The martyrdom of our three Assumptionist Bulgarian Martyrs was remembered and honored at a recent prayer day by our two lay Assumptionist groups, representing about twenty members, in Worcester, MA, thanks to the hospitality of our retirement community on Old English Road.

The day was facilitated by Fr. Claude Grenache, A.A. who presented the  rich and long standing history of the congregation in Eastern Europe and the circumstances of the events that led up to the execution of Fathers Kamen Vitchev, Pavel Djidjov and Josaphat Chichkov during the communist regime on November 11, 1952. Their death sentence was the result of a trumped-up trial wherein these priests were accused of spying for the Vatican, plotting an uprising and being agents of capitalism. Along with them was the execution of a Passionist, Bishop Bossilkov. All four martyrs were buried in a common grave. Their bodies have never been found.

The presence of Assumptionists in Bulgaria since 1863 reflects the keen interest of Fr. d’Alzon in Church unity. He was passionate about doing all he could to heal the schism between the East and West.

Posted By The Catholic Free Press November 6, 2015

(As movie theaters across the country feature the recently released film "Spotlight" which depicts the story of the Boston Globe investigative team that uncovered widespread child abuse by priests in the Archdiocese of Boston, Dr. Francesco Cesareo, president of Assumption College and chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops National Review Board on the Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults, reflects on the issue of child sexual abuse and the progress the Catholic Church has made in this area.)

By Francesco C. Cesareo, Ph.D.
Chairman, National Review Board, USCCB

Sexual abuse of minors is a problem that affects many institutions in our society. A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Kaiser Permanente’s Health Appraisal Clinic in San Diego found that 24.7 percent of women and 16 percent of men experienced sexual abuse during their childhoods. In 2002, the Catholic Church recognized that it was not immune to this issue, and since then, has developed a comprehensive program to respond to the crisis, including efforts to help victims and survivors begin the healing process.

This past September 29, on the feast of the archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, the Province of Madagascar welcomed nine new members who made their first vows, Armain RAKOTONOMENJANAHARY, Rantovolanandriana RAKOTOMALALA, Sambevoatse Jean Félix TONGASOA, Justin RAKOTONIAINA, Falimanana Elisé RAZAFIARISOA, Jean Patrick RANDRIANARIMALALA, Simon Jean Richard RAFANOMEZANTSOA,  Julien RAZANAJATOVO and  Mahonjo Laurent  SOANANAMBINA (not pictured below, because he professed his vows later for health reasons). At the same time four others began their novitiate: Jean Pierrot, Nathanaël, Orlando and Denis, under the able guidance of a new novice-master, Fr. Lucien Telolahy.

In recent years the Assumptionists in Madagascar have seen the results of a reinvigorated vocation outreach program. Twenty young men are currently in the pre-novitiate program.

Assumptionists gathered for 125^th anniversary with concelebrating bishops

On Thursday, November 5, 2015,  Assumptionists and friends gathered in the village of Mendoza near Rengo to commemorate 125 years of presence in Chile. The archbishop at the time, Most Rev. Casanova, had encountered them in France during a trip he made to Lourdes. While in France he became aware of their missionary zeal as well as their commitment to the Catholic press and so invited them to Chile. According to letters he wrote at the time, it is easy to see that he wanted them to get involved in preaching the gospel in rural areas, in vocation ministry, and in spreading a devotion to the Blessed Mother.

On September 20, 1890, ten Assumptionists left the port of Bordeaux (France) for Chile: Frs. Stéphane Chaboud (superior), Géry Delalleau, Adrien Buisson, Thomas Darbois, Marius Peysson and Bros. Santiago Cornelias, Carlos Andrés Ropero, Gregorio, Pascal Claudet and Manuel.

Pope Francis’ encyclical on creation, LAUDATO SI, was the topic for the most recent Sunday’s “Conversations at the Center” in Brighton. The many attendees welcomed Fr. Daniel Horan, OFM as the presenter and discussion facilitator. Fr. Dan, a former resident at the Center and presently a student completing his doctoral studies at BC in Systematic Theology and a Chaplain at Babson College in Wellesley, MA, has in recent months conducted several retreats and workshops on this encyclical.

Father began by briefly explaining the three models of creation found in the document, that is: the dominion and subduing approach, the attitude of stewardship and lastly the understanding of communion with creation. In the first model humankind uses creation for its own purposes without regard, respect or responsibility for the giftedness of creation. It is a form of domination and abuse. In the second model of stewardship, based on the Genesis II account of creation, we are connected to all of God’s creation and are obliged to be caretakers of God’s creation, as also found in Psalm 24. In the third model of creation, we, as humans, relate to the goods of this world as community, as family with an attitude if kinship. The encyclical, obviously opposed to the first model of exploitation, moves between models two and three.

Interviewer - As a New Englander, how did your family life eventually lead you to the Assumptionists?

Fr. Roland - I was born in Nashua, NH where my Dad was a shoemaker, with three sons and one daughter. My family spent many happy summers vacationing at Hampton Beach, NH. One summer I had a serious bicycle accident when I was nine years old. As a result, I permanently injured my left hand. It was during those summers that I met and got to know an  Assumptionist who was also on vacation. This was my initial contact which eventually led me to Assumption Prep and the College. While there it became clear to me that I wanted to become a priest and a missionary, so I eventually applied to Maryknoll but was rejected because of health reasons. In hindsight, I can now see that it was God leading me to the Assumptionists.

- Where did your studies and formation in the community take you?

- I entered the community in 1947 and did my novitiate in Canada, graduated from Assumption College in 1950 and went back to Canada and earned an STL from Laval University. In December, 1953 I was ordained and soon thereafter was sent to Mexico to teach English in a boys school. There I helped out in a rural parish on the outskirts of the city and saw the diversity and extremes of the country, as well as the city.

 Vocation Newsletter of the Assumptionists in Manila, September 2015

July 28, 2015 Butembo, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

On Sunday, July 27, 2015, in the diocese of Butembo-Beni (DRC), Most Rev. Melchisedech SIKULI PALUKU ordained 14 priests and 16 deacons during a Solemn Mass, accompanied by Most Rev. Janvier KATAKA, bishop of the diocese of WAMBA, and more than a hundred priests in Immaculate Mary Parish, run by the Assumptionists in the Kitatumba neighborhood of this ever-growing city.

Apart from five diocesan deacons, all the others ordained belong to religious congregations, all of them natives of the diocese. Among those ordained were 7 Assumptionist priests and 9 Assumptionist deacons; 3 Crozier priests and 2 deacons; one Carmelite priest, one Combonian priest, and one priest from the Apostles of Jesus, the only Congregation represented at the ceremony not yet implanted in the diocese of Butembo-Beni.

Dear Friends,

I received news this past week that a new outbreak of violence occurred some 25 miles north of Beni (see article on p. 2 with details and some background information on the situation in this region of the Congo). After a brief lull, it appears that rebel factions have re-mobilized and have set out to re-install their reign of terror in the area.

Thousands of internal migrants seek refuge in Beni as a result of regional conflict

In the same letter Fr. Protais, the provincial of the Assumptionists in the Province of Africa, told me that, because of the good news that fund-raising for a school for orphans of war in Beni is proceeding so quickly, he re-visited the site we have purchased for this project and met again with the architect to fine-tune the plans. He is suggesting that we name the school, “Prince of Peace”, as a sign of our desire to dedicate our efforts there to the larger goal of fostering peace in the region and bringing this already too lengthy conflict to an end.