The Chapel of the Holy Spirit at Assumption College in Worcester, MA was the scene of great joy and celebration on Saturday, April 2^nd, as Brother Vo Tran Gia Dinh, A.A. was ordained to the priesthood. In the presence of his family, former seminary classmates from Australia and Vietnam, brother Assumptionists, students, colleagues, the extended family of Assumption and friends, Br. Dinh was called to ordination by his Provincial Fr. Marcel Poirier, A.A. and presented to Bishop Robert J. McManus, Bishop of Worcester, as the Rite of Ordination began.

The congregation responded with a acclamation of· great jubilation. In his homily, Bishop McManus addressed Br. Dinh and the congregation on the role of the priest as sharing in Christ’s priesthood as teacher, priest and shepherd for the service of God’s people and as celebrant of the sacraments, especially through Reconciliation and the Eucharist.

During Spring break this semester, I was part of a group of 14 people from the School of Theology and Ministry at Boston College that went on an Immersion trip to El Salvador.

From February 26 to March 6, members of the Assumption Family living and working in Eastern Europe (Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, and Russia) and Israel held their annual meeting in Jerusalem. At the end of their session, which included a retreat and various workshops, they issued a message to the members of the general chapter scheduled to be held in Rome this coming May.

Meeting at St. Peter-in-Gallicantu (Jerusalem) from February 26 to--March 6 for our annual retreat and working session of the Near Eastern Mission, we, the brothers present, wished to address a message to the General Chapter of the Congregation to be held the month of May in Rome.

February 4-7, 2011

Day One: Our Founders

At Due Pini, the General House of the Assumptionists in Rome, a workshop just ended, which brought together the five Congregations of the Assumption Family (with four representatives from each Congregation). It is the second gathering of this kind, dedicated to deepening reflection on the charism of our religious family. This year,  the theme was the love of the Church. 

Day of Recollection for Those in Ministry at St Anne-St.Patrick Parish - an Assumptionist Parish in Strubridge, MA

A Lenten day of recollection for those in ministry took place recently in St. Anne/St. Patrick’s parish in Sturbridge, MA. The theme “Lord, Teach Us to Pray” was developed by the parish staff members and lay ministers who reached out to one another. The attendees of the day long event, which concluded with liturgy, were parish volunteers who represented areas of service which included: social outreach, grounds maintenance, hospitality, catechesis, liturgy, pro-life, finance/development, prayer groups and special events, just to mention a few.

We have entered Lent: a time of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. It is a time of spiritual renewal as well. For us, Africans, this year, we do so as we experience the particular reality of the northern half of our continent, Arab Africa, as we often call it.  Unprecedented events are taking place there and we all worry whether they will lead to lasting democratic changes or to a simple “cosmetic makeover” which will soon reveal the wrinkles that come with age.  Food for thought!

(Fr. Alain Thomasset is an Assumptionist currently teaching theology this Spring 2011 semester at Assumption College in Worcester. He is "on loan" from the Region of South Belgium where he is a member of the Maranatha community. Fr. Alain holds a doctorate in theology from Louvain University. He dedicated his doctoral thesis to the work of  Blessed John Cardinal Newman.)

Conversations at the Center - Sunday, March 6, 2011

The lay volunteer program, Associate Missionaries of the Assumption, was the focus of the latest in a series of “Conversations at the Center” in Brighton, MA. Sponsored by the Religious of the Assumption and the Augustinians of the Assumption and as stated in their mission statement, “AMA is a lay community of persons whose life and mission are rooted in the love of Christ and His Church.”

New London, Conn. (February 28, 2011)—Bayard Magazine Group has acquired all future publication rights to Faith & Family magazine from Circle Media, a publishing apostolate of the Legionaries of Christ.

Faith & Family, a magazine for young Catholic families, is the center of a Christ-focused community of like-minded mothers who encourage and support one another in the joyful, challenging, important work of Catholic living. This sharing of wisdom and inspiration takes place in the pages of the magazine as well as on its vibrant website - www.faithandfamilylive.com.