A New World Is Already Born The Assumption is imbued with a forceThat it receives from God.

EDITORIAL

AA April, 2014 n no 12

AA Newsof the Assumption

Religious and laity

the same mission

April 2014 n no 122

>> Official

AgendaOrdinary General Councils

●June19-28●September11-22:LocalChapteroftheRomeCommunity,September14or22

●November10-14

Plenary General Councils

●June7-16atSaintLambert(France)●November30toDecember10orDecember1-11(December5:WengerColloquium)

Benoît

●Turkey:CanonicalVisitationinIstanbul:April 10-15●Lyons:FirstChapteroftheProvinceofEurope:April

22 to May 1●USA:CanonicalVisitation:May 2 to June 1●August 15:NationalPilgrimagetoLourdes●Vietnam:CanonicalVisitation:August 21 to

September 3●MeetingoftheUSGonNovember 21:OpeningoftheYearofConsecratedLife

●MeetingoftheSuperiorsGeneraloftheAssumption:December 22

Emmanuel

●April 21 to May 4:ChapterofEurope(Valpré)●May 8-22:SessionoftheMastersofNovices●July 22 to September 4:Africa

Marcelo

●April 10-15:VisittoIstanbul●May 8-22:SessionoftheMastersofNovices●July 10-20:SessiononEasternEuropeatBucharest(Rumania)

John

●May 1-4:CentennialoftheBasilicaofHippo(Algeria)●May 8-22:SessionoftheMastersofNovices●May 28 to June 2:ChaplaincyofauniversitygroupfromWorcesterinRome

●June 3:PreparatoryCommissionfortheEducationCongressinParis

●July 7 to September 4:UnitedStates(retreatfortheNovices,8-15 Augustandthreeweek-endspreachingforthesolidarityfund)

Didier

●March 17 to May 12:intheAmericas(Colombia,Ecuador,Argentina,Chile,Mexico,USA)

●May 30:MeetingoftheGeneralTreasurersoftheAssumptionFamilyinParis

●July 1-2:inParis:CouncilofConsultorsandCouncilofBayard

●July 3 to August 10:visittoVietnamandthePhilippines

●September 23:CouncilofBayard(Paris)●September 24 and 25:BoardofTrusteesofAssumptionCollege

Struggling against despairOur three brothers, Edmond, Jean-Pierre and Anselme, are still missing. It is 18 months already that they were kidnapped and we are without any news. Lately, the Congolese armed forces began the long work of securing the zones that had been controlled by the rebels, notably in the region of Béni. Unfortunately, the searches have not resulted in freeing the numerous persons kidnapped. Mass graves have been found and a cruel uncertainty remains.Our religious family must continue to pray and to hope. We must not resign ourselves to silence. Lately a verse of Apollinaire came to my mind: “As life is slow, and as Hope is violent.” The faith of the Chris-tian is to hope despite everything. As we approach the feast of Easter, let us continue to struggle against forgetting. Let us also pray that the Congo finds anew peace and stability in its recognized borders. Let us ask the Lord of justice that the Congolese people might live in tranquility.

Father Benoît Grière

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Editorial <<

A New WorldIs Already Born.

The feast of Easter reminds us that the olden times are over and that a new world is already

born. The Resurrection of Christ is the burst of energy that renews everything, beginning with us, who are believers. I wish with all my heart that each Assumptionist in the world might benefit from this overflowing energy that makes new creatures stand up. Thanks to death and resurrection, we become sons of the Father in the one Spirit. We are re-created.The Assumption is old with a history of more than 150 years, but it continues as it can on its way through the trials of the times. Soon a new province will see the day: the Province of Europe. Fruit of the union of three old provinces – those of Spain, North Europe and France – the Assumptionist Europe will in fact be a new creation: “For new wine, new wineskins!” The religious of this province will have the important task of building an unprecedented reality. We must pass over old habits and abandon fears to look forward with faith and hope.Jacques Delors, a profoundly Christian French politician, said that Europe is in need of a soul. The political Europe is marking time because of national egoisms and the primacy of finance. The politicians do not succeed in giving a breath of life to the European project that too often appears to be without an ideal. The Assumptionist Province of Europe will need a soul in order to answer the call of God who asks that we be intrepid and audacious apostles. The proclamation of faith in the

countries of the continent of Europe must be re-thought in new ways. The Assumption, modest and fragile, must mobilize itself for this grand project. D’Alzon had no more than 60 religious at his death and yet he succeeded in mobilizing them for a grand project. We must follow their example.The Assumption is imbued with a force that comes to it from God. We can be confident and go forward in peace. I have returned from the Philippines where the annual meeting of the Inter-Asian Coordination took place. Progressively our Congregation is taking root in countries where even recently it was absent. Young people are joining us and we are setting up our apostolic project: the press, social commitments and formation. We are looking towards China and towards India. Will God give us a sign so that we have the courage to advance towards these immense countries where some two and a half billion people live?The force of the Resurrection must work in each of us in the first place. We have a great challenge that consists in each of us changing. We must allow ourselves to be transformed by the life that gushes from the side of Christ on the Cross. It is important that we be new creatures, renewed to give witness to the Kingdom. The Assumptionist brotherhood exists to proclaim God. The force of the Resurrection is to contest the values of the world and it transforms hearts. I believe that we are all capable of this transformation to answer the call of the Spirit. n

P. Benoît Grière

General Superior of the

Augustinians of the Assumption

April 2014 n no 124

>> Official (continued)

In a letter dated on February 8 addressed to the brothers of the Provinces of Spain,

North Europe and France, and to the lay friends of the As-sumption, after having obtained the consent of his Ordinary Council, Fr. Benoît Grière made public the nomination of Father Benoît Gschwind (see picture in AA-News of July 2011, p. 5). Here is the text:“I have the joy of announcing to you the nomination of Fa-ther Benoît Gschwind to the responsibility of Provincial of Europe.”He will begin his functions at the Provincial Chapter that will be held at Valpré at the end of April-beginning of May. It is an important event since it begins a new chapter in the life of the Assumption in Europe. The his-toric realities will disappear to

make place for a new creation.“The old world has disappeared, a new world is already born” (2Cor 5, 17). I thank you for the strong participation in the consultation. Some among you were perplexed.“How can we answer when we do not know the other provincial realities?How can we choose a man when the responsibility he receives will be so important?`You expressed many questions, and with my Council, I was at-tentive to study them well.The profound desire that comes out of the consultation is the necessity of constituting a new foundation open to the future and marked by a strong apos-tolic and spiritual dynamism. Some among you in reading the profile that I gave for the choice of the future Provincial

The nomination of the Provincial of Europe. reacted with humor saying that

the ambition was too strong and that only one man could have all the qualities mentioned: Jesus Christ.That was said humorously of course but that reflects a goodly part of the truth.If the Provincial named and each of the religious does not leave the whole place to our Lord, his mission will be marked by fra-gility and will risk becoming a failure.Benoît Gschwind is a man who for many years has displayed his love for the Assumption. He is a religious who assumes with sincerity his commitment in re-ligious life and loves Christ.He has an astounding dynamism and a remarkable apostolic zeal. During his mandate as Provin-cial he has showed a true open-ness to the diverse realities of the Province as well as to those of the Congregation. He weaved amicable ties with his brothers of the Plenary General Council. Of course, Benoît does not have all the qualities foreseen in the consultation. He knows that and is ready to improve certain as-pects of his personality to listen better to one and all.Before making his nomination official, at the request of the Ordinary General Council, Ben-oît was able to present to it his hopes for the new Province. He knows that he will have to be at-tentive to the cultural diversity and to the various sensitivities that are expressed in the com-munities and the countries of the Province. Benoît is very conscious that he will work with a team and that a part of his re-sponsibilities will be delegated

«I have the joy of announcing to you the nomination of Father Benoît Gschwind to the responsibility of Provincial of Europe.»

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Official (continued) <<

FatherBenoîtGrière,SuperiorGeneralWithhisCouncilhascalled

■ TO PERPETUAL PROFESSION1) Bro. LATA RIVERA, José-Luis(AndeanProvince)(02-05-2014)

2)Bro. MUMBERE MUSUNGIRA, Roger (AndeanProvince)(02-04-2014)

3)Bro. GODOY VASQUEZ, Manuel Alejandro(AndeanProvince)(02-05-2014)

4)Bro. KASONDOLI SIHAYA, Isidore (AndeanProvince)(02-06-2014)

5)Bro. ROJAS GARCES, Jorge(AndeanProvince)(02-06-2014)

■ TO ORDINATION AS DEACONS6) Bro. SIBUGAN, Ronald (ProvinceofNorthAmerica-Philippines)(02-04-2014)

7) Bro. BERRACHED, Philippe (ProvinceofFrance)(02-05-2014)

8)Bro. KAKULE KAMABU, Jean Claude (ProvinceofSpain)(02-06-2014)

9)Bro. NGUYEN VAN, Hieu Pierre(ProvinceofFrance)(03-05-2014)

■ TO ORDINATION TO THE PRIESTHOOD

10) Bro. GROSPERRIN, Régis (ProvinceofFrance)(02-04-2014)

11)Bro. BARBOSA DIAS, Wellington(ProvinceofBrazil)(03-05-2014)

Calls...

