This past October 1-13, a small group of American pilgrims made their way to Turkey and Israel seeking to walk in the footsteps of Jesus and St. Paul. This small venture carries on the tradition begun by the Assumptionists in the 19th century. In late April 1882, a group of Assumptionists organized the first modern large-scale pilgrimages to the Holy Land when they set sail from the port of Marseilles in two ships, the Picardie and the Guadaloupe, accompanied by some 1,000 stalwart pilgrims. It took 8 days to reach the port of Haifa. Once arrived, they traveled by foot, donkey, horse and camel, sleeping in tents or under the stars. Nothing like it had been seen since the time of the Crusades. In all, the pilgrims stayed for 40 days and began a tradition that would continue uninterrupted till Word War I in 1914 and would restart afterwards.

“Education is the formation of Jesus Christ in souls.”

Students, faculty and others will have to recall those words of Father Emmanuel d’Alzon when they walk by a new sculpture of him at Assumption College, the president said at a ceremony Saturday.

At the dedication and blessing on Homecoming/Family Weekend, college President Francesco Cesareo unveiled life-sized statues of two students listening to Father d’Alzon, founder of the Augustinians of the Assumption, who founded the college. The bronze sculptures on a granite bench are outside the library, which is dedicated to Father d’Alzon.

Fr. Jean-Luc Eckert has lived in the Assumptionist community in Jerusalem for many years. There he has been welcoming the many pilgrims who arrive to recall Peter's denial and repentance at this site considered by some experts to be the former site of the palace of Caiaphas, the high priest at the time of Jesus. He has also had numerous encounters with various Christian communities in Israel and Palestine and has tasted first-hand the warm welcome of the inhabitants of this land, both suffering and luminous. Here he shared with us some of his discoveries.

The seven schools run by the Oblate Sisters of the Assumption in France spent the last year preparing a colorful spectacle to mark the bicentennial of the birth of their founder, Emmanuel d'Alzon. The show includes two parts, the first a dramatic presentation of the life of Emmanuel d'Alzon in five acts and the second a musical tour of the countries where the sisters are located. The entire presentation is entitled, "Emmanuel d'Alzon: A Man with a heart on fire."