Fr. Dennis Gallagher, provincial of the North American region of the Assumptionists, on Nov. 5 participated in the first of the 2017 “Conversations at the Center,” an ongoing series of talks and lectures on faith and culture.

Fr. Dennis offered a reflection on Fr. Emmanuel d’Alzon, founder of the Assumptionists, paying particular attention to d’Alzon’s vocational discernment and his crisis years—when he fell ill. Many of the people in attendance—which included a large contingent of the Sturbridge Lay Assumptionists—commented on the similarities between d’Alzon’s 19^th-century France and the 21^st-century United States.

As always, after the talk, everyone moved into the dining room and enjoyed brunch and more conversation.