5 6 7 8

9 10 11

1 2 3 4

to his collaborators. Finally he knows that the new Province is a reality in search of itself and that it will take time and patience to put into practice the ambition that presides over its creation.I would like to insist on the need for each re-ligious to be committed in an active and res-olute way in the process of the new founda-tion. Yes, each of you must consider himself a founder. The Province of Europe does not yet exist. It is therefore desirable that all be committed to make it live and succeed in its creation.Benoît will have to accompany this birth but he will need to have the collaboration of each of you in order to succeed.The whole of the Congregation is paying at-tention to what you are living. You are being watched and the brothers of the other prov-inces are waiting to see this new Assumption-ist reality being realized. It is primordial that Province of Europe be a success, for in great part, this success will condition the evolution of the whole Congregation.With the help of my Councils, I will be atten-tive in accompanying the Provincial and his team. Also, Benoît will count on the Coun-cil of Europe to prepare the next Provincial Chapter.Benoît will also take to heart working with the Lay Alliance. They have a great diversity of collaboration with the Assumption in the three Provinces but they have a strong desire to contribute actively with the religious to the coming of the Kingdom of God. I know that I can count on the support of the laity to put in motion our European ambition.Dear Brothers, the Assumption has a future in the Province of Europe. It has a mission and that mission belongs to you. As Pope Francis invites us, we need to be prophets of the new times. We need to explore the parameters to proclaim the Good News. The Assumptionist religious life is still able to surprise the men and women of good will by the richness of its tradition and by its apostolic zeal. I invite you all to welcome your Provincial. I assure you of my prayers and my fraternal devotedness.”n

April 2014 n no 126

>> Jubilee

The 50 years of priest-hood of Father Rospide

On February 22, the feast of the Chair of St. Peter, while

Pope Francis was giving the car-dinals’ biretta to 18 new cardinals, the community celebrated the golden jubilee of Father Pierre-Emmanuel Rospide, ordained on that day in Rome in 1964 in the chapel of the German-Hungarian Pontifical College on via San Nicola da Tolentino by Bishop Philippe Pocci, titular bishop of Jericho and auxiliary of the Vicar of Rome, Cardinal Micara. Pierre-Emmanuel remembered the presence at his side of his mother and his sister, of his pas-tor and of his four cousins. At the same time as him, two other As-sumptionists were ordained: an American, Normand Paulhus and a Spaniard, Francisco José Guil-larte Saez who have both left the Congregation, one in 1975 and the other in 1969. Father Fran-çois Neusch, who was ordained a week later along with his brother Marcel and Jean-Yves Le Guen in Valpré, was part of the same group of students at Tor di Nona.After two years of complemen-tary formation, Pierre-Emmanuel

joined the novitiate community at Pont-l’Abbé- d’Arnoult for two years. After that, his entire mission in the service of the Con-gregation will take place in three blocks: from 1969 to 1984 as assistant and Provincial of Bor-deaux and of France, then from 1984 to 1999 as Director Gen-eral in the Directoire of Bayard Presse and from 1999 to 2013 as assistant and treasurer of the two Provincials of France. In the homily he gave, Pierre-Emmanu-el recalled the thought line of his life as expressed by Saint Augus-tine in his Soliloquies, “Noverin me, noverim Te! “Me connaître, Te connaître!” (Soliloquies II, 1, 1). In order to know himself, man must first turn inwards, to the in-teriority of his heart, to receive from God the double knowledge: that of oneself and that of God, the Interior Master. The broth-ers and sisters present in Rome thanked God for the all the years of priesthood, the faithful service to the Assumption and wished for him many more and fruitful years in the service of the Lord. Ad multos annos ! n

In the footsteps of Father d’Alzon A group of Oblate Sisters, assembled in Rome to finalize the new continental organization of their Congregation, made a pilgrimage in the Footsteps of Father d’Alzon and made a detour to our house at Due Pini. Their itinerary led them also to the chapel of the Confession where a Mass ‘ad caput’ was celebrated by Fathers Julio, Marcelo, Pierre-Emmanuel and Louis-Martin.

7

Madagascar <<

Some numbers

1953:25October:Dateoffoundation1959:Fr.MichelCanonne,firstBishopofTuléar1989:ordinationofthefirstMalagasyAssumptionist1998:theterritoryiserectedinaVice-Province2013:theVice-ProvincebecomesaProvinceNumberofreligiouslivinginMadagascar:66(34priestsand32brothers)Novices:7ReligiousoutsidetheProvince:12

of the Assumption, lay people, and aspiring Assumptionists. Let us retain first of all that, as Fr. Benoît underscored in his homily, we were assisting at a birth. In 60 years what a long way has been traveled! Despite the doubts and fears: “the Malagasies are able to preside over the destiny of the Assumption in Madagascar… Today Madagascar needs a sign that shows that God does not abandon it… The people of the Island await witnesses of the Kingdom who manifest the tenderness of God. Men are committing themselves for the alphabetization, the education, the promotion of health and for justice and peace. The Assump-tion must be able to be present to face the challenges of our times.” He concluded with this affirmation: “The Assumption is missionary, the Malagasy Assumption thanks God for all his kindnesses… It is small and fragile, but it is full of hope and confidence.” n

Zacharie WASUKUNDI

The event marks a rebirth. The session of the first Provincial Chapter of Madagascar which took place (December 16-21, 2013 at Fianarantsoa), with its 18 Chapter members and Fa-ther General, Fr. Benoît Grière, allowed us to measure the im-portance of the occasion.Fr. Étienne Ratalata, the first Provincial Superior of Mada-gascar traced the three axes for the future by showing the strong points, the weak points and the perspectives for tomor-row. During the assembly, there were the obligatory measures taken: the vote on the statutes and the apostolic orientations as the Assumption celebrates the 60 years of its presence on the Big Island.To the “hopes and challenges of religious life today in Mada-gascar” to “propositions for formation” and to “apostolic orientations of the Province of Madagascar” were added the intervention of the Lay As-sumptionists and the Eucha-ristic celebration presided by Father Benoît Grière, in the presence of the Little Sisters

60 years of AssumptionistPresence in MadagascarA new rebirth

April 2014 n no 128

A lifelong relationship…It does not take long for an experienced read-er of the writings of Fr. d’Alzon to smell, page after page, an Augustinian perfume. Often his pen transcribes freely ideas drawn from reading the books of Augustine and al-lows himself long Latin quotations without any other precisions that show a sure knowl-edge, in a somewhat biblical manner. A simple consultation of the word index of the Ecrits Spirituels leaves no doubt as to that: the name of Augustine is found 41 times. Titles as varied as the “Confessions”, the “City of God”, as well as other known works such as the “De ordine”, the “De Trinitate” or the “Homilies on the Gos-pel of Saint John are largely used. That is not literary coquetry but an inspiration and communion of thought fruit of familiarity with his writings.

…that left tracesA few examples, borrowed from differ-ent eras, easily illustrate that fact. In 1830, he writes to his friend d’Esgrigny: “I read the Bible, Tertullian, the Confessions of Saint Augustine. What a cute book is these

Confessions! That man had such a beauti-ful soul! He was, however, weak, he had sowed his wild oats; but also what regrets! And then his friendship for his friends! He speaks of them in a charming manner,” (Let-ter of August 31, 1830). In 1833, after his first months at the Seminary of Montpellier, he relapses: “My dear, if you want to have an idea of what I am telling you, take up the City of God, or the Institutions of Lac-tantius, or some book of Saint John Chryso-stome, or the treatise of Origen against Cel-sius, or finally any other and read. But do not

be content to read once. You have to, as I said, re-read and meditate, to find out what these men were. Once we are accustomed to them, we can enjoy all their beauty…” (Letter of August 9, 1833). Or yet,

in 1868, when he makes himself the study-guide for the religious of his Congregation, he instinctively finds again the one who ac-companied him from the beginning of his theological and spiritual formation: “Saint Augustine, our patriarch, will be our prin-cipal guide. His treatise on the Trinity and his admirable books that brought him to be called by the entire Church the doctor of grace, are the great trailblazers of our stud-ies on these important questions…” (E.S. 140).

Father d’Alzon on familiar terms with Augustine

>> Dossier

AA-News opens a dossier consecrated to St. Augustine and the Assumption. It includes an article on the relationship of Father d’Alzon with Augustine. A visit to the places of his baptismal rebirth and of his burial: Pavia and Milan. The Assumption seeks to promote the study of the writings and the ideas of the Bishop of Hippo and that was done particularly under the aegis of the Institut des Etudes Augustiniennes of Paris. Still today the Augustinian spirit is kept alive in an original way through notably the Augustinian federations of Brazil and Pacific Asia. We do not forget that Augustine was a son of Africa. On May 2 and 3, Fr. John Franck will represent Father General at the celebrations that will mark in Hippo (Annaba, Algeria) the centennial of the elevation to the rank of basilica the Shrine dedicated to Augustine in the city where he was the bishop.

by Jean Paul PÉRIER-MUZET

Emmanuel d’Alzon, a continual and

assiduous reader of Augustine

9

We know that Fr. D’Alzon had in his personal library the re-cent, in his time, edition of the Patrology of Migne. Dispersed and undoubtedly impoverished because of the changes of resi-dences and various sorts of ex-pulsions after his death (1880), that library would also give us more than one indication of his Augustinian readings, even if as a perfect Latinist, he had the habit and the means of going directly to the source, the text, more than to the commentaries.

A way of continued formationVery early on, Emmanuel d’Alzon developed a taste for reading the works of Augustine. In him it is a strong preoccupa-

tion to plunge into the direct knowledge of the Fathers of the Church among whom the Bish-op of Hippo is the uncontested leader in the West. The almost daily witness on this subject that the reading of the correspon-dence of Fr. d’Alzon already in 1822 would have the value of a pedagogical incitement in our times if classical formation had not for a long time now ceded its place to the hegemony of the sciences! His numerous study plans refer almost automati-cally and simultaneously “to the Bible and to the Fathers” as the inseparable sources of the faith because, he will later tell his religious, “the Fathers are the best commentators of the Bible” (E.S. 636). A final con-

firmation is from 1878, when two years before his death, he preaches a retreat to the Reli-gious of the Assumption: it is again from Saint Augustine that he borrows this way of forma-tion that has become the way of conversion to lead the hearts to-wards God by the “divesting of oneself”, by the joy of allowing oneself to be “filled with God”, by the way of “exquisite obedi-ence” and by the “disinterested love of souls” (E.S. 1170-1177). Let us leave the audience to the words of the preacher who ef-faces himself before those of Augustine who borrows it from the Apostle: “Ipsa est ergo lex Christi, ut onera invicem por-temus”, a masterful example of this mirror of portraits and of voices that dig the sound of the unique Word through the chain of witnesses. Augustine on the lips of Fr. d’Alzon becomes for us the reader of the Scriptures.

Emmanuel d’Alzon, son of Augustine and founder of AugustiniansThere is another reality in the life of Fr. d’Alzon who met in his heart the memory of Au-gustine, that of his religious foundations. From that point of view the entire family of the Assumption benefits from the wide patronage of Augustine, intellectually and spiritually. The official names of the Con-gregations may vary, but one is the source of inspiration.

