Dear brothers, sisters, lay Assumptionists,

Father Emmanuel d'Alzon

Saint Augustine puts it paradoxically: before being Jesus’ mother, Mary was his disciple (Sermon 25). The Gospel (Matthew 12:50) inspired Augustine’s reflection: “Whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my…mother.” Mary’s greatness is less due to the fact that she conceived Jesus in her womb, than to her complete acceptance of the Father’s will.

Saint Augustine goes one step further: if we are disciples like Mary, we can become “mothers” like her and bear fruit for the Kingdom, bringing others to birth in Christ by drawing them to the font of baptism.

Mary’s consecration as a disciple manifested itself when her parents presented her in the Temple. As we celebrate her discipleship, we remember Father Emmanuel d’Alzon on the 125^th anniversary of his death. He too was entirely given over to the Father’s will, and he too bore much fruit for the Kingdom.

A WORD OF THANKS FROM US, THE BROTHERS AND SISTERS OF THE EASTERN MISSION, TO OUR FOUNDER

Emmanuel d'Alzon (1810-1880)

November 21, 2005 is the 125th anniversary of the birth into heaven of our venerable founder, Fr. Emmanuel d'Alzon.

"The (Eastern) mission owes its birth to Pius IX. Leo XIII has just established it definitively. In June 1862, at the time of the first great pilgrimage that was destined to launch the movement and to become the origin of so many beautiful and magnificent expressions of faith, during that solemn audience when our Father was so proud to be able to present so many devoted priests with Bishop Plantier at their head, the great Pius IX addressed our stouthearted founder and said to him, 'I bless your works in the East and in the West.' We had but two houses, quite weak, in the West, and nothing in the East. What did the Holy Father mean? An audience the next day, which had not been requested, would clear up the mystery. The Bulgarian movement was on His Holiness' mind. He had neither men nor money to pay attention to it, so he designated Fr. d'Alzon."
(Fr. François Picard, The Eastern Mission, 1896)

On Sunday, November 6, twelve of the 19 graduatingmembers of the Our Lady of Lourdes in Cassadaga, NY, Class of 1965 gathered at the Assumptionist residence on Old English Road in Worcester. Prizes for distance traveled were awarded to Paul Belanger (Golden, Colorado) and Tom Giroux (West Palm Beach, Florida), with honorary mention to Bernie Petit (Parsippany, New Jersey).

Cassadagans - Class of 1965 in 2005

After a brief chance to introduce ourselves to one another (and try to recognize each other after forty years), we spent time in a more formal way catching up with each other's lives since graduation. Without exception, we all spoke of the incredibly formative experience that Cassadaga has been in our lives. Several phrases kept popping up in the conversation: strong community, a solid academic experience, a love of the liturgy and a work ethic. It was an afternoon and early evening that left all of us grateful for the time we had spent in Cassadaga and anxious to maintain the ties we had re-established.

Three years ago on May 26, 2002, the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, beatified our beloved brothers in the Lord: Kamen Vitchev. Pavel Djidjov and Josaphat Chichkov. On the night of November 11, 1952 they were shot to death for their faith in Jesus Christ.

Bulgarian Martyrs - Icon by Father Donat Lamothe, A.A.

In his homily in Plovdiv, the Pope meditated on the mystery of the Trinity, a mystery which goes to the heart of our faith, a mystery of love and of communion which inspires a prayer found often on our lips: “To you be glory and praise forever.” We are speaking of a Trinitarian God, to whom we owe all praise: a Father whose love and mercy are always faithful; a Son who shared with us his daily life and his suffering; a Spirit who dwells in us and who gives us the courage to live our Christian faith.