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seated: Fr. Oswaldo at his installation as pastor together with the bishop of Orizaba
Part I
(In the summer of 2017 the Assumptionists were entrusted with a parish on the outskirts of the city of Orizaba in the eastern state of Veracruz, Mexico. See http://www.assumption.us/news/1572-new-assumptionist-community-in-orizaba-mexico. Fr. Oswaldo Garcia Sanchez, A.A., was appointed pastor; it is his first assignment as such. Formerly he served as a formator and professor in Mexico and the Philippines. Here presents some of the challenges he is facing in Orizaba.)
In general I am very happy working here in Orizaba. There are many challenges and I am learning to be a pastor for the first time. I have to listen to everyone and at same time try to resolve many differences, even conflicts, that exist between various groups in the parish. In my opinion creating unity in the parish is definitely the biggest challenge as well as forming a parish council composed of representatives of the major groups. This is an arduous and time-consuming task; but we have already begun and with some good results. I have spent time with the major groups both here at the main church and with those attached to the many outstations, discussing with them the needs of the parish in view of drafting an overall pastoral plan. To parishioners’ great satisfaction, we have already been able to assign a religious to each of the most active groups and to assure celebration of Sunday Mass in each of the largest outstations.
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 22 November 2017 02:05 |
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On this feast of the Assumptionist Bulgarian martyrs I would like to begin with a word about a heart-wrenching meeting that I will never forget, that took place last December in Rome between Bishop Christo Proykov, the apostolic exarch of Sofia (and therefore of all Catholics of the Oriental rite in Bulgaria), and the members of the Assumptionist Plenary General Council, that is to say, the superior general, his assistants, and all six of the provincials of the Congregation.
Bishop Proykov came to speak to us about the difficult decision we had taken to close our only community in Bulgaria and to withdraw the three Assumptionists living there. I can’t get into the long and painful process that led up to this decision, but it was one that we took with the greatest reluctance and sorrow and after countless deliberations with the members of the local community and many others.
Before I recount some of Bishop Proykov’s remarks, let me simply say a few words about the martyrs themselves. Some of you may not know much about them, all of whom were executed around midnight on the evening between November 11 and November 12, 1952 after a laughable mock trial during which they were accused by the Communist regime of being Vatican spies and agents of Western powers.
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Last Updated on Monday, 13 November 2017 11:26 |
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Fr. Dennis Gallagher, provincial of the North American region of the Assumptionists, on Nov. 5 participated in the first of the 2017 “Conversations at the Center,” an ongoing series of talks and lectures on faith and culture.
Fr. Dennis offered a reflection on Fr. Emmanuel d’Alzon, founder of the Assumptionists, paying particular attention to d’Alzon’s vocational discernment and his crisis years—when he fell ill. Many of the people in attendance—which included a large contingent of the Sturbridge Lay Assumptionists—commented on the similarities between d’Alzon’s 19th-century France and the 21st-century United States.
As always, after the talk, everyone moved into the dining room and enjoyed brunch and more conversation.
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Last Updated on Monday, 06 November 2017 15:47 |
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Did you know that I love penguins? - PDF file
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 31 October 2017 13:59 |
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