The choice of the nameA joining of historical influenc-es, that is very Augustinian be-cause the accidental fuses with the supernatural, explains the choice of the name of the Con-

>>

Do

ssie

r

Interior of the Saint Augustine of Hippo Basilica at Annaba (Algeria)

April 2014 n no 1210

>> Dossier

The choice of a Rule of LifeOn the other hand, the choice of a religious rule in the Assump-tion did not cause any problems to the men or to the institutions or to history, just as it did not have any variation. Fr. d’Alzon pronounced in his heart, one day in July 1845, in the Parisian and Marian shrine of Our Lady of Victories “private vows of re-ligion” according to the conse-crated expression, before being able to put into reality the desire of a foundation that the Bishop of Nîmes will put a brake on for five years (1845-1850), that is, “by letting it happen without authorizing” Fr. d’Alzon will comment.The choice of the Rule of Saint Augustine, one of the five rules that the 4th Council of the Lat-eran (1215) will allow to remain of the prolific multiplication that the earlier legislation al-lowed, is mentioned in the pref-ace and in the form of a simple mention in the second Consti-tutions of the Assumption in 1865, a recasting of the first of 1855, remodeled in seeking the approbation of the Institute in 1879. In effect, if the text of the Rule of Saint Augustine is not literally transcribed in the different original manuscripts that does not imply any kind of infidelity of the Founder to the Augustinian paternity which is evoked, displayed, and stud-ied widely. It is in effect stated precisely that the chosen text is that of the Hermits of Saint Au-gustine in Rome. Another ex-pressed confirmation is a letter of Fr. d’Alzon, dated June 18, 1855, assuring the correspon-dent that he “will do all he can to re-establish the Augustinians in France”.

gregation of men that in faith Fr. d’Alzon decides on Christ-mas night 1845.Involuntary buyer of a board-ing school in Nîmes at the end of 1843, he inherits the name popularly given by the inhab-itants “Assumption School”. When he chose to make it truly his home that is, his residence, in September 1845, and the cra-dle of his religious family, Fr. d’Alzon does not feel obliged to keep the designated patronage. By temperament he is won over by the strength of the traditions: Assumption and Augustine are the two names that impose themselves to him: the first by its first designation finds itself evangelically placed in second position and the second, by the choice of an affirmed paternity finds the place that a matured decision always end by impos-ing itself even to the habits born in stone and strewn about in un-intelligible scribbles.Augustinians of the Assump-tion, that is the family sign, that 150 years of history have not erased because it is etched in the cornerstone that is the faith of a Founder. It is true that in the official texts it will have to wait for the Roman decree of October 20, 1981 to ratify the initial choice, submitted to the tribulations of the pen, of the vox populi, of forgetfulness and of Canon Law. Without a doubt our Father Augustine, with his longevity of centuries, smiled at these inky ups and downs, whose voice amplified through the centuries did not fear giv-ing to scribes the good and bad of his thoughts… As to the Founder, his life was fraught with such agitations that he did not doubt that one day his good faith would be able to establish the proofs of his choice.

The voluntary choice of the Augustinian doctrine and spiritualityThe Founder always wanted for the Assumption an Augustin-ian birthmark. There is no lack of significant texts pointing to it right from the beginning, nor initiatives in that sense all through the Assumptionist his-tory. Without wanting to quote too many, let us take two direc-tives of Fr. d’Alzon to the reli-gious that illustrate perfectly, if not his motivations, at least his demands.In a note, dated from 1874 and

Vittore Carpaccio, Vision of Saint Augustine, 1502, School of San Giorgio degli Schiavoni, Venice.

11

consecrated to the question of higher education for the re-ligious, he indicates in point 9: “Saint Augustine and Saint Thomas will be in Philosophy and Theology our specific mas-ters to whom we will always go back to for the solution of the problems they tackle” (quoted in the E.S. 1096). Words suited for the occasion? No, a word of life and of experience for which he gives himself, two years lat-er, and explanation and an inter-pretation: “If the Assumption is to be a doctrinal Congregation, its doctrine will be very simple, the doctrine of the Church com-mented by Saint Augustine and

the Institute and to stimulate the intellectual work of all. Fr. d’Alzon, already before 1870 had conceived a project of founding in his college the embryo of a Saint Augustine University. The Philosophy and Theology program gave a lion`s share to the Doctor of Hippo. But the time and the means to make it a reality were not avail-able during his lifetime.Even, when in 1872, it became possible to look to the creation of a Catholic University for the Midi, Nîmes did not have the support that Fr. d’Alzon had counted on. History had its part of revenge when after 1902 his

by Saint Thomas, the most glo-rious disciple of Saint Augus-tine…” (E.S. 720).

From an abandoned project to a living realityWe do not have a copy of the discussions of the various chap-ters held in the Assumption beginning in 1850, but just a laconic summary of their deci-sions written in Nîmes by Fr. Charles Laurent for the period of 1850-1876); yet we know that the members of the chap-ter took care at various times, to structure more the formation of the novices and students of

April 2014 n no 1212

future second successor, Fr. Emmanuel Bailly was able to launch from Louvain the Revue Augustinienne. If not a Univer-sity, the Assumption, thanks to this quali-ty magazine, would inaugurate a return to the sources that other sons of Fr. d’Alzon would in turn widen.

From the spirit to the heartLacking an official chair from which Fr. d’Alzon already saw his sons taught by Augustine to teach his doctrine, the As-sumption with him entered Augustinian-ism by way of a spiritual birth. The inher-itance bathed the heart. Father d’Alzon in making Augustine his interior master, presented him thus: “The more I read Saint Augustine, the more I am struck by the truth of this word that religious life is founded on the practice of the counsels, the counsels on charity, the charity on God, to whom charity binds us and that religious life is the means to unite us more perfectly to God by charity. The rest are the means to perfection” (E.S. 305).The inclination that Fr. d’Alzon feels for the Master, after having seized his intel-lectual faculties and transformed them into power for apostolic action, all his life becomes meditation as a prayer that by the spirit warms the heart. His sons will not forget the lesson in its integrality: they will not desert, solitary vocations or

the parvulus grex of the Augustinian In-stitute, the teaching chairs when the Au-gustinian call enlightens their intelligence of the faith. But only God can and will be able to count the sons and daughters of the Assumption who have found and will find the Augustinian spiritual way that, through Fr. d’Alzon, convert their heart to Love: has not Fr. d’Alzon tasted the joy of loving and being loved, according to the saying of Augustine?For this man, Founder at 35 years-old, impassioned by truth and unity, the Au-gustinian way is the royal road, for it de-termines the central axis of all his life, that of charity. But especially it gives the means to realize end embody the passion of Love, thanks to common life that the Rule makes precise. It opens to the love of the Church through this “obsession” of the apostolate that is its prolongation and daily construction. n

>> Dossier

Benozzo Gozzoli, Augustine arrives

in Milan and presents himself to

the notables and to Ambrose, 1464-

1465, Church of Saint Augustine of San

Gimignano.

Some dates

-November13,354:birthatThagaste-371:deathofhisfatherPatricius-371:beginslivingwithayoungwomanwithoutmarriage

-372:birthofhissonAdeodatus-372-373:auditorwiththeManicheansuntil383

-383:departureforRome(Italy)toteach,thennamedprofessoratMilanwherehismotherMonicajoinshim.

-386:endslivingwithhisconcubineandresidesatCassiciacum(northernItaly)

-April24/25,387:baptizedbyAmbroseinMilan

-388:deathofMonicaatOstiaandreturntoThagastewherehefoundsacommunityoflaymen

-389:deathofhissonAdeodatus-391:foundationofacommunityoflaymeninHippoandordainedapriest

-395-396:BishopofHippoandfoundationofacommunityofclerics

-397:beginswritingtheConfessions-413:beginswritingtheCityofGod-429:invasionofNorthAfricabytheVandals

-August28,430:deathofAugustineatHippoduringthesiegebytheVandals

13

Pilgrims to Pavia

To arrive for the first time on the Old Continent, in Italy, to be initiated to

the joys of the tongue of Dante and for a formation in spiritu-ality and to begin this trip near the tomb of our Father Au-gustine, is a dream come true. And yet, it was the privilege we were given, myself and my two Congolese brothers Au-gustin and Jackson. On Sunday September 1, just a few days after the feast of Saint Au-gustine, we became pilgrims to Pavia under the guidance of Father Giuliano. The warm and perfumed air of Lombardy awoke in us a unique fervor carrying in it like a murmur of the words of the patriarch: “The one who enters this life, the fleeting time obliges to go forward. He cannot lazy on the way. Forward, forward, or you will be carried” (Sermons Morin, 265). “Our country is beyond space and time,” he also said. “for here below we are but strangers.” That morn-

ing we became walkers who advance to the “City of God” under the ceiling of the Basil-ica San Pietro in Cielo d’Oro. It there in fact that since the time of the Vandals (720) re-poses the body of Augustine. Bede the Venerable reports in his martyrology for August 28 that the corpse of Augus-tine was brought to this place by Peter, Bishop of Pavia and uncle of Liutprand, King of the Lombards. After the death of Augustine at Hippo, Huneric, King of the Vandals (430-484) expelled the Catholic bishops of North Africa. They brought with them the remains of the holy and venerable bishop and found refuge at Cagliari in Sar-dinia. Since 1327, the Augus-tinians were chosen by John XXII as guardians of the white marble tomb before the apse and its gold dome on which we discover the mosaic of Saint Peter guiding Augustine and his mother Monica to the feet of Jesus. We participated in the

Sunday Mass after a moment of meditation to hear him tell us: “Become what you receive and receive what you are.”Time passes and we measure how much of a durable boost this experience has given us to undertake our mission in the footsteps of Augustine. From this moment of meditation we received the feeling of such closeness with Augustine. The discovery of the beauty of his spiritual experience and the gift of his friendship helped us to understand better that our vocation depends on Him who lives in us (Rm. 5/5) and leads us to the fullness of the truth (cf. John, 16/13).When we go into ourselves, we still walk towards the lumi-nous summit of the crucified love and the strength of a Pres-ence is given to us. Our steps become assured in faith and we carry more easily the trials of the road insofar as we begin to walks in God’s cadence: “It belongs to the perfection of the voyager to remain conscious that the end to which he tends is not yet attained. He realizes the distance already covered; he sees how much more re-mains to be done.” That is the program that Augustine invites us to follow. n

João Gomes da Silva

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Milán, where everything began

