(Located in the northeast region of Brazil, the diocese of Juazeiro faces numerous socio-economic and pastoral issues. Its Assumptionist bishop, Most Rev. José Geraldo da Cruz, paints a realistic picture of the situation for us and demonstrates his determination for the future.   This article first appeared in the April/May/June 2013 issue of the Assumptionist magazine, L’Assomption et ses oeuvres.)

The diocese of Juazeiro is split in two by the São Francisco River in the northeast state of Bahia in the heart of caatinga* country. It is divided into nine townships covering 60,000 square kilometers (about 23,000 square miles). It has about 500,000 inhabitants. There are only 14 parishes, six of which are in the city of Juazeiro (pop. 260,000).

On Saturday, April 30^th, 2013, the Chapel of the Holy Spirit at Assumption College in Worcester, MA was filled with great joy, gratitude and celebration as Bro.Ronald Sibugan, A.A. pronounced his final vows as an Augustinian of the Assumption. Surrounded by his Assumptionist brothers, invited guests and friends, Bro. Ron vowed to live the life on consecrated poverty, chastity and obedience for the rest of his life. Grounded in prayer, living in community and committed to zealous apostolic activity, he promised to live according to the Rule of Saint Augustine and the Assumptionist Rule of life.

ASSUMPTION COLLEGE

Dear members of the Assumption College family,

We are all still in disbelief after the events at the Marathon on Monday. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families. In true Assumption fashion, the community came together to support one another and those in our community who were personally affected by this senseless tragedy. Sadly, one of our staff members has a daughter who was a spectator who was seriously injured, and a graduate student, whose father works here, who was treated and released the next day.

Immediately, we planned a Mass and prayer service on Tuesday to help demonstrate our concern, and to enable us to join together as a faith community to pray for all those affected and to pray for peace.

("The Congregation will set up an international volunteer program for young people and adults involving the entire Assumption Family." Thus reads the commitment of the Assumptionist general chapter in 2005, a commitment re-iterated at last year's chapter. In fact the Congregation has established two international volunteer programs, one under the supervision of the Province of France,  www.volontariat-assomption.org, and one co-sponsored by the Assumptionists and the Religious of the Assumption in the United States, Associate Missionaries of the Assumption, www.assumptionvolunteers.org. In the following interview, we offer the reflections of one current French volunteer living and working with an Assumptionist community in Sokode, Togo, Jérémie Six. He is interviewed by an Assumptionist novice, Br. Rémi-Clovis)

On Thursday, December 28, a lively group of young people arrived at the Assumptionist general house in Rome, a small part of the 40,000 who are gathering in the Eternal City for the annual youth gathering. Three young Assumptionists joined six others (three Hungarians, two Portuguese, and a Pole) at our house.

PROVIDING AN EDUCATION TO THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN ONE VILLAGE AT A TIME

Sixty years ago, in 1953, the Assumptionists arrived in Madagascar, the almost forgotten island off the southeast coast of the African continent. The southern end of the island was administered by the Vincentians but covered an immense territory that they were only too willing to share. They retained the eastern half of this territory while the newly arrived Assumptionists assumed responsibility for the western half, with its main urban center Tuléar, in Malagasy Toliara. The head of the Assumptionist mission, Fr. Michel Canonne, was to become the first bishop of the newly erected diocese in 1959.

The first Little Sisters of the Assumption arrived in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1910 and later spread out to other countries in Latin America. That is something we celebrated and recounted on this page.

The first community was located in a working-class and poor area, with many tenements. In 1932 a second community was opened in a more outlying area and settled in the district of Flores where there were simple houses, working families and many immigrants.

One of these families were the couple Mario José Bergoglio and Regina María Sívori, Italian immigrants. This working family asked for the help of the Little Sisters when their first child, Jorge Mario, was born on the 17th of December 1936. It was an Irish sister (Sr Oliva) who gave them the care they needed.

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THE LORD IS TRULY RISEN, ALLELUIA!
(Luke 24:34)

Look upon your Church, O God, with unfailing love and favor, so that, renewed
by the paschal mysteries, she may come to the glory of the resurrection.
(Easter Sunday, Prayer After Communion)

Easter Joy and Peace to you and yours,
- From the Assumption Family

"And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit."
(John 19: 29)