Last week the International Lay/Religious Alliance Commission of the Augustinians of the Assumption came to the U.S. for its annual meeting. Established by the last General Chapter of 2011, the commission was charged to provide guidance to the many alliance groups around the world. The commission, chaired by Chile native Fr. Marcelo Marciel, AA, an assistant to the Superior General and now living in Rome, has   provided a rule for Lay Assumptionists entitled, “Way of Life for Lay Assumptionists,” which is based on the rule of its vowed members. In addition, a guide for the formation of lay leaders has also been produced. Fr. Marcelo reminded everyone of the need to always be grounded in scripture and that we are never alone but part of a greater community.

The commission consists of members from various countries where the alliance is well established and fruitful: Fr. Claude Grenache from Boston, MA, Victoria Prada from Bogota, Colombia, Francisco (Paco) Rentero from Almeria, Spain and Marie-Claire Rouquet from Toulouse, France.

by: Jonathan Bishop

The article was first reported by The CRUX.

In order to truly understand this election, we have to look backward.

No, not in a reactionary way. Rather, we need to study the past because republics-and human beings-have faced batty, crude, and even alarming periods before. Nothing is new.

So how far should we go? Rome?  Let’s try 19^th-century France and pull a figure from it:  Emmanuel d’Alzon, founder of the Augustinians of the Assumption.

D’Alzon’s time was much like our own. In an 1835 letter to Alphonse de Vigniamont, a friend, d’Alzon discussed the importance of ideas and education in shaping human character, a truth already beginning to fade. His thoughts are worth quoting at length:

“The more I look at the world from this point of view, the more I am disgusted with politics, which I consider to be a dead end. There is no life there, only death convulsions, powerless attempts to organize, vain efforts, unless Catholic thought penetrates it with charity, justice, and the spirit of Christian liberty, which regardless of what they say is completely suffocated in our day. I have made up my mind, and it is confirmed each day as I read the second psalm, which I urge you to meditate.

WORCESTER, MA (November 1, 2016)—University of Notre Dame professor Richard Garnett, J.D., will address the Assumption College community on religious freedom and how, despite growing challenges, respecting and protecting these freedoms is essential for all.  Professor Garnett’s lecture will be held on Monday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. in the Salon of Assumption’s La Maison building, located at 500 Salisbury Street.

Professor Garnett’s lecture, entitled “The Past, Present and Future of Religious Freedom in America?”, will thoroughly examine the meaning and limits of religious freedom, often called America’s “First Freedom,” and how they are becoming increasingly controversial and unclear. As America’s communities are becoming more diverse and as the sphere of government action and regulation grows, the challenge of respecting and protecting religious freedom for all is becoming more difficult. He will also examine freedoms of speech, association, religion, and constitutional law’s relationship to one another.