The site of Augustine’s baptism

“May the saints hasten here; let all the saints experience these waters.” That is the phrase that Augustine was able to read going into the baptismal fountain. In that spring of 387

with his friends, he registered as a catechumen and so participated with Adeodatus and Alypius in the Lenten meetings in which Ambrose himself gave some of the instructions. In the night of April 24 t0 25, they went into the waters that introduced them to their spiritual “rebirth”. That ex-perience will forever be engraved in the heart of Augustine. It was only in 1961, on the occasion of excavations for the Milan subway that the remains of the baptistery of San Giovanni alle Fonti in which Augustine was baptized at the hands of Ambrose were brought to light under the Cathedral Square. An inscription testifies to that: “In fontibus qui beati Iohannis ascribuntur, Deo opitulante a beato Ambrosio, cunctis fidelibus adstantibus et videntibus, in nomine sanctae et individuae Trinitatis (Au-gustinus) baptizatus et confirmatus” (In the baptismal font named Saint John, with the help of God, in the presence and watched by all the faithful, Augustine was baptized and confirmed by Saint Ambrose in the name of the holy and undivided Trinity”). This baptistery, abuts the vestiges of the old basilica dedicated to Saint Thecla, virgin and martyr, and is situated about four meters under the square accessible by the cathedral. The digs done in October 1996 furnished irrefutable elements as to the date and authenticity that prove that this is the site of the baptism of Augustine. The epigraphic composition of Ambrose, transcribed in the 8th century was then preserved in the Codex Palatinus Latinus 833 (fol. 41 r-v) an anony-mous text of the 9th or beginning of the 10th century, conserved in the Vatican Apostolic Library. The text was published in various epigraphic collections of the 19th and 20th centuries.Even if the specialists do not all agree on the authenticity of these epi-graphic texts attributed to Ambrose, the composition is certainly in his style. For the construction of the baptistery, Ambrose selected the imperial architectural scheme, already used in Milan for the imperial mausoleum of San Vittore al Corpo: a building with an octagonal exterior, but for which he gives a new symbolic interpretation.At the entrance of the dig space under the square, on the left, the verses composed by Ambrose for the construction of the edifice were inscribed. To understand the insistence with which Ambrose returns to the number eight, one must consider that this number in the symbolism of the Father of the Church, indicates the day of the Lord, the dies dominica, that follows the seventh, that is the Saturday. The eight refers to the New Testament, that is, the coming of Jesus, to the rebirth that works through baptism, that frees from sin through Jesus Christ resurrected from the dead and who opens the gates of salvation for all. The structure of that space wants to make visible to the eyes and to the spirit of the faithful new life in Christ to which we accede through the sacrament of baptism.

Benozzo Gozzoli, Baptism of Augustine, 1464-1465. Church of Saint Augustine of San Gimignano.

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The verses of Ambrose near the source of the same church (Saint Thecla)

Theedificewitheightrecessesforsacreduses,Theoctagonalfountainisworthyofthisgift.ItwasmeetthatonthisnumbertherisetheroomofholybaptismThroughwhichthetruesalvationwasre-giventothepeoplesInthelightofChristresurrectingChrist,hewhoopensTheprisonofdeathandawakensfromtheirtombstheinanimatemenAnd,freeingthosewhoadmitguiltfromthestainofsin,Washestheminthecurrentofthesourceofpurewater.Heremayallwhowanttoabandonthefaultsofalifeofopprobrium,Washtheirheart,keeptheirsoulshelteredfromstains.Maytheycomeherequickly;andifoneofthem,asfilledashemightbewithdarkness,hasthecouragetoapproach,hewillleavepurerthansnow.Maythesaintshastentocomehere:mayallthesaintsexperiencethesewaters.InthemarefoundthekingdomandtheplanofGod.Ohgloryofjustice!IneffectwhatistheremoredivinethanthefactThatinaninstantthesinofapeopledisappears?

Hereisthetextofthisinscription:

Versus Ambrosii ad fontem eiusdem ecclesiae [sanctae Tecle]

OCTACHORVMSANCTOSTEMPLVMSVRREXITINVSVSOCTAGONVSFONSESTMVNEREDIGNVSEOHOCNVMERODECVITSACRIBAPTISMATISAVLAMSVRGEREQVOPOPVLISVERASALVSREDIITLVCERESVRGENTISCHRISTIQVICLAVSTRARESOLVITMORTISETETVMVLISSVSCITATEXANIMESCONFESSOSQVEREOSMACVLOSOCRIMINESOLVENSFONTISPVRIFLVIDILVITINRIGVOHICQVICVMQVEVOLVNTPROBROSA[E]CRIMINAVITAEPONERECORDALAVENTPECTORAMVNDAGERANTHVCVENIANTALACRESQVAMVISTENEBROSVSADIREAVDEATABSCEDETCANDIDIORNIVIBVSHVCSANCTIPROPERENTNONEXPERSVLLVSAQ-VARVMSANCTVSINHISREGNVMESTCONSILIVMQVEDEIGLORIAIVSTITIAENAMQVIDDIVINIVSISTOVTPVNCTOEXIGVOCVLPACADATPOPVLI

April 2014 n no 1216

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Since its departure from rue François Ier in 1978, the Institut d’Etudes Augusti-

niennes (IEA) was sheltered at the Institut Catholique de Paris, in the Abbatial Palace at 3 rue de l’Abbaye, near the church of Saint-Germain des Prés. The prestigious site attracted great number of students and high level researchers, so much so that the specifically religious vocation that was at the origin of the Center of Augustinian Studies of the Assumptionist scholasticate of Lormoy, near Paris, was greatly developed. Publications and colloquia suc-ceeded each other steadily, as much as the study of the texts of Antiquity the Fathers as well as of the mediaeval period. Scien-tific collaborations with similar organisms throughout the world were numerous.Following a vast reorganization of the buildings of the “Catho” called operation “Campus 2018”

the IEA will be situated before the end of 2014 in the former library of the Lazarists, 95 rue de Sèvres in Paris, in a com-pletely renovated locale. That operation was made necessary for various reasons and should give a greater vitality and vis-ibility for a specialized public. Also, it is foreseen to reinforce the spread of the research to a vaster audience. With its more than 50,000 volumes and 150 periodicals, the IEA is man-aged, in the form of an asso-ciation, linked by contracts with the Institut Catholique de Paris, the Paris-Sorbonne Uni-versity, and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) The Assumption con-tinues to play a non-negligible role. Father Benoît Grière is the Vice-President of the Associa-tion and an Assumptionist is an ex-officio member of the Board of Trustees. The memory of its former directors, Fathers Fol-

liet and Madec is still greatly honored. The Assumption also has old copies of the col-lections of the IEA. These are destined to equip the persons and specialized insti-

tutions that would make motivated re-quests for them.The IEA remains a summit of research and publications on Saint Augustine and the patristic and mediaeval period. The eco-nomic times are, however, deli-cate for university institutions. That is seen by the lowering of public subsidies. The patronage and invitations to membership would need to be reinforced. The task remains as difficult as in the times of the founders but also remains no less thrill-ing. It requires today new spe-cialized competencies, notably in the digital domain. Young researchers freshly graduated from the Sorbonne find much to work on. Two new volumes of the Augustinian Library have been published, one on the commentaries of Augustine on the psalms. With this new step forward, the IEA hopes to re-inforce its presence in lay and ecclesiastical institutions. The site www.etudes-augustini-ennes.paris-sorbonne.fr gives regularly the latest news of the IEA n

Jean-François Petit

The Augustinian Institute:A summit for research

TheInstitutd’EtudesAugustiniennesismovingin2014tobeinstalledat95,ruedeSèvres,Paris,6e.Thetransferofthecollectionswillclosethelibraryforaperiodoftime.

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A quarter-century federation

Twenty-six years ago, on February 25, 1988, the FABRA was born: the Federation of Brazilian Augustinians. Among its objec-

tives, the Federation aims to promote common activities, enhance among its members a common spirit that of the Augustinian family, thanks to mu-tual aid and facing the public authorities, facilitate discussions and act in concert among its members.At the moment, the FABRA meets twice a year to plan projects and evaluate the results. It now con-sists of 17 Congregations among which are those of the Family of the Assumption present on Brazil-ian territory. Today it is organized in various com-missions:1 – Commissions of schools and education2 – Commission on publications and translations3 – Commission on spirituality4 – Commission on youth5 – Commission of the CongressA Congress of the Augustinians takes place every three years and is considered by all as the strong point of the life of the Federation. All this year of 2014 will take place the preparation of the Con-gress that will be held in January 2015. The Family of the Assumption takes a very active role in these reunions and meetings, and according to the needs, collaborates in the work of the commissions.In October 2013, Fr. Luiz Carlos was elected Pres-ident of the Federation for two years. n

Luiz Carlos De Oliveira

APAC (Asia-Pacific Augustinian Conference) was created by the Order of Saint Augustine in 1977 for a better collaboration among the

communities established in Asia and in the Pacific. Very early on the Augustinians opened this platform to all the Congregations that follow the Rule of Saint Augustine.On arrival in the Philippines, in January 2006, the As-sumption of the Philippines asked to become a member on the recommendation of our brothers in Korea. Six years later, Father Bernard Holzer was elected Presi-dent of the APAC. It was the first time that this respon-sibility was given to a religious who was not a member of the Order of Saint Augustine.The APAC works in various commissions. The most active is the Commission on Formation and Spiritual-ity. Essentially it organizes meetings for the formation of formators, but also seminars on formation for the youth in formation. The other commissions are those of Communication (with a website being built to share our experiences and our resources), Vocations and Youth, Education for those working in schools, col-leges and universities, and the Commission of Justice and Peace.One of the stakes of this platform is to promote col-laboration on the continental level as well as in each of the countries of Asia and the Pacific. The next General Assembly of the APAC will take place in Indonesia in October 2014. The Inter-Asiatic Coordination of the Assumption hopes to send three members one from each country of Asia to share its experience and espe-cially receive that of others. n

Bernard Holzer

The APAC: a tool for the AugustinianAsia

April 2014 n no 1218

Saint Augustine, An African?

We say and we re-peat often: Saint Augustine is an

African. Catherine Salles, a specialist on Roman Antiq-uity and the Christianity of the first centuries, has cho-sen as the title of one of her books, “Saint Augustin, un destin africain” (DDB, Par-is, 2009). In this work, she seeks to give a new biogra-phy of Augustine, anchored geographically in his origins: Hippo (today Annaba, in Al-geria). As for René Pottier, in 1945 he wrote a book titled: Saint Augustin le Berbère. Finally Jean-Marc Bastière writes: “Too often we forget that Saint Augustine is an Af-rican. Because he is a pillar of the Roman Church, a Roman himself, formed in classical culture, we root him (…) in Western culture and not with-out reason either. Yet, by his origins, his temperament, and even his religion, the Bishop of Hippo is really a child of the ancient Numidia, born at Thagaste (today Souk Arhas, in Algeria), a small city situ-ated on a plateau some three hundred kilometers from the sea .” The conclusion seems evident to all: Augustine is an African. And yet on this question, historians still have work to clarify the African Saint Augustine. Surely, born on November 13, 354, son of Patricius and Monica, Au-gustine was fashioned by this African land at the borders of the present-day Algeria and Tunisia. It is said that his par-

1)Jean-MarcBastière,Cf.Historama spécial Afrique du Nord, 33,June1993,p.40.

