and Fr. Kevin decide to work on this project?

Over the years, Fr. Kevin and I had been privileged to receive and read several unpublished translations of Fr. Moreau's writings. What we found was a real, hidden treasure of works, and we realized that this treasure needed to be shared with others, so that they too could learn and grow from the writings of this truly remarkable and holy priest. 

We in the Congregation of Holy Cross extremely value our opportunity to collaborate with lay men and women in serving the Church and proclaiming the gospel to the world. The more we can get the writings of our founder in their hands as well too, the more that collaboration can deepen.

2. With so much to choose from, how did you decide which selections to include in this collection of essential writings?

There was a wealth to choose from! We could have published several volumes of his writings. To condense it into one volume, we highlighted excerpts that are most illustrative of both Moreau's way of thinking and doing theology as well as his spirituality and the charism that he passed on to Holy Cross. We also favored documents that had not been previously published elsewhere, such as his Meditations and Spiritual Exercises.

3. As a Holy Cross priest, what was it like for you personally to delve into this material?

This was truly an amazing experience for both Kevin and myself to deepen our understanding of our founder through this immersion into our community's spirituality and charism. We learned a lot along the way, which in turn has re-shaped how we envision and carry out our ministry as Holy Cross priests today. It was also a tremendous experience working together with Kevin and the many other Holy Cross religious who were indispensable in the putting together of this work. We could not have done it without them.

4. This isn't the first project you have worked on with Fr. Kevin Grove. How did you two get connected and what would you say enables you to work so well together?

Fr. Kevin and I overlapped in the seminary, and it was there that our friendship as well as our first collaboration on a book began. Although we like to joke with each other as we work on our books that we are each other's “cross,” we have a deep respect for one another and our respective gifts. 

Working on these three books with Fr. Kevin has been a powerful experience of what it means to be united in mind and heart in a mission that shares a common vision while having different perspectives and gifts to bring to that mission. We work together well, but even more importantly, I think we both allow the Spirit to work through us, as best as we can. All of the projects we have worked on together would not have been nearly as good if we had worked alone. Hopefully, we have a few more projects left to do together!

5. If there was just one thing that you would want every Catholic to know about Blessed Basil Moreau, what would it be?

Hopefully, every Catholic would be able to draw on the truly deep faith that Blessed Basil Moreau had in the immeasurable power of God's love and the victory of that love for us on the Cross. Faith is what allowed Fr. Moreau to trust even in the darkest times of his life and the life of our community. God wants us to live with that invincible hope; God wants us to know that nothing can separate us from His love, and I believe the life and writings of Fr. Moreau can truly make that Truth come alive for us in our lives. I believe that in reading this collection of his writings all believers can come to live more in the hope that comes from the Cross of Christ.