As Father Moreau began to amalgamate the Brothers of St. Joseph with his auxiliary priests, he sensed a growing concern that the two groups had reservations about the financial viability of the Brothers. With the Fundamental Act, he wanted to assure both groups that they could rely on each other. The document was signed by 54 brothers and 7 priests. For many in Holy Cross it is considered the most important document in the early history of the men's Congregation. It is reprinted here in a translation by Raymond Dufresne, CSC, from the 1987 pamphlet In the Beginning There Were Two.
