This Christmas, the anniversary of the founding of the Assumptionists in 1845 by Rev. Emmanuel d'Alzon, the Assumptionists of the United States Region will be launching an online library of Assumptionist literature: writings of Fr. d'Alzon which have been translated into English, biographies about him, books on Assumptionist spirituality, history, and missions, and other material about the life of the congregation.

For those interested in the original writings of the founder in French, they may find them at http://www.assomption.org/totale_biblio.php, the website of the Assumptionists of France.

Since 1980, the anniversary of the death of Fr. d'Alzon, up to this past year 2010, the bicentennial of his birth, there has been a sustained effort to offer readers in the English-speaking world access to the writings of this man declared Venerable on December 21, 1991 by Pope John Paul II. He wrote prodigiously - retreats, meditations, newspaper articles, thousands of letters, guidelines for his congregation, treatises on various topics (especially education), etc. Many lay-people throughout the world have begun to study his life and thought more closely as well as the Assumptionist charism and have asked to know more about him. Some have even asked to become Lay Associates of the Assumptionists. We also understand that it is not always practical to ship books and other material to Third World countries where young people in formation and Lay-Associates desire to know more about the founder.

Fr. d'Alzon, born in Le Vigan (southern France) on August 30, 1810, received his initial formation in the major seminary of Montpellier (1832-1833) which he completed with high-ranking Churchmen as his tutors in Rome. A student of Félicité de Lamennais, he broke with his former mentor but remained marked by several of his intuitions. A generous and productive apostle, he launched numerous pastoral initiatives in the diocese of Nîmes under successive bishops and served as vicar general of the Diocese for 43 years. He founded two congregations, one for men (the Assumptionists) and one for women (the Oblates of the Assumption) and served as the spiritual director of the foundress of the Religious of the Assumption Sisters. With his first disciples he undertook bold apostolic goals: the foreign missions (Australia, Eastern Europe), education, the press, pilgrimages. He died on November 21, 1880 in Nîmes.

In addition to his own works in English, any number of books and monographs have appeared on his life and spirituality as well as on various other aspects of the history, charism, and spirituality of the Assumptionists. We will be posting these works as they become available. It is our hope that they will help readers know more about this extraordinary man of the Church, once called the "St. Paul of southern France" and the congregation he founded.

Please join us in praying that the Church might one day recognize his holiness:

Heavenly Father, we thank you for giving to your Church,
in the person of Emmanuel d'Alzon, a fiery apostle of
Your Kingdom. Please glorify Your Servant and reveal
the power of his intercession by granting us  the favors
we now seek from you loving mercy.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

By Fr. John L. Franck, AA, Vocation Director