ASSUMPTION SISTERS UNITE TO MAINTAIN PRESENCE IN TUNISIA
by Sr. Françoise Audebrand, L.S.A.

(Editor’s note: The Little Sisters of the Assumption (LSA) are celebrating their 80th anniversary of presence in Tunisia. Tunisia has had only two presidents since it obtained independence in 1957. The most recent of those presidents fled on Friday, January 17, after more than two decades in power, and now Tunisia is trying something new. A coalition government was recently formed there, and opposition figures have been included in the leadership for the first time. Sr. Françoise traces the history of Assumption’s presence in this land of St. Augustine’s birth and the signs of new hope for its future. This article was written BEFORE the fall of President Ben Ali )

FR. MORAND KLEIBER, AA - professor, philosopher, and still a missionary at 88

(editor's note: Fr. Morand came to the United States in the early 80s to take refresher courses in philosophy at Boston University. He currently lives at the Assumptionist retirement community in Albertville, France, in the foothills of the Alps and site of the 1992 Winter Olympics.)

Many ask themselves what impression one might have at arriving in retirement in the Albertville residence. I can give an answer in complete simplicity and truth, after four months at the residence. I believe that it depends on the previous life of each person: the experiences he might have had in his life of ministry, his health, or difficulties he might have to face, and of course the deepening of his religious life. As for me, I was marked by a long period of teaching philosophy at the scholasticate, then by responsibilities in the provincial community, and finally by 22 years of mission in Africa (the Democratic Republic of Congo, the former Zaire).

Assumption College in Worcester, MA is very happy to be able to take a contingent of students and other members of the Assumption community to World Youth Day this summer in Madrid, Spain, August 16-21st. This will provide a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our students not only to attend World Youth Day, but also to gain a much broader, global perspective of the Assumption family and the Catholic Church.

Fr. Julio Navarro, A.A., Vicar General and Postulator for the Cause of Fr. d’Alzon, talks about the Status of the Beatification Process, Rome - February, 2011

You were asked to be the postulator for the cause of Fr. d’Alzon beatification. How has this experience affected you personally?

This experience has been extremely rich for me. That is true in at least three ways. First, it has allowed me to know Fr. d’Alzon much better, his personality, his spirituality, the example of his holiness, and in addition to knowing him better, I believe I admire him and love him much more. Another aspect has to do with the task of being the postulator itself which has forced me to learn, study, go to courses, especially in the area of canon law, in order to understand the juridical steps required by the Church.

(Last week we posted an article by Brother Milad Yacoub, a young Egyptian Assumptionist entitled "Christian and Arab -- Is It Possible to be Both?" In the present interview Brother Milad shares several observations on his country, the current political situation, and his own dreams.)

Question 1: Br. Milad, you are an Egyptian Christian who is now living in France. Do you still have family members in Egypt and how often are you able to visit? 

My two parents live in Cairo, Egypt, 15 minutes away from the pyramids. My brother and his wife, expecting their second baby, are back in Egypt after several years spent in Qatar. I am always in contact with my family via phone and Internet and I go back there every two years.

by Brother Milad Yacoub, A.A.
(Many Christians, in Europe or elsewhere, are often confused about the Middle East. So it is that many believe that if a person is an Arab, he must also be Muslim by religion, or vice versa, that if someone is Muslim, he must be an Arab. Br. Milad, an Assumptionist of Egyptian background, helps us to see things more clearly.)

Is it possible to be both a Christian and an Arab? Yes. Many Christians throughout the world are surprised to hear this. And yet, there are millions of us Christians who read the Bible in Arabic. What’s more, we also address God as “Allah.”

In a recent article in AMERICA, Drew Christiansen, S.J., the editor in chief of America, reflects on the powerful spiritual encounter one experiences in visiting the church of St. Peter in Gallicantu in Jerusalem. This site is believed to be Caiaphas’ palace and where Jesus’ trial and Peter’s denial took place.

The current church is of special significance to the Assumptionists, as it was built by Fr. Etienne Boubet, A.A. in 1920s and was magnificently renovated by Fr. Robert Fortin, A.A. between 1994 and 1997. Pilgrims from around the world who visit St. Peter’s are profoundly touched by its biblical importance and the beautiful art which calls them to repentance, contrition and conversion. As the author states, “St. Peter Gallicantu is special among holy places because step by step it offers so many opportunities to enter into Christ’s passion…”

by Katie Mulembe, Membership and Recruitment Coordinator, Catholic Volunteer Network

(editor's note: The Assumptionists, both in the United States and abroad, are committed to offering young people opportunities to live and work with Assumptionist communities throughout the world. In the United States, the community has joined forces with its female counterpart, the Religious of the Assumption, in support of AMA, Associate Missionaries of the Assumption http://www.assumptionvolunteers.org. Young men have lived in Assumptionist communities in Tanzania, Worcester, Mexico City, Manila, and elsewhere. The Assumptionists in France have also organized an active volunteer program http://www.assomption.org/totale_jeunes.php which offers volunteer sites in Paris, Romania, Jerusalem, Quebec, etc.)

Over the last few decades, many religious communities have made a deliberate effort to open their doors to the laity. This is particularly visible in our network of volunteer programs, where it is not unusual to find vowed religious living in community with lay volunteers and missioners. This lifestyle puts into practice the vision that Pope Benedict XVI calls the “new missionary age in the Church,” one in which believers of every vocation fully embrace their baptismal call as partners in the mission of the Church.

Conversations at the Center - Sunday, February 6, 2011

After viewing the film GANDHI on Saturday evening at the Assumptionist Center in Brighton, the community, residents and guests gathered after Mass on Sunday for a presentation and discussion on “Gandhi and Christianity.”

Alex McKinley, resident at the Center and a Master’s degree student at Harvard Divinity School, shared his understanding of Gandhi and his relationship with Christianity. His presentation was thought provoking and rich in challenging one’s conception of how the spiritual leader’s life and teaching marked his own world and ours.