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ents were Berbers and that Au-gustine owes to his Amaziho-Kabylo Berber the best of his human qualities. He contem-plated the African landscapes, breathed the African air and shared the preoccupations of his brother Africans. Yet Saint Augustine is not only African. He is also a Roman of Africa. Surely the country where he was born and where he will spend the essential part of his life lives under Roman domi-nation. The Romanization of North Africa was strong to the point that it fashioned the life of Augustine. Augustine is thus the product of this cul-tural crossbreeding. It remains that even totally Latinized as it was, the Africa of this end of the 4th century, conserved its peculiarities that was said to be then “so big, beautiful and good”. It is probably not for nothing that after having remained five years in Italy, Augustine became homesick and returned to his native city of Thagaste towards 388. Celebrated in the West as the greatest thinker of Antiquity, Augustine is truly this son of African soil, he is truly the one who lived and died in the heart of the territory that we call today the Maghreb.

Jean-Paul SAGADOU

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At the request of Father Guy Leroy, Provincial of North Europe, Fa-

ther Bernard Holzer spent ten days in New Zealand, from Jan-uary 10 to 20, with Mart Lem-mens from Boxtel (he stayed in New Zealand till January 29). His mission: meet and listen to our brothers there, report on the present situation of the As-sumption in New Zealand, sug-gest measures for the short term and envision, eventually, a “re-foundation” with new personnel in a more or less distant future.

Here are some excerpts from his report:The presence of the Assump-tionists in New Zealand dates back some sixty years. Twenty Dutch religious have worked there and recruited a New Zea-land brother. They had also wel-comed a group of young Kore-ans who wanted to enter the Assumption. Five of our Dutch brothers rest in New Zealand soil.The Assumptionist mission in New Zealand can be summa-rized in three stages:- The spiritual accompanying of Dutch immigrants- Commitment to Catholic edu-cation (at the Viard College)- Commitment to parishes (Porirua and Tawa)The presence and work of our brothers is appreciated and gives a good image of the As-sumption.Today, three Assumptionists re-

ligious live in New Zealand: Fa-ther Jan Heijnen (86), John van der Kaa (74) and Paul O’Connor (66). Father Chris Penders died a few days after our visit.Their base is Tawa, in the sub-urbs of Wellington, where the Archbishop entrusted to them the parish of Our Lady of Fati-ma.Father Paul O’Connor gives courses at the Major Seminary of Auckland one semester a year. Father Jan Heijnen lives in a nursing home in Porirua.The brothers show interest in the life of the Congregation but feel isolated, without ties to the closest communities. The visits are rare. They appreciated our visit “elbow to elbow around a good table”. Our three brothers wish to remain in New Zealand where they do their ministry and have their friends.A more long term future can be envisaged undoubtedly in the context of an Asia-Pacific en-tity, in a perspective of re-foun-

dation. For we cannot today en-visage sending a young isolated religious living with our elders.The implantation would rather be in Auckland, the biggest city of the country in population and dynamism, a city more and more Asian and of the Pacific, with a Catholic community in expansion (through immigra-tion), a university city, the only one that has a seminary.In this society and Church, multicultural, multiracial and secularized (but with a strong popular religiosity), the wit-ness of a multicultural religious community anchored in Jesus Christ is essential. Here then is a laboratory of tomorrow’s liv-ing together. In this context, vo-cations are not excluded, since most of the present-day can-didates come from Asia or the Pacific. This possibility is to be reviewed in the larger cadre of the priorities of the new map of the Congregation in the frame-work of continentalization. n

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A brotherly visit to New ZealandJanuary 10-20, 2014

by Bernard Holzer

April 2014 n no 1220

Rumania : Spirituality and Mission

>> Eastern Europe

Father Alberto Hurtado, a Chilean Je-suit, wrote a book called: « Un coup pour l’éternité” in which he stipu-

lates: “We must live in view of eternity, and remember that as a concept of consolation. War, pain: everything passes and we must re-member the words of Saint Theresa of Avila: let nothing trouble you, let nothing frighten you. God does not change. The teaching of Christ is full of the idea of eternity.”

My first visit to Rumania certainly made me think of that, in the midst of a people that built itself in the midst of suffering and strenuous work, a profound search for meaning of which it is impossible to ig-nore the historical realities. The fall of the ide-ologies made room for the profound spirituality of the people and this idea

of eternity remains engraved on the walls of the various monasteries of the country, but the idea is reflected especially in the nature of each or its inhabitants.Progress, the market economy, the crisis in the world of youth, the search for jobs in foreign lands are elements that touch us and, without warning, as so many challenges to take up. How can we preserve the Chris-tian idea of eternity when everything seems to aim at the immediate satisfaction of our needs?Our community in the center of Bucharest is a good example of this joint search, to openness to dialogue and to a significant presence of closeness without proselytism. This community shares time with young Orthodox and Catholic students who live,

work and pray together. In the Assumption, we have chosen to “be present where God is threatened in man and man is threatened as an image of God” (RV 4) an aspect of our Rule of Life that allows us to put in practice the acts of our last General Chapter of 2011.In the East European Mission, our presence is fragile, but very real, committed, demand-ing. The brothers who consecrate their lives to it contribute with generosity and origi-nality to give a new face to the Church, all the while being, as we say elsewhere in the Congregation: “We are founders” in Bu-charest and Margineni despite our modest personnel. Father Emmanuel d’Alzon said: “One of the missions of the Assumption is to promote the unity of the Church, unity in love, faith, aspirations and hopes…” What remains most necessary is above all to live “in a household of perfect harmony, having but one mind and one heart intent on God,” as Augustine states in the Rule.Our presence in Rumania is intimately linked to that of our Oblate Sisters; we can only appreciate their proximity and their collaboration.May each one be thanked for his availabil-ity and generosity during this visit during which I measured the value of the daily life to build bridges of communion as much in Bucharest as in Margineni.Dialogue is the first step towards unity, In spite of the difficulties, that is what allows us to advance on the path of faith, to not be afraid to take risks and initiatives, to expose more than to protect ourselves. The Good News is contagious and during this Lent to allow the entire Congregation to have a better knowledge of what makes it a family, quick to respond to the various calls because knowing better means loving better. As Fa-ther d’Alzon said, we can only love when we know and “a meditation without a practi-cal resolve is a vain meditation.”May the strength of the oriental lung of the Assumption be for each and every one a source of riches and of purification. n

by Marcelo MARCIEL

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Spain turns the pageAfter 45 years of life as a Province, Spain jumps into the construction of the Province of Europe

For twelve days, right af-ter making official the nomination of the Provin-

cial of Europe, Father Benoît Grière made a canonical visita-tion or the five communities of Spain. It was a visit of rich sig-nificance and brought hope. The ties of the Assumption with the Iberian Peninsula are very old. They go back to the origins in Nîmes of the Congregation. The Nîmes college welcomed Span-ish religious expelled from their country. After the death of the Founder, in December 1880, be-cause of the expulsions, the As-sumptionist novices landed in Barcelona having set out from Sète. Guided by Fr. Emmanuel Baillie, they arrived at the for-mer convent of the Carmelites in Osma in Old Castile that the Bishop of city placed at their

disposal. In 1904, there are nu-merous vocations and the Alum-nate was opened at Calahorra and transferred to Elorrio in 1907. The Assumption will not arrive in the capital until 1940. Spain was till 1964 a Vicariate of the Province of Bordeaux, then became a Vice-Province and in 1969 a Province.After 45 years as a Province, a page is being turned and a new one opened with the European unification of the Assumption. That needed to be underscored by a very special gesture by Fa-ther General for the brothers of Spain to show them how much the future of our presence in Spain is considered. Today our presence remains certainly frag-ile and getting older, but it ben-efits from the reinforcements by our Congolese brothers. The

Spanish Assumption in its histo-ry has witnessed to a great gen-erous and missionary spirit with a concern for vocations. Still today “like a tree planted near running waters… still bearing fruit in old age, still remaining fresh and green” (Ps. 92, 15).It is evident that after the Chap-ter of Valpré the work will have to go on, that is, accompany our ageing brothers, assure a voca-tional policy and strengthen our youth ministry. That will neces-sitate a reorganization of our communities and our implanta-tions to regroup our forces and make them more operational by defining the parameters of a new project of the Assumption for Spain. n

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●Elche,1community,3religious

Madrid,3community,13religious

Elorrio,1community,4religious

April 2014 n no 1222

Hello? Don’t hang up…

Of course some people will certainly say “but what are they doing

with their telephone at the General House?” Before judg-ing too rapidly, read what fol-lows…On my arrival in Rome after the General Chapter of 2011, my predecessor, Father J-D Gullung, had explained to me that during his mandate, he had wanted to change phone companies. He told me that the negotiations for the change had remained stuck mid-way and that he had finally stopped them and retreated and had re-turned to the initial company BT Italia.I decided not to begin the same modifications for the tele-phone… For the telephone as for the Internet we would re-main under contract with BT Italia.

First step: the Internet connection.That said, quickly enough, I noticed that we paid more than 250 Euros per month for the Internet connection, also as-sured by BT Italia while the bandwidth was not great.One must know something important: in Italy the service providers (gas, oil, electric-ity, telephone…) do not have customer service. They give the client contacts to chartered commercialization societies. I

make contact for an RDV with a chartered society of BT Ita-lia. Towards February 2012, I sign a new Internet contract that should increase the band-width and cost 30 Euros per month. Super! However, the weeks passed without imple-mentation of the contract that had been duly signed: the nu-merous telephone calls, mail, faxes to BT Italia and the rep-resentative who signed the contract have no results. Yet in June 2012, the BT Italia repre-sentative who signed the con-tract comes back to Due Pini and declares that the contract signed in February has to be remade (Why? Mystery…) I then sign a new contract with the same conditions. That one will not be implemented either. Once again in autumn 2012 we waste an infinite time trying to resolve the problem: our repre-sentative has vanished; BT Ita-lia is pulling our leg! During that time, the trans-formation of the old archives building into a residence for the Assumption College students is going well. The architect had hired a company he knew well to install the Internet connec-tion in the building. Profiting from that contact, we ask that same society to install a new Internet connection on the fax line which, exceptionally, was a Telecom Italia line. It was done: the whole house enjoyed a correct Internet connection from this new purveyor.

