August was a full month for Assumption USA. We began with a Province Assembly that brought together the Sisters, lay friends from Philadelphia and Worcester, and Sr. Sandra Duran of our General Council. A few days later, we joined the 70th anniversary celebration of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, attended by Sr. Rekha Chennattu, our Superior General. We closed the month by celebrating the Triennial Reunion of alumnae from our Philippine schools, with special participation by Nora Hunt-Johnson of Philadelphia, our Province representative on the International Council of Assumption Together. Some of us traveled to Philadelphia, Orlando, and Los Angeles; others stayed home, planting seeds that will ripen and bear fruit in the future. This is the month the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad!
PROVINCE ASSEMBLY:
Listening, Visioning, Celebrating!
On August 5, 2026, the Assumption US Province gathered at Daylesford Abbey for an assembly filled with joy and expectation.
In the absence of Sr. Mary Ann, Sr. Nuala and the Governance Committee stepped up to the plate and hit one out of the park! Their unity and generous spirit were evident as they assumed responsibility for facilitating our assembly. They drew us together in a beautiful experience of “Province body,” once again demonstrating the resilience that keeps our Province strong.
We were grateful for the presence of Sr. Sandra Duran, General Councilor, who is accompanying us in our ongoing discernment of the governance structure that will best support the life of our Province. She brings wisdom and experience to this process and serves as our liaison with Sr. Rekha and the General Council.
We were also grateful for the presence of several lay friends. As we considered the possible future shape of our Province together, their participation affirmed the vital importance of these relationships. As one sister told them, “You are a part of us!”
In our work, it was clear that we were not there to make final decisions. We were exploring possibilities, sifting through options, and balancing our desires with our reality. Our process has required the time needed for every voice to find expression and for the movement of the Holy Spirit to guide us. We can be tempted to rush to conclusions, to get ahead of grace, or to harvest before the fruit is ripe. Through deep listening and honest sharing, however, ripeness comes—and with it the sweetness of peace and the freedom of being in sync with God and one another.
Sr. Akeneta and Sr. Phuong led us in prayer, bringing new voices to our liturgies. In celebration of our internationality, they wove the sisters’ first languages into our prayer. Through candle, cloth, image, and word, they brought together moments of doing and being, keeping Christ as the beating heart of our Province body.
Celebration is a mark of the Assumption, and there was much to lift up! Five of our sisters, each marking an anniversary of profession, renewed their vows in the hands of Sr. Sandra. Their witness reflected the fidelity of the good and faithful servant. A rousing chorus of “Happy Birthday” honored Sr. Bea, and each evening, varying levels of success at the games left everyone in fits of laughter.
We are on a journey; we are doing something new. There is a call for each sister, with our lay friends, to move hand in hand into a future that we cannot see. Led by the Spirit, drawing on the wisdom of our sister ancestors, we hope to bring to birth God’s dream for our Assumption in the USA.
LCWR AT 70:
Many Charisms, One Spirit, One Call
The Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), which represents about two-thirds of the nearly 35,000 sisters in the United States, held its annual assembly Aug. 11–14 in Orlando, Florida. More than 1,300 leaders of religious congregations and their guests attended. Among them were three Sisters from our US Province—Sisters Akeneta, Anne Christopher, and Phuong—as well as Sr. Rekha Chennattu, our Superior General, who flew in from Paris for the occasion, and Sr. Sandra Duran of our General Council.
The theme, Many Charisms, One Spirit, One Call, highlighted LCWR’s 70-year history as a community of leaders serving the Church, our country, and the world. The following article from Global Sisters Report offers a vivid sense of the beauty of the gathering.
AN EXPERIENCE OF ASSUMPTION TOGETHER:
The Triennial Reunion of the Alumnae of Assumption Philippine Schools
On August 21-23, more than 100 alumnae of Assumption schools in the Philippines traveled to Los Angeles from North America, South America, Europe, and Asia to celebrate the 13th Triennial Reunion. It was an opportunity to Rekindle, Reconnect, and Renew, a unique weekend that was a true homecoming.
One important element of the reunion was the presentation by Nora Hunt-Johnson, member of the International Council of Assumption Together, on Assumption Together. “In the United States, Assumption Together weaves together faith-sharing groups, Way of Life communities, AMAs, ministry to migrants and refugees, parish engagement, and other initiatives across Chaparral, Greater Philadelphia, and Worcester, along with Assumption alumnae andfriends nationwide, not least of whom are the members of Assumption Alumnae Association Abroad (AAAA).” The alumnae learned that Assumption Together is vital to sustaining & enriching the Assumption legacy.
The ties that bind the alumnae to the Assumption stay strong and tender no matter how many miles separate them from their alma mater or how many years mark the time from their graduation. Assumption Together offers a way for the alumnae to continue to be a vital part of the Assumption and contribute to the future of the Assumption in the USA.
One alumna reflected on the role the Assumption plays in her life. The following is excerpted from her sharing.
Assumption Together: How Faith, Sisterhood, and Service Carried Me Through Loss
A reflection by Kristine Song Heng-Nuestro
As I reflect on my journey, I often think of the