College to Bestow Honorary Doctorates Upon Drs. Carolyn Woo, James O’Connell,
Fred Bayon ’65 and Michael Tsotsis ’71 During May 7 Ceremony

WORCESTER, MA (March 3, 2016)— When Assumption College’s class of 2016 gathers for Commencement in May, they will hear from an individual who is a true example of living one’s faith through service to others. Dr. Carolyn Woo, CEO of Catholic Relief Services (CRS), one of the world’s largest providers of humanitarian assistance, will deliver the address at the College’s 99th Commencement exercises on Saturday, May 7 at the DCU Center. Dr. Woo, Dr. James O’Connell, president of Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program and Assumption alumni, Dr. Fred Bayon ’65, Board Chair Emeritus, and Michael Tsotsis ’71, Trustee Emeritus, will receive honorary degrees during the ceremony recognizing their dedicated work to community service and living the Assumption College mission.

“Through her impassioned work as the leader of a Catholic global relief agency, Dr. Woo is a true example of how to live out the Gospel and the tenets of Catholic Social Teaching by caring for the less fortunate or those affected by natural disaster,” said Assumption College President Francesco C. Cesareo, Ph.D. “Dr. Woo’s leadership parallels the mission and message of the College and reflects what we instill in our students during their four years at Assumption regarding service grounded in our Catholic identity. Reminding students of their responsibility to contribute toward the common good is indeed an effective and fitting message to impart upon our graduates as they prepare to use their gifts and knowledge in service to others.”

 Assumption College Magazine - Fall 2015

January 25, 2016  Pinhal, Brazil

On Sunday, January 24, under sunny skies, the South American novitiate opened in Pinhal, Brazil, situated in a wing of the large retreat house/spiritual center run by the Assumptionists in this town some 3 hours from the metropolis of São Paulo.

Fresh from two years of studies in spirituality at the Gregorianum in Rome, the new novice-master, Fr. João Gomes, and his assistant, Br. Gwenaël Petton, recently arrived from the novitiate in Juvisy, France, opened the doors of the novitiate to this year's class of three novices, Brothers Luciano and Jefferson from Brazil and Jonathan from Chile. This new initiative marks a milestone in the collaboration of the two Assumptionist provinces in South America, the Province of Brazil and the Andean Province (Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador). A common house of theology, which will include Assumptionists from around the world undertaking their studies in Spanish, will open this February in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

MEDIA ADVISORY

Assumption College Students to Take Pilgrimage Walk for Mercy on Sunday as Part of Lenten Observance

WHAT: Members of the Assumption College community will participate in a pilgrimage walk beginning at the College’s Campus and ending at St. Paul's Cathedral in downtown Worcester as part of Assumption's observance of Lent and Pope Francis’s declaration of the Year of Mercy.

WHEN: Sunday, February 28, 2016
12 p.m.

WHERE: Chapel of the Holy Spirit, Assumption College
500 Salisbury St., Worcester

DETAILS: Carrying on a tradition of pilgrimages sponsored by the Assumptionists, the sponsoring order of the College, this 3.2 mile (5K) walk will start with a brief prayer service in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit at 12 p.m. The walk will take the group through Worcester, ending at St. Paul's Cathedral where they will meet students from other Worcester colleges for a prayer service and social gathering around 2 p.m.  Participants are encouraged to bring non-perishable food to share with the St. Paul's Cathedral Food Pantry. All members of the community are welcome to participate.