Second step: an uncontrolled skid…After having made certain by telephone a few times with BT Italia that we could end our In-ternet contract without touch-ing our telephone contract, we sent them (towards April 2013) a registered letter to tell them that we desired to end out In-ternet contract with them all the while strongly specifying that we wanted to continue the telephone contract. BT Italia never acknowledged receiving our letter.But all was going well… The new Internet connection was functioning (26 Euros a month…) and the telephone too.Towards July 2013, suddenly we have no more telephone!A week of intense contacts with BT Italia followed… But each call was taken by a differ-ent person at the Call Center, we get all kinds of different answers:

by Didier Remiot

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- It is an outage and they are taking care of it (we even saw a technician come who con-firmed that it was a technical problem.)- It is an administrative cutting off’- It’s an outage;- It’s an administrative cut-ting off because of a letter we would have sent… in 2004!- And besides, they tell us, we owe you 22,000 Euros.- Etc…Just a huge “whatever”! Since after a few weeks, despite our calls, our letters, our faxes, registered letters, nothing was moving, we decided to profit of this cutoff to change our telephone provider and to go to Telecom Italia, even if we had to change the phone number.

Third step: towards a not so glorious future.The unavoidable use of an in-termediary commercialization society brings us to sign two contracts: one for each of the two lines that we want.A technician even comes to install the first line (why not both?) and promises us a de-finitive number within 9 days. At the end of nine days, we are

effectively given a number: it was supposed to be the (+39) 06 66 35 017. We delayed the printing of the Directory of Religious to be able to give this new number. The Provin-cial Superiors who came to the PGC would not be able to bring the Directories with their baggage since they had not yet arrived from the printer.In the following weeks another technician comes to install the second line. He leaves without telling us that he did not install the new cable because the one he had brought was too short (the problem would not be solved until weeks later.)Then more technicians began to appear to install a 3rd then a 4th and finally a 5th line that we had not asked for and there-fore refused.Then we had a technician come to program our telephone sys-tem to allow calls to be trans-ferred to the rooms.At last everything works… for at least 15 days.In the middle of January 2014, fin find out from Telecom Ita-lia that the new number we had just sent out urbi et orbi should not have been given to us, that it belonged to another who is tardy in his payments and that

therefore it has been taken away from us!!! The (+39) 06 66 35 017 is no longer in op-eration.As I write these lines, a bit dis-oriented, we use the number of the second line for outgoing calls. But we hesitate to send it out… our telephone system is no longer operational since we lost our new number. And we ask ourselves how we can get a stable number for the first line…What a waste of energy and time! I used the telephone as an example, but we have the same kind of absence of client service for gas and electricity, without mentioning the public services…I have only one solution to pro-pose: sell Due Pini and move the General House to the Cayman Islands! n

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April 2014 n no 1224

The Office of Development and Solidarity in 2013

TheOfficeofDevelopmentandSolidaritycontinueditssearchforfundsin2013.Basingourreportonwhatweplacedinbanksduringtheyear,wereceivedthefollowingfunds:•Privategifts:

-Giftsfromfamiliesandindividuals:$5,428and450Euros

-Spain(throughFatherNicetoCalle):13,000Euros•AidtotheChurchinDistress

-MassesforAfrica:22,250Euros-Buyingapick-uptruckinKinshasa:11,200Euros

•LittleWay-MassesforAfrica:2,873Euros-FortheBushSchoolsinMadagascar:4,350BP

•AnAustriandiocese:5,000EurosfortheconstructionoftheschoolofKindugu(Butembo)•Missio:

-MassesforAfrica:5,000Euros

TothesenumberswehavetoaddthegiftsfortheAssumptionSolidarityCampagne2012forthecompletionofthemicropowerplantofPalmba:$29,754.

AndfinallywecanmentionagiftthatarrivedlatefortheAssumptionSolidarityCampagne2012fortheconstructionofthechurchroofoftheKyabakadeparish(Uganda):342.89BP

Intotal,for2013,theOfficeofDevelopmentandSolidaritydepositedthefollowing:•InEuros:75,927Euros•InUSD:$10,674•InBP:4,350BPForagrandtotalof$122,382Thistotalisinferiortotheamountreceivedin2012.Oneoftheprincipalreasonsisthat,in2012,theOBShadobtainedafewveryimportantgiftsforourmissioninthePhilippines.Theserequestsin2013donotgothroughtheODS.Itmustalsobenotedthatattheendof2013itwasannouncedthatcertainbiggiftsthatwouldbegivenonlyin2014.•18,000USDreceivedinFebruary2014fromanAmericanfoundationforourscholasticatesinEastAfrica.•40,000USDfromKinderMIssionsWerkforacarforourBushSchoolsinMadagascar.•Apromisefromthesameorganismtocontribute26,000EurosfortheconstructionoftheelementaryschoolofKinduguinButemboonconditionthatwefindtherestofthenecessarymonies.Westillneedtofind22,000USDforthatbudget.Wealsohopeto“open”neworganismsthisyear,thatis,tocontacttheseorganismswhohavenotyetcontributedtoAssumptionprojects.

Volunteers at the ODS

Since mid-January until mid-May the Office of Development and Soli-darity enjoys the help- of a French

volunteer, Mrs. Nathalie Whyte d’Alzon. Yes, “d’Alzon”! If we go back a few gen-erations, we come to the brother of Em-manuel d’Alzon’s father (Jean-Louis Daudé d’Alzon, 1768-1835). Nathalie is creating a data base. Access to this data will allow us to gather all the facts accumulated on the various organisms to which we can appeal to support financially the projects of the Assumption. She also aids Father Luc Martel in setting up dossiers for requesting funds. Her presence helps us go more quickly in the work of the ODS. We thank her for the time she has given in ser-vice of the Assumption.

Attention, construction work!

Becauseoftherefittingworkbeingdoneonthe3rdand4thfloorsofthehouse,

particularlytheguestrooms,theGeneralHousecannotreceiveguestsfromMaytoOctober2014.

>> General Treasury

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Solidarity campaigns In the Assumption

The solidarity campaign in the As-sumption for 2013 was dedicated to the completion of the micro power

station for the plantation of Palmba in the Kivu.It picked up a grand total of 18,154.00 Eu-ros and $5,246, that is, about $29,754. We wish to warmly thank all the communities and the lay people who contributed to that result!The turbine that constitutes the principal, and most costly, element to complete the electrical power station was built in Italy in the first semester of 2013. It was paid for by an association of the local population who will benefit from the electricity produced. The turbine was supposed to be shipped to Kivu by container at the beginning of 2014. Besides, we learned very recently that the region of Mbau where Palmba is situated has been “liberated” from armed gangs who terrorized the population. This easing of the situation allows the hope that the finishing work at Palmba will be com-pleted well. There remains some $70,000 of financing to be found. But we are trying to lessen the costs…We take this occasion to remind our read-ers that the Solidarity Campaign of the As-sumption 2014 is to finance the work of renovation of the Assumptionist Welcome Center of Eugenopolis in Brazil, the CIAP (Centre intégré d’accueil et de promotion

humaine et pastorale), that has an impor-tant role in the ministry of the Province of Brazil. The CIAP, former alumnate of the Assumptionists aims to develop activities for justice and peace. Its commitment to the life of the local church is recognized thanks to its varied initiatives, notable to promote the formation of lay leaders for the towns and rural communities of the di-ocese of Leopoldina-MG. The CIAP build-ing receives also meetings and sessions for rural youth and opens its doors to various lay social and spiritual movements of the Church of the area. It is important to note that the center is the only such community center in a 100km area that is in the service of the inhabitants of the diocese of Leop-oldina, in the Minas Gerais and Campos (State of Rio).There remains to find 42,000 Euros to fi-nance the renovation. The Office of De-velopment and Solidarity has found an organization that will contribute 20,000 Euros. The Campaign of Solidarity of the Assumption of 2014 needs to find the other 42,000 Euros! Each community and group of lay people of the Alliance should have received a complete folder describing the project. Beyond Lent, we hope that each community will be mobilized to contribute to this campaign.

Didier Remiot

April 2014 n no 1226

1- In the footsteps of Saint Augustine

In the footsteps of Saint Au-gustine let us become “com-

panions of poverty” (p. 7), “the poor of God” (p. 8) with the noble requirement of the “put-ting in common of goods”, in the manner of the first Christian community (Acts 4:32), and see how to live this “spiritual com-munism” (Fr. Goulven Madec) that is the “basic virtue of com-munity life” (Saint Augustine).Poverty finds its foundation and its finality in the Gospel: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, because theirs is the Kingdom of God.” (p. 10). It is in the

name of this that Augustine “did not make a will because as a poor man of God, he had nothing to leave” (Possidius, Vie d’Augustin, p. 31). In abandoning ourselves to God, our only and true richness, we should not forget “the ne-cessity of work” (p. 11). We need to “abandon ourselves to God” and “work ‘like four’” (d’Alzon) “to grow in faith” (pp. 12-13). This double di-mension in effect “praises God in truth” because poverty in Augustine is the necessary condition for true praise (pp. 13-14). Once God, “the only treasure is found”, the poor be-

gin to praise the Lord. While “the rich work to fill their cof-fers… the poor think only of filling their heart” (p. 14). 2- Almsgiving

Almsgiving is a traditional means of sanctification

and a commandment ties it to the love of neighbor (pp. 14-16; cf. Sermons 137 and 389). The particular accent that Fr. d’Alzon places on voluntary poverty reminds us of the un-avoidable requirements of re-nunciation by work and gener-osity (solidarity with the poor). “The (economic) crisis can be salutary if it allows us to be more faithful to religious con-secration” (p. 18).

3- Voluntary poverty

What is it? It is contesting the values of the present

world, the virtue of hope that permitted d’Alzon to leave ev-erything (his family, his aristo-cratic status, his relations, his easy life) with a view of giving everything to the Church and to his Congregations (P. J.-P. Périer-Muzet, in a preached retreat, 1994). Thus stipulating voluntary poverty leads to the necessity of work to be done to realize in a spirit of zeal and of passion to make us ever more responsible for the `material functioning of the houses in which we live (p. 21). It is not enough to look on the material things we must “be configured in the poor Christ”. How can we understand that “He who was rich, abased himself unto death and to death on a cross”? The more we are configured in Christ “the more we become capable of the new life, the

The second letter of Father General,Fr. Benoît Grière is on religious poverty. Its aim is to help us to live our evangelical poverty in the context of the economic crisis, of individualism and to encourage us to change our behavior according to the expression of Pope Francis. Augustine and Emmanuel d’Alzon always remain our meaningful guides.

