Assumption College’s President’s Lecture Series is a public forum in which important ethical, spiritual and human issues are illuminated and examined within the Catholic intellectual tradition. This year’s first lecture will be held on Wednesday, September 21^st at 7:00 PM in the Maison. The guest speaker will be Leonard Sperry, M.D. who will speak on “Psychology and the American Catholic Experience.”

All lectures are open to the general public at no charge. For more information contact the college’s web page: www.assumption.edu

By Brian Verzella

I recently had the privilege to take a pilgrimage to Lourdes, France and Madrid, Spain for World Youth Day. Though I read a book about Lourdes prior to making the journey, much like a fiery sunset or a rich symphony, it is something that needs to be experienced firsthand in order to begin to fathom its depths. In her repeated apparitions to Bernadette Soubirous (Saint Bernadette), the Blessed Virgin emphasized the importance of prayer, penitence, and poverty as a means of drawing closer to Christ.

The Office of Campus Ministry at Assumption College in Worcester, MA will be holding a Memorial Mass at 7:00 PM in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit on September 11^th.

A Prayer Service will follow at 8:15 PM in the 9/11 Memorial Garden. You can find more information on the college’s website: www.assumption.edu

On Sunday, August 28^th the Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time and also the Solemnity of the Feast of St. Augustine, Bro. Ronald renewed his vows during Mass at the Assumptionist Center in Brighton, MA. Fr. Claude Grenache, A.A., the center’s local superior, was delegated by Fr. Miguel Diaz, A.A., Provincial, to receive Bro. Ron’s vows. In his homily, Fr. Claude cited the Rules of both St. Augustine and Fr. Emmanuel d’Alzon, A.A., founder of the Augustinians of the Assumption, which stress the importance of  harmony in community life which is grounded profoundly in faith and trust in God’s grace, especially as it is practiced in loving forgiveness of one another.

America's Camp is a fun, high quality, one-week, sleep away camp for children who lost a parent or sibling as a result of the attacks on September 11 and for children or siblings of firefighters and law enforcement officers lost in the line of duty at any time.

Lourdes, August 11

from Dr. Francesco Cesareo, president, Assumption College

We have entered into the spirit of the pilgrimage. This morning's opening Mass captured the international character of the congregation as we joined groups from Chile, Madagascar, Korea, Africa, and France. After Mass our group was asked to transport the sick back to the hospital for lunch. The entire Assumption group pulled the infirm across the Sanctuary and through the streets of Lourdes.

From August 1 to 5, the newly elected assistant general of the Assumptionists, Fr. John Franck, AA, preached the annual retreat for the priests of the diocese of Erie, PA.

The retreat took place on the beautiful grounds of Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora, NY, the major seminary for the diocese of Buffalo.

On August 9 a group of Assumption College students and administrators left to attend the national pilgrimage in Lourdes sponsored annually by the Assumption by way of preparation for World Youth Day. The following is an update by Brother Ronnie Sibugan, AA, a seminarian studying at Boston College.

August 16^th, 2011

After an 11 hour bus trip from Lourdes, we arrived today in Madrid at 7 PM.  Some of the Assumptionist religious were assigned to stay in host families, parishioners of one of the Assumptionist parishes here in Madrid.  I am staying right now in a house which is very near to our parish, with Internet connection :) . Dr. Cesareo and his family as well as Fr. Dinh are staying with other families while the larger Assumption student group is  staying in the parish hall and other buildings.

By Matthew Chua

Before I left Boston for Mexico City two months ago, I cracked an off-joke to Fr. Donald, which he did not find too amusing, that I might just find a wife in Mexico and  live there. What I did not expect was that my experience from the Mission of the Mexican Assumptionists to the rural mountain communities of Veracruz was to reflect, so providentially, Jesus’ own words in Mark 10:29-30.

Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel,·who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.