Holy Cross Day

Holy Cross Day, more formally known as the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, marks the first of our major feasts in this choir season. Dating back to the 4th century, this feast is rooted in several foundational events in early Church history, most notably the dedication of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem in 335 AD - a basilica built on what was believed to be the site of Christ’s crucifixion and burial. Unlike Good Friday, which focuses on Christ’s passion and suffering, Holy Cross Day celebrates the Cross itself, not as an instrument of death, but as the triumphant sign of salvation and victory over sin and death.

Given the profound significance of the Cross in Christian theology, the day has inspired a rich choral tradition. A cornerstone of this repertoire, and our motet for this Sunday, is Christus Factus Est by Felice Anerio (c. 1560–1614).

Anerio was a key figure of the late Renaissance Roman School and was appointed official papal composer following the death of Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. His music reflects the clarity, devotion, and harmonic richness of the Counter-Reformation era.

Anerio’s setting of Christus Factus Est is deeply expressive, capturing the mournful gravity of the Passion through rich Renaissance harmonies and a compelling interplay of tension and resolution - an ideal reflection for a feast that honors both the suffering and the triumph of the Cross.

Sebastian Moreno
Director of Music