Reading Guide for the Letter to The Congregation on Religious Poverty

For further study: references

 Fichesd’Alzon80,n.66,Fatherd’AlzonandthepoorbyJustinMunsch• Cahiersd’Alzon,n.15,Lord,WhatDoYouWantfromMe?P.113ff.• CastlesinSpain:John,theMillioinaire,byJ.P.Périer-Muzet,Alzonian

Anthology,t.1,no.39.• TheRuleof SaintAugustine, commentedbyA. Trapé,Chap.VII,p.

183-193.

>> Religious poverty

27

eternal life” (pp. 22-23).

4- Poverty in our Rule of Life

The Rule of Life reminds us that poverty is the re-

sponsibility of each religious: putting in common goods and talents, solidarity with the little ones and the poor, work, sobri-ety, etc. We need to examine our behavior: no wasting food, sharing with the needy, reason-able travel expenses, regulat-ing means of communication (Internet and telephone) and the expenses for relaxation, the material care of our houses, seriousness in our studies, our medical needs. If we change our behavior, we will become men “of sharing, in solidarity with the poor.”

5- Poverty, Justice and Peace and Integrity of The Creation (JPIC)

“To struggle against injus-tice and inequality and the

defense of creation” is urgent (pp. 36-39).Faithful to the so-cial teachings of the popes we must combat the injustices and the inequalities that menace the societies of today. Where the societies forget the poor and exclude them, the religious must commit themselves to build a world more in confor-mity with the Gospel, a world of brothers and sisters where the respect of creation will be wholly integrated in their wit-ness: “a sober life is an ex-ample; it contributes to reduce the inequalities created by the grabbing of riches”.The Assumption is a family where religious and lay people are the actors in the proclama-

tion of the Kingdom of God”. While having care to work for more “Justice and Peace and Integrity of the Creation” (JPIC), the lay associates need to be sensitized to questions of poverty with a view to a com-mitment in society and a great-er solidarity with our commu-nities (a network of benefac-tors of the Assumption for our houses of formation and for our elder religious).

6- Evangelization and poverty

“It is because we are the “poor of God” that we can

faithfully proclaim the King-dom of God”. Since God is our only richness, are we ready to renounce everything to pro-claim his Kingdom? Cf. Final message of the Synod on the New Evangelization, n. 12, Rome, 2012. This prophetic commitment is to be lived in hope in the person of Christ because he is the poor man of God who shows us the way”, and because the Kingdom of God is our priority, the renewal of our lives is to be poor people of God, men committed to jus-tice, to peace and the defense of creation. May the Holy Spirit help us to be “the poor of God”, “com-panions of poverty”, “spiritual communists”, “poor in spirit” and “brothers in poverty”, “men of sharing”, “in solidar-ity with the poor”, “work like four”, “generous, sober and responsible” and “new men”: ten names to better live our As-sumptionist religious poverty today.

Zacharie WASUKUNDI

To reflect on and discuss in community: questions

 Whatusedowemakeofthemeansofcommunica-tiontogrowhumanly,spiri-tually,intellectuallyandincommunity?

• Areweattentivetonotbe-ingexcessiveinoureating?Whatistheshareofalcoholinourcommunitybudget?

• Dowehavethecaretonotcutourselvesofffromtherestofthepopulation…tobepoorreligiousinpoorcommunities?

• Theinvestmentsinstudiessupposeanobligationofresultsfortheapostolate:havewethecaretoformourselves“tobegoodapostlesoftheKingdom”andnotmakeourstudiesanendinthemselves?

• Dowespendtoomuchforourtravels?Forvacationsandleisureactivitiestakenwithoutcareforsobrietyandcommunitylife?

• Health:whatdowedotoprotectourhealthandtoavoidcertaindisastrousbehaviorsthathurtourhealth?

THIS POOR ONE CRIED OUT AND THE LORD HEARD

Psalm 34 :7

Letter to the Congregation on Religious Poverty

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April 2014 n no 1228

Roncalli and the Assumption

>> The Assumption

1) Angelo RONCALLI.2) Karol WOJTYLA.3) Giovanni MASTAÏ FERRETTI4) La sollecitudine ecclesiale de Monsignor Roncalli in Bulgaria (1925-1934), Kiril P. Kartaloff, Librería editrice vaticana, 2014, 330 pp. (Atti e documenti, 36).5) Etienne FOUILLOUX began publishing his remembrance booklets of his time as Nuncio, quite spicy at times in 2006.6) Of the 13 children in the family, Angelo Giuseppe was the 3rd.7) Giacomo della CHIESA.8) Achille RATTI.9) He chose as his motto: Obedientia et Pax.10) The two provinces desired by Bulgaria since 1912, apportioned after 1918 between Greece (a major part of European Thrace) and Yugoslavia (Macedonia).11) Biographical Notices of the Religious of the Assumption.

On April 27, 2014, Pope Francis will canonize two popes at the same

time: John XXIII(1), (1881-1963) Italian from Bergamo and John Paul II (1920-2005), the first Polish Pope(2). At the time of his beatification in 2000, the name of Pius IX(3) was associated to that of John XXIII. These two popes had had had a particular relationship with the Assumption, the first was closely tied to the Founder and to the origins of the Congregation in the Orient(4), and Good Pope John, as he was often called, had intimate links to the Congregation in the Orient while he was the Apostolic Visitor in Bulgaria (1925-1934) and later Apostolic Delegate to Turkey and Greece (1935-1944) That relationship continued when he became Nuncio in Paris (1944-1952)(5).Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli was born in a peasant family of Sotto-il-Monte in the Province of Bergamo, on November 25, 1881. He was ordained a priest

on August 10, 1904 and the following year became the private secretary of his Bishop, Giacomo Radini-Tedeschi (1857-1914), a friend of Frs. F. Picard (1831-1903) and E. Bailly (1842-1917), the two Generals who succeeded Fr. d’Alzon from 1880 to 1917.During World War I, during which five of his brothers were killed(6) Roncalli is mobilized and assigned to the medical corps and then chaplain to the medical corps in the hospitals of Bergamo. After his service, he becomes spiritual director of the diocesan seminary. 1n 1922, he goes to Rome where Benedict XV(7) (1854-1922) assigns him to the High Council of the Propagation of the Faith, through Cardinal Willem Marinus Van Rossum (1854-1932).On his return from a trip to Bulgaria in 1924, the future Cardinal Eugene Tisserand (1884-1972) suggested to Pope Pius XI(8) to send an Apostolic Visitor to that country. Mgr. Roncalli is assigned to that

mission. He is ordained a bishop(9) on March 19, 1925 by Cardinal Tacci, Secretary of the Congregation for the Church of the Orient and arrives in Sophia on April 25. Immediately on his arrival he wants to evaluate the situation some 400,000 refugees from Macedonia and Thrace(10) and tries to organize the religious life of the Bulgarian Catholics. Assumptionists will be his guides. In order to visit the farthest villages and hamlets of the isolated mountains of the Turkish border, Fr. Privat Bélard(11), who had replaced Father Gervais Quenard(12) at the head of the Saint Augustine College of Philipopoli(13)

accompanies him everywhere in his expedition. After the death of Fr. Kondoff in 1924, the Uniate Bulgarian Church was without a pastor(14). It was the Visitor who was to present to Rome the candidate who was to take the position, and Bishop Roncalli chose Kiril Kourtev, a young 35 year-old priest (1891-1971)

by Bernard Le Léannec

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former student of the Assumptionists at the minor seminary of Karaagaç and then the major seminary of Kadi-Köi. He was ordained a bishop in Rome on December 5, 1926 in the church of Saint Clement. In 1927, Roncalli obtained the services of Fr. Méthode Oustichkov(15) as his private secretary who goes to Sophia at his side from January 1927 to the end of 1931. Precious because of his knowledge of languages (Bulgarian, Turk, Greek, French, Latin, and German) and the local customs, Fr. Méthode is also greatly appreciated for the warmth of his relationships. Fr. Méthode will be for him a great help practically until his death in Lyons, for besides the fact that he is the translator of an “Imitation of Jesus Christ” in Bulgarian and is the author of a work on “religion”, he is especially familiar with the traditions of the local culture. Roncalli wrote about him to Fr. Quenard, on March 3, 1927, to thank him for the excellent companionship of Fr. Méthode: “He helps me, instructs me, edifies me and rejoices me”. At the same time, the Vicar Provincial of the Mission, Fr. Saturnin AUBE(16) reports all the affectionate and sincere sympathy Bishop Roncalli holds for the entire Assumptionist family. “I love the Assumptionists very much because I know them and I have seen them at work.” During his visit to Old Byzantium, it was Fr. David Lathoud(17) who will also serve as his guide. His actions and his support encouraged the development of our missions in the East, notably in the area of the formation of the clergy. In the summer of 1945, finding himself in Lyons to preside the celebration of the 7th centennial of the 1st Council of Lyons (1245), the faithful friend, having become Nuncio in Paris, insisted on visiting the Procure of the Missions in the East and visit the tomb of his friend and close collaborator, Fr. Méthode, at the cemetery of Loyasse. It is on

this occasion that he will tell the Assumptionists present there: “I saw what you were doing for the good God and for the Holy Church, and I loved you immediately.” The Assumptionists also remember the vacations that he spent with them in the country house of the college of Boïkovo where he went camping with the fathers.To solve the problem of a lack of priests, the Assumptionists open a minor seminary at Yamboli in 1928 for 14 students. Bishop Roncalli accompanies this foundation with all possible encouragement and visits them during almost a week in May 1929.In May 1934, he presides at the 50th anniversary celebrations of Saint Augustine School that are like an organ fermata of his mission in Bulgaria.On November 15, 1934 he is named Apostolic Delegate in Turkey and Greece(18) and arrives in Istanbul on January 5, 1935. He suggested to Pope Pius XI the choice of Father Gregorios Vuccino(19) as Bishop of Syra and will confer on him, on July 25, 1938, the episcopal ordination in the Church of the Holy Spirit of Istanbul – the church that is still today the cathedral of Bishop Louis-Armel PELATRE, the Assumptionist who succeeds him since 1992. It is from Istanbul, as World War II begins that he continues his charitable works. Turkey is officially neutral

12) He became Superior General of the Assumption in 1923, named by the Holy See.

13) Founded in 1884. Cf. the book by Alain Fleury.

14) In 1883, Rome had created for the Uniate

Bulgarians of the Oriental Rite two ecclesiastical

jurisdictions that did not have heads beginning in

1924. In 1926 the Apostolic Exarchate of Sophia:

successively, Cyrille Kourtev (1926-1941;Ivan Garoufalov (1942-1951); Cyrille Kourtev

(1951-1971); Méthode Stratiev (1971-1995); Christo

Proykov, since 1995.15) Biographical Notices

of the Religious of the Assumption, t. IV, 2309-

22310.16) Biographical Notices

of the Religious of the Assumption, t. I.

