The Diocese of Juazeiro is situated on the edge of the San Francisco River in the heart of the “polígono de la sequía” ("drought sector"). It covers approximately 23,000 square miles, with a population of more than 500,000. Currently it is divided into 14 parishes. There 23 priests (several of whom are quite old and infirm), 15 full-time lay pastoral assistants, many part-time assistants, and 2,000 catechists.

From its establishment, some 50 years ago, the Diocese has fostered the full and harmonious development of the human person, giving priority to the neediest, seeking to educate, organize, and support all men and women, whether in the country or in town. Thus it is that various social ministries (Ministry of the Land, Ministry of Fishermen, Ministry for Marginalized Women, Ministry for the Aged, Prison Ministry, ....) arose to address the needs and urgent demands of our society.

 My Sunday began with my return to Lac Duong to serve as a deacon. I rode a motor scooter at 5:15 a.m. and arrived at 5:40 a.m. It was nice to see all the people praying in the Lat language. I tried to pray along with them; but my mind wasn’t there. People were very surprised at my appearance.

The pastor “reintroduced” me to the congregation and we began the first Sunday of Advent. During the mass, I tried to focus on the mass and to recall my knowledge of the Lat language. It has been 9 years since I have spoken it. After the mass, I greeted people and chatted with them. My Lat language came back slowly. I was happy that I could speak it again.

The year 2010 marks the bicentennial of the birth of Father Emmanuel d’Alzon, founder of the Augustinians of the Assumption, who sponsor Assumption College.

In order to commemorate this anniversary, Assumption College recently sponsored a pilgrimage to the various sites associated with the life and work of Father d’Alzon.  Walking “In the Footsteps of d’Alzon,” the 24 pilgrims, including alumni, trustees, students, former faculty and friends of the College, made their way to Paris, Nimes and Rome, not as tourists, but as pilgrims with hearts open to discovering who this man was who inspired so many men and women in his day, and continues to do so, through the apostolates sponsored by the  Assumptionists throughout the world and the extended Assumptionist family.

PROGRESS OR ADVENT?

Here in the early 21st century we’re still a good deal more inclined to think in terms of “Progress” rather than in terms of “Advent.”  Despite the terrible experiences of the 20th century that ought to have sobered us up a bit, we still want to see ourselves as engaged in the great civilizational project of making the world “better”… by which we mean making ourselves more secure and comfortable as we build, restlessly, the vast social and technological systems we rely on now for just about everything.  John Locke, the English political thinker said it a long time ago:  our goal would be “comfortable self-preservation.”  It’s a low goal but one about which most people can agree and make “progress” toward it more or less, on into the future…so long as we don’t pause to think too much about it.