– Would you share with us a bit of your family’s background and your early education?

Dr. Cesareo – My parents came to the U.S. as immigrants from Italy after World War II and settled in Queens, NY. What was most important to them, as newcomers to this new land and second only to their faith in God, was the high value they placed on education, both of which they passed on successfully to their children. As a family living in Queens, we belonged to St. Margaret’s Parish. When it came time for high school, I went to Cathedral Prep Seminary and then on to the college in Douglaston, NY. During that time however, it became clear to me that I was being called to be a teacher but not necessarily as a priest.

– Where did your higher education and pursuit of teaching take you from there?

Dr. Cesareo – From Douglaston, I went to Fordham University for my Master’s and Ph.D. in history, after which I won a Fulbright scholarship to study in Rome with a focus on the religious orders of the Catholic Reformation of the 16^th century.

The annual Novena to St. Anne took place on July 18th - 26th at St. Anne's Shrine in Fiskdale, MA. The nine day novena, which focused on the theme "Teach Us To Pray," drew pilgrims from many different cultures including: Polish, Vietnamese, Hispanic, African and Eastern Orthodox.

Each evening the Rosary was recited followed by Mass with a guest presider each night. On the final morning, the feast of St. Anne, an Anointing Service and Mass was celebrated for the sick. In the evening, the novena concluded with a Mass and candlelight procession.

Next year will be the 125th anniversary of the novena.

CAMPUS MINISTRY DIRECTOR – ASSUMPTION COLLEGE

– Would you share with us a bit about your background and education?

James – Coming to Assumption College was a surprise for me but providentially has become an excellent ‘fit’ for me. I believe this because of the preparation I had with the Benedictines in high school in Kansas and then in their minor seminary in California. For a time, I was also a novice with them.

Bayard Press Canada is a ministry of the Augustinians of the Assumption/Assumptionists. Worldwide one of the specialities of Bayard Press is its children's publications. In Canada, Owl, Chicadee, and Chirp are three well-known magazines for young people, ages 3-13.

Read more...

Fifteen religious and six lay delegates gathered at Assumption College in Worcester (USA) from July 5-9 to implement the decisions and orientations of the general chapter. Two invited guests also attended, Fr. Richard Lamoureux, the outgoing superior general, and Fr. John Franck, a newly elected assistant general. Fr. Miguel Díaz Ayllón (Mexico), the newly appointed provincial, presided this session of the chapter with great enthusiasm, imagination, and good humor, even if he admitted to some nervousness.

The Provincial Chapter of Implementation, Part II, of the North American Province of the Augustinians of the Assumption is taking place this week, July 5^th through July 9^th, at Assumption College in Worcester, MA. The purposes of this gathering include: reports from the Philippines, Mexico, Canada and the U.S., which make up this province, and the study of documents produced by the General Chapter which just took place this past May in Rome and their implications for the congregation as it moves into the future. Also, there will be significant discussions between the vowed members of the community and their lay delegates, men and women, as they partner in the Assumption family. Chairing this chapter is the newly appointed provincial Fr. Miguel Diaz Ayllon, A.A., regional superior in Mexico.

For 124 consecutive years, beginning on July 18^th and culminating on July 26^th, the Feast of St. Anne, the faithful have come together daily to St. Anne’s Shrine in Fiskdale, MA to participate in the Annual Novena to its patroness, Good St. Anne. The theme this year is “…Teach Us To Pray...” The faithful who participate enjoy an evening of spiritual beauty and the rich tradition of this Catholic devotion and solidarity with many pilgrims of all faiths, cultures and generations. The music, speakers, celebrants and homilists will be inspiring. Come one and all!

For more information contact: www.stannestpat.org

Webmaster (WM): Fr. John, you just returned from the General Chapter in Rome, having been elected assistant general. Congratulations!

Fr. John (FJ): Thank you. I look forward to my new responsibilities and the opportunity to serve my brothers in this capacity, on a world-wide scale now.

WM: Fr. John, could you tell us what a general chapter is?

FJ: The word “chapter” is somewhat unusual in this context. It signifies a meeting and specifically a meeting of the members of a religious community.  Its origins can be found in monastic life. Monks would come together to read a chapter of the rule that governed their life. Eventually, the room where this took place became known as the “Chapter Room.” It was in this room that important discussions would occur. Eventually, these meetings themselves were simply called chapters. In religious communities today such meetings, or chapters, take place at the level of each community once a year (local chapter), at the level of the province every three years (provincial chapter), and at the level of the entire congregation once every six years and are therefore known as ‘general’ chapters.

By the lay Assumptionists of Quebec

In Québec, the Assumptionists and their lay friends work at the Montmartre, a center for faith and culture. They have taken as their mission reaching out in a special way to those want to deepen their faith or those returning to the Catholic faith, by constituting a Christian community where one can experience celebration, fellowship, adult education and the exchange of ideas.