17) Biographical Notices of the Religious of the

Assumption, t. III18) With the title of

Archbishop of Mesembria.19) Biographical Notices

of the Religious of the Assumption, t. V.

April 2014 n no 1230

but all his goings and comings are watched. That will not prevent him from organizing his protection of the Jewish population threatened with extermination. The war was not yet over when he is stupefied to hear that he has been named Nuncio to Paris(20). He arrives in the French capital before the armistice of December 31, 1944 to express the good wishes of the diplomatic corps, of which he is by tradition the Dean, to the president of the provisional government, Charles de Gaulle. He hires the services of Father Marie-Vincent Delouf (1909-2008)(21), named secretary at the Vatican Embassy in June 1946 (he will stay there for 50 years and will serve nine Nuncios(22)). He will be among those who will testify at beatification process of John XXIII.1945 is also the moment when Fr. Léon Merklen(23) comes out of the shadows where he had been relegated because of the occupiers to take up again the editorship of La Croix. Until his death in September 1949, Father Merklen continued a close relationship with the Nuncio through numerous visits and correspondence to follow numerous dossiers(24). His friendly relations with the Bonne Press and the community of François Ier will continue during the entire time of his mission in Paris(25). A few days before his departure for Venice and the elevation of Roncalli to the cardinal`s red hat(26), Father Gabel(27) organized a dinner that regrouped

four government ministers and numerous personalities. The visits to the Assumptionists of France were numerous and were not limited to the capital. Twice he went to Lormoy (Essone) for ordinations in 1947 and 1950. He spent two days with the Fathers at Lorgues (Var) who made him discover the beauties of the Abbey of Thoronet (Var) in December 1951, after the celebrations in honor of Sainte Emilie de Vialar that he had presided at Marseilles. His visit to Notre-Dame de Grâce in the Grenelle and Javel quarters on June 20, 1948, on the occasion of the centennial in the presence of Fr. Quenard(28) and his Council, has remained as an invitation to joy and optimism by declaring: “Whatever one might say, the present is better than the past and the future will surpass the promises of the present.” All that attention witnesses to the close ties that linked him to the Congregation, even when he occupied the Chair of Peter(29). The Pope of the Fioretti left traces and perfume through a thousand and one anecdotes that many Assumptionists have remembered. Here is one that merits being retained. Fr. Joachim Hervio(30) professor at the college of Plovdiv predicted that one day he would become Pope(31). Roncalli answered: If that happens, I will make you a bishop.” Roncalli became Pope at 77 years-old, but Fr. Joachim became a missionary in the Congo without miter or crozier… until his death in 1986. n

20) He replaced Mgr. Valerio VALERI (1883-1963) Nuncio to Vichy, declared persona non grata. Roncalli was named on December 22, 1944.21) Biographical Notices of the Religious of the Assumption, t. VI.22) Their names: Roncalli (1944-1953), Paolo Marella (1953-1959), Paolo Bertoli (1960-1969), Righi-Lambertini (1969-1979), Angelo Felici (1979-1988), Antonetti (1988-1995), Mario Tagliaferri (1995-1999).23) Biographical Notices of the Religious of the Assumption, t. III.24) Some thorny questions: the removal of the pro-Vichy bishops, the question of the worker-priests…25) Roncalli was named the first permanent observer of the Holy See to UNESCO in June 1952.26) Named cardinal on January 12, 1953, Roncalli received the biretta at the Elysée from the Radical Vincent Auriol on January 15.27) Biographical Notices of the Religious of the Assumption, t. II.28) Biographical Notices of the Religious of the Assumption, t. III.29) Contrary to his predecessor, Pius XII, Eugenio Pacelli, he named Secretaries of State: Domenico Tardini (1888-1961), Amleto Cicognani (1961-1969) and named more than the symbolic number of cardinals and for the first time in history a Japanese, a Tanganyikan and a Filipino.30) Biographical Notices of the Religious of the Assumption, t. III.31) Elected pope after more than ten ballots by the College of 51 Cardinals present among which were 17 Italians, he was crowned with the tiara on November 4, feast of Saint Charles Borromeo, one of the great pastors of the Church.

>> The Assumption

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Galabert third tome

The time for sowing: Galabert (1865-1867)

The publication of the third tome of the correspondence of Father Victorin Galabert opens the page of the implan-tation of the Assumption in East Eu-rope during three years. To speak of sowing, means speaking at the same time of death and birth. Death: Father Galabert suffered at the same time from the indescrib-able behavior of Father Gallois until his recall to France and also the uncer-tainty provoked by the death of Bishop Canova. On the other hand there was a birth when he is honored by becoming the theo-logical consultant of Bishop Popov which obliged him to transfer his residence to Andrinopo-lis and care for the Byzantine Rite Bul-garians. In 1867, Father Galabert has the great joy of traveling to the West (Rome and France) to accompany his bishop to the bi-millennial of the Apostles Peter and Paul. He profits of the occasion to meet at Rochebelle the first Oblates in formation and prom-ised to his mission. Unfortunately no traces have been found of the discus-sions that took place with the young Foundress, Marie Correnson, still in formation.This group of 239 letters (65 in 1863; 99 in 1866 and 30 in 1867), reveal the greatness of the pioneer mission-ary that was Victorin Galabert. What should we admire most in him: the modesty, the patience and the depth

of this faith capable of transforming the trials of the path undertaken? As regards Father d’Alzon to whom he addresses 81 letters (33 in 1865; 28 in 1866; 30 in 1867) it is an unalterable and unbroken fidelity. Galabert is a gi-ant in the shadows, considering him-self “as a foundation stone thrown into the substructure of a yet hidden work.”

The opus is ac-companied by a preamble by Sister Felicia Ghiorghies, Superior General of the Oblates, which shows how this third volume intends to be a ma-jor, and needed, contribution to the study of the origins of the foundation of the Oblates and marks its 150th an-niversary. We also note that the work already announces the publication of

the fourth tome: that of the years 1868-1870 about the rich developments of the East European Mission.

Bernard Le Léannec>

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A tip of the hat

After25years,the«Itinérairesaugustiniens»magazine,created,thoughtout,andcoordinatedbyMarcelNeuschhasbeenrenewed.Sinceits51stissue“MiroirdesPsaumes”,itisNicolasPotteauwhoheadstheeditorialteamofthemagazine.WegiveatipofthehattoFatherMarcel,whohadanimated themagazine foraquarterofacentury,forhavingforeseenthesuccessionforyearstocome.Themagazine, born in 1989had replaced “Alype”, themagazinefoundedbySisterDouceline,Or.A.,toofferasimpleandpracticalaidetoallthefriendsofAugustinewhowanttofollowinthefoots-tepsoftheGodseeker.Wehopethatthateffortwillcontinue.

Insert: sIgns of god, no. 10

Our Deceased Brothers

3 edItorIal

 Anewworldisalreadyborn

2 agenda

4 offIcIal

6 JubIlee

 The50yearsofpriesthoodofFatherRospide

7 Madagascar

 The60yearpresenceoftheAssumptioninMadagascar

9 dossIer: saInt augustIne and the assuMptIon

 Fatherd’AlzononfamiliartermswithAuguatine  PilgrimstoPavia  Milan,whereeverythingbegan  TheInstitutAugustinien:asummitofresearch  Atwenty-fiveyear-oldfederation  TheAPAC:atoolfortheAsianAugustinians  SaintAugustine,anAfrican?

19 new Zealand

 AbrotherlyvisittoNewZealand

20 eastern europe

 Rumania:SpiritualityandMission

21spaIn

 Spainturnsthepage

22 roMe

 Hello?Don`thangup…

24 general treasury

 TheOfficeofDevelopmentandSolidarityin2013  TheSolidarityCampaignintheAssumption

26 relIgIous poverty

 ReadingGuidefortheLettertotheCongregation

28 the assuMptIon

RoncalliandtheAssumption

31 publIcatIons

32 our deceased brothers

FatherXavierTRIAIREdiedonJanuary3,2014atBeauvais.HisfuneralwascelebratedonThursday,January9,2014inthechurchofSaint-EtiennedeBeauvais(Oise).HewasburiedinthecemeteryofBeauvais.Hewas74.

FatherSamuelBAIJOTdiedonJanuary23,2014

atLouette-Saint-Denis(Belgium).HisfuneraltookplaceinLouette-Saint-DenisonJanuary27andhewasburiedinthecemeteryoftheparishofLouette-Saint-Denis.Hewas90.

FatherJohnMARTINdiedonFebruary7,2014inWorcester(Massachusetts,USA).Hisfuneral

washeldinthechurchofSaintJoachiminFiskdale.HewasburiedinSaintAnne`sCemeteryinFiskdale.Hewas85.

FatherMarcelBIZIENdiedonFebruary15,2014atLayrac.HisfuneralwascelebratedonWednesday,February19,2014atthePrioryofLayrac.Hewasburiedinthe

cemeteryofLayrac.Hewas82.

FatherChristopherBURGESSdiedatHitchin(England)onMarch2,2014.HisfuneralwascelebratedonMarch18,2014attheChurchofOurLadyImmaculateandSaintAndrewinHitchinwherehewasburied.Hewas87.

FatherChristPENDERSdiedonMarch7,2014atthehospitalofWellington(NewZealand).HisfuneraltookplaceintheparishChurchofOurLadyofFatimawherehewaspastor.HewasburiedthenextdayinthecemeteryofTawa.Hewas83.

BrotherDamianCLEMASdiedonMarch15,2014inLondon.HisfuneralwascelebratedonMarch25,2014at12:15attheAssumptionPriory,VictoriaParkSquare,BethnalGreen,London(England).Hewas81.

Agostiniani dell’Assunzione - Via San Pio V, 55 - I - 00165 Roma Tel. : 06 6623998 - Fax : 06 6635924 - E-mail : Assunzione@mclink.it

Assunzione@mclink.it

So that AA Newscan “talk” about you,

please send information about the life

of the Assumption in your countries

to the General Secretariat

bll719@gmail.com before the end of each

General Council. Thanks especially

for sending photos and illustrations.

Editor in chief

Bernard Le Léannec, General Secretary

Translators:Eugene LaPlante, EnglishJosé Antònio Echaniz, SpanishKees Krijnsen, Dutch

Mock-up and page design:

Loredana Giannetti

Composed on 03/30/14.This no. 12 of AA-Newshas 220 copies:

130 in French30 in English30 in Spanish30 in Dutch

And 350 electronic copies