Congregations of the Assumption
Religious Sisters of the Assumption, Augustinians of the Assumption
Oblates of the Assumption, Little Sisters of the Assumption
Orants of the Assumption

re: Message of support and of communion for our brothers and sisters living and working in the Diocese of Butembo- Beni

At the meeting of our General Councils from January 4-6, 2016, we were informed of the latest events of the bloody Christmas experienced by the inhabitants of Mbau-Oicha and most recently those that happened at Luofu on January 7.

How do you adequately thank someone who had such a positive influence on your life?

I not speaking about my parents.  Of course they had a major role in my development. I’m speaking about someone who was a teacher, a mentor, a friend, a role model, and a priest.

I first met Fr. Camilus Thibault, A.A. as a gangly fourteen-year-old entering Our Lady of Lourdes Seminary (OLLO) in the tiny town of Cassadaga, NY in September 1964.  My very first impression was: “Wow, this guy is really bald.”  Yet, Fr. Camilus had an infectious smile and a very engaging personality.  Despite the pandemic of homesickness felt by myself and so many of my fellow freshmen who were away from home for the first time, Fr. Camilus made so many of us feel right at home.

(The Orants of the Assumption are one of the five main branches of the Assumption Family, founded in 1896 by Fr. François Picard, one of Fr. d’Alzon’s first disciples. This past September, 80 Iraqi and Syrian refugees were welcomed at the Orants convent an hour outside of Paris in Bonnelles, France. One month later 20 Afghanis arrived. The sisters have joined hands with Habitat and Humanism [a French NGO], State and local government agencies, and many volunteers, to give these war-weary, malnourished, and desperate refugees hope and peace.)

by Sophie Lebrun

Sr. Monique, superior of the local community, tells me, “September 9, the day that the first refugees arrived was quite a day; all at once, our convent, rather calm the past few years, became a beehive of activity. Having arrived from Germany, the refugees were haggard after a long and daunting trek from Syria and Iraq. The local prefect and mayor were here to welcome them as well as the bishop, firemen, the Red Cross…. After a few days you could hardly find place to walk in the lobby; it was chock full of clothes and other items donated by neighbors and townspeople.”