Fr. Benoît Grière, A.A., Superior General

 Read more...  

The most harrowing, heart-breaking aspect of this pandemic is the enforced separation of the sick and dying from those who love them. Having to stay away from your spouse or your parent or your best friend at their time of greatest need, how terrible is that. And then, in the case of those who die, to be deprived of a time to grieve together, or to wait until God knows when for a moment safe enough to congregate again. For as long as it lasts, the latter constraint imposes itself as well on those who are sick and dying from non-virus causes.

Read more...

 Superior General meets with Lay Assumptionists in Mexico - PDF file

The rest of our Assumptionist Family may wonder what is happening at the Assumptionist General House amidst the alarming news that reaches us from Italy. The first thing we must say is that everyone in Italy is touched and in solidarity with the suffering experienced by many families infected by COVID-19. The daily life of the community is undoubtedly affected and for the moment the government has suspended all classes in colleges and universities, forcing our students to concentrate on their studies without leaving home. A decree issued yesterday by the Italian Bishops' Conference shows us how complex the current situation is:

The position of the Italian Bishops’ Conference which, through the dioceses and parishes, is close to every person, shares the common concern in the face of the health emergency affecting the country. Faced with this situation, the Bishops’ Conference - in a spirit of openness and collaboration - has adopted in recent weeks the measures by which the government has committed itself to fight against the spread of the coronavirus. The decree of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, which entered into force today, suspends "civil and religious ceremonies, including funeral ceremonies" throughout the country until April 3rd. The government's interpretation includes masses and funerals in its definition of "religious ceremonies.” This is a very restrictive passage, the acceptance of which causes suffering and difficulties for pastors, priests and the faithful. Acceptance of the decree is conditional only on the willingness to do one's part, even at this stage, to contribute to the protection of public health.

Blaise Pascal said, “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” This Pascalian “mot” has come to my mind a good deal in recent days as our entire country goes into shutdown mode due to the coronavirus. Perhaps we could all think of this time of semi-quarantine as an invitation to some monastic introspection, some serious confrontation with the questions that matter—some purposeful sitting alone in a room.

Fr. Mike Schmitz gives us some advice about how we should respond to the coronavirus pandemic. He begins with the story of the recent pilgrimage he took to Israel amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles

With the worldwide outbreak of the coronavirus, we are confronted once more with the fragility of our lives, and again we are reminded of our common humanity — that the peoples of this world are our brothers and sisters, that we are all one family under God.

God does not abandon us, he goes with us even now in this time of trial and testing. In this moment, it is important for us to anchor our hearts in the hope that we have in Jesus Christ. Now is the time to intensify our prayers and sacrifices for the love of God and the love of our neighbor. Let us draw closer to one another in our love for him, and rediscover the things that truly matter in our lives.

United with our Holy Father Pope Francis, let us pray in solidarity for our brothers and sisters here and around the world who are sick. Let us pray for those who have lost loved ones to this virus. May God console them and grant them peace.

We pray also for doctors, nurses, and caregivers, for public health officials and all civic leaders. May God grant them courage and prudence as they seek to respond to this emergency with compassion and in service to the common good.

In this time of need, I invite all the faithful to seek together the maternal intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and I share this prayer with you:

Holy Virgin of Guadalupe,
Queen of the Angels and Mother of the Americas.
We fly to you today as your beloved children.
We ask you to intercede for us with your Son,
as you did at the wedding in Cana.

Pray for us, loving Mother,
and gain for our nation and world,
and for all our families and loved ones,
the protection of your holy angels,
that we may be spared the worst of this illness.

For those already afflicted,
we ask you to obtain the grace of healing and deliverance.
Hear the cries of those who are vulnerable and fearful,
wipe away their tears and help them to trust.

In this time of trial and testing,
teach all of us in the Church to love one another and to be patient and kind.
Help us to bring the peace of Jesus to our land and to our hearts.

We come to you with confidence,
knowing that you truly are our compassionate mother,
health of the sick and cause of our joy.

Shelter us under the mantle of your protection,
keep us in the embrace of your arms,
help us always to know the love of your Son, Jesus. Amen.

March 18, 2020

Dear Friend,

During these trying and uncertain times, we want you to know that the monks are here for you. We are praying for you at all our prayers, and

we ask that you pray for us in return.

Here are some things that you can do during this crisis, which we hope will provide you with some peace and comfort:

• Visit the Abbey church for your private prayers. The Church is open from 8 - 11:30 AM and from 1 - 4:30 PM. Social distancing will be in effect.

• Send the monks your prayer intentions by email by clicking this link: email.

• Watch our daily Mass ( Mon - Sat at noon; Sunday at 9:30) live on Facebook.

• Share your love and faith with a loved one or friend and uplift their spirits by sending them a Mass Card or Spiritual Enrollment.We can personalize a message and send directly to your loved one. Order online or call 781-749-2155 ext. 342.