In the late afternoon of November 17, 2013, after the usual line-up of Sunday masses, the last one having been in Lithuanian, St. Louis des Français parish filled with a wide assortment of international visitors --- from Vietnam, France, Russia, Africa, Italy,  etc.. You could hear just about every language being spoken and even used during the ordination ceremony of Pierre Tran Duc Long. It was a wonderful and joyous occasion to celebrate his priestly ordination in the very place where his vocational journey with the Assumptionists had begun in 2004. Most Rev. Paolo Pezzi, archbishop of the diocese of the Mother of God in Moscow, presided at the celebration and was surrounded by a number of priests including three Assumptionists, (Celeste Pianezze and Slava Gorokhov of the Moscow community and Vincent Cabanac, representing the provincial, Fr. Benoît Gschwind). Two other Assumptionists were there, Brothers Pavel et Viktors, as well as two of Pierre's blood brothers from Viêtnam: one who is a Cistercian monk stationed in Dalat and the other, the Benjamin of the family, who works in Hué.

Interviewer – Fr. Jerome, would you share with us a bit about your background: family, childhood, early education etc.?

Fr. Jerome – I am from Heath, MA and one of eight children. My family’s strong Catholic roots stemmed from their English and French Canadian background. My father was a dairy farmer. Growing up we belonged to St. Joseph’s Parish in Shelburne Falls, MA where I attended CCD during my formative years. I have an uncle, Fr. Joseph Lively who is a diocesan priest in Vermont and an aunt who was a Sister of Mercy. Both parents have since died.

On October 10, 2013, in the Paul Ricoeur Auditorium of the Institut catholique of Paris, the long-awaited defense of Fr. Dominique Greiner's thesis took place. Long-awaited because in the middle of his studies he was named the religious editor-in-chief of the Assumptionist-sponsored daily newspaper, La Croix. This heavy responsibility considerably slowed down Fr. Dominique's research, understandably. Long-awaited as well because the topic was so original and relevant.

Information regarding the upcoming Ecumenical Prayer Service

Date, Time and Venue:
Friday, January 24, 2014
7 PM
Assumption College - Chapel of the Holy Spirit

• This year’s theme “Has Christ Been Divided?” reflects on St. Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians 1:1-17.

• The theme and the prayer service is adapted from the one jointly made by the World Council of Churches’ Commission on Faith and Order and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. A background from the WCC website: