MADRID, 23-27 SEPTEMBER 2013

PRESENT:   Marcelo Marcial,  Jimena Garcia, Francisco (Paco) Rentero, Claude Grenache
Not able to attend:  Marie-Claire Rouquet, Silvan

OVERVIEW OF THE ALLIANCE IN THE CONGREGATION

Clearly the Province of Africa outnumbers all the others with over 300 Lay Assumptionists.  All the groups are accompanied by a Religious.  There is a great deal of diversity in these groups.  In accordance with the General Chapter #72, they have petitioned to be recognized officially as a Society of lay people and presented us with a seven page document containing a proposal for the Statutes of the Association. Unfortunately, Silvan received his Visa too late and was unable to attend the meeting.

For this month’s Sunday ‘Conversations…,’ at the Assumptionist Center in Brighton, the community, residents and guests welcomed Dr. Francesco Cesareo, President of Assumption College. However, his purpose in coming was not so much due to his role at the college but to address the focus, goals and challenges of the National Review Board of the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops, of which he is currently the chair. This board is charged with overseeing and monitoring the bishops’ “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People” which was drafted in response to the sexual abuse crisis in the Church. This completely lay board of thirteen members from all regions of the United States serves as a consultative body to the bishops. It provides an important function in the Church’s effort to restore trust and to bring about healing among the faithful.

The novitiate community, gathered from far and wide once again, recently held their short and concise local chapter during which they proposed some goals and schedules for the year which consist of: classes, talks meetings and prayer. In addition there are other routine activities that make up daily life. Needing a breather, the community decided to take a three day venture up to New Hampshire and drive the famous Kancamagus Highway to enjoy the marvelous colors of this fall season. Needless to say, this greatly impressed those who have come from Asia and Africa.

THIS POOR ONE CRIED OUT
AND THE LORD HEARD
Psalm 34 :7

One winter's evening in 338 at Amiens, Martin is 18 years old and a soldier in the Roman army. This illustration depicts him sharing his coat with a poor fellow benumb with cold. This 19^th century water-color painting shows him tearing

Letter # 2 of the Superior General
Fr. Benoît Grière

 Read more » PDF version

At a recent Territorial Assembly in Worcester, MA, the Assumptionists in the U.S. celebrated several significant anniversaries. We pray for God's continued blessings on the following members pf the Assumption Family!

60^th Anniversary of Profession: Fr. Robert Fortiin, A.A.
Fr. Eugene LaPlante, A.A.
Bro. John Thomas McHugh, A.A.
Fr. Pierre Jean Genest, A.A.
50^th Anniversary of Profession: Fr. Richard Lamoureux, A.A.
Fr. Donald Espinosa, A.A.
70^th Anniversary of Ordination: Fr. Yves Garon, A.A.
60^th Anniversary of Ordination: Fr. Roland Guilmain, A.A.
Fr. Theodore Fortier, A.A.
Fr. Aidan Furlong, A.A.

The Assumptionist Center in Brighton began its sixth year of “Conversations...” recently as a “place where we learn together what it means to be Church.” The theme of the first gathering for this year focused on the “Christian Responses to Illness and Dying.”  Our presenter, Michael Finocchiaro (Finni), is a second year MTS student at BC’s School of Theology and Ministry. In 2012, Finni went through treatment for a type of cancer with strong evidence for environmental causation. At the same time, he lost his uncle to lung cancer. He found that writing, especially in the poetry he shared with us, was an effective way to interpret and convey his experience of sickness and his road to recovery.

On the night of October 18-19 our three Assumptionist brothers, BAMTUPE KISUGHU Edmond, MUMBERE NDULANI Jean-Pierre and KAKULE WASUKUNDI Anselme, were kidnapped from the rectory of Our Lady of the Poor parish in Mbau, diocese of Butembo-Beni, North Kivu Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since this terrible no reliable news has been gatheed  about their whereabouts. About 800 other civilians, among them men, women, children and even infants, have been kidnapped the same way in the same region, particularly in the Catholic parishes of Oicha, Erigneti, Mbau, Buisegha, and Beni-Paida. As of last night the Catholic parish of Maboya has joined this sad list with the kidnapping of Mr. MUTSUNGA Augustin, a medical doctor.

Dear Brothers,

While here in Africa, we cannot forget our three brothers who were kidnapped one year ago, October 19 2012. Fathers Jean-Pierre MUMBERE NDULANI, Anselme KAKULE WASUKUNDI and Edmond BAMTUPE KISUGHU are unjustly absent from Assumption and from their respective families.  We still have no news and every lead explored has failed to produce results.  The wait is long and painful.  We pray that the kidnappers give us credible news with authentic proofs.

What has marked our region the most this past year has been the passing of the baton from the generation of the founders to a new generation of religious in Togo. As a matter of fact, the departure of Fr. René Mihigo, who bravely accepted an assignment in another new foundation in Goma (Congo Kinshasa), means that none of those religious who came here seven years ago still remains in Togo. Fortunately, one of them, Fr. Jean-Paul Sagadou, has provided some continuity in the area, having moved next door to Burkina Faso to open our new community there. There can be no doubt that the seeds that they planted have borne fruit. Here in West Africa there are now 20 religious (9 formators and 11 young religious in formation) as well as 6 novices, 7 postulants, and 10 pre-postulants.