On Saturday, August 14th, over 200 members of the Assumptionist Family, religious and lay, gathered in the Hagan Campus Center at Assumption College in Worcester to celebrate the Bicentennial of the Birth of Fr. Emmanuel d'Alzon.  During the festive luncheon old friendships were renewed and new acquaintances were made through the sharing of memories and stories of the past and new hopes and dreams for the future.

After lunch, Fr. Dennis Gallagher, A.A., Regional Superior, welcomed everyone most warmly and acknowledged the broad sweep of Assumptionist Family members. He noted the representation gathered of all ministries and personal connections which have been forged over many years, the religious branches of the family and those in formation as a hope for the future from around the world. This visual reality truly modeled Fr. d'Alzon's dream of extending God's kingdom, religious and lay, working and witnessing together as a family.

On behalf of the college community, Dr. Francesco Cesareo, President,  welcomed everyone and expressed a deep sense of gratitude for the congregation's profound commitment to education, their witness in the seeking of truth and academic excellence and in bringing the Gospel to society through their presence and influence.

Mr. Tomasz Kierul, Director of Develoment for the U.S. Region, thanked everyone on behalf Fr. Gallagher for their support of the "Partners for God's Kingdom" fund and asked for their continued financial assistance in furthering the vision  and dream of Fr.d'Alzon through the life and ministries of the congregation.

The keynote presenter of the afternoon was Fr. Richard Lamoureux, A.A., Superior General of the Assumptionists who focused on the theme of the day, "Partners for God's Kingdom." Inspired by Fr. d'Alzon's vision and implemented over the years through General Chapters, the congregation has set a course with subsequent documents and directives to proclaim the Good News of the Gospel, especially to the poor, to promote communion in the world in union with the laity. As the congregation grew, this dream took on an international face with global dimensions and significance in such countries as South Korea, Belgium, Kenya, Chile, Argentina, Mexico and Madagascar, just to name a few. Fr. Lamoureux highlighted how these alliances of religious and lay have partnered in sharing common projects, parish and school ministries,  work with immigrants, prayer and retreat offerings and vocation recruitment.

As religious and lay inspired by the dream of Fr. d'Alzon, Fr. Lamoureux challenged the Assumptionist Family to be courageous in being faithful Catholics, taking Gospel living seriously and always being open to new possibilities to transform society . He further urged us to pay special attention to our young people, to continue to develop our efforts in the fields of education, publishing, parish work and specialized ministries.

The afternoon ended with the Vigil Mass for the Feast of the Assumption celebrated in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit, presided by the bishop of Worcester, Most Rev. Robert McManus. In his homily, Fr. Lamoureux spoke of Mary's life as she journeyed to Judea, to Bethlehem, to Egypt, to Jerusalem, to Calvary and finally to heaven. As her children, we too are on a life long journey experiencing struggles, doubts and fears, as well as hopes and joys. And like her, we too need the support of friends and the companionship of fellow travelers along the way, being attentive to the needs of others in serving those we meet, always accompanied by God on our journey of faith toward eternal glory.

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Assumption Lay People Presentation - by Fr. Richard Lamoureux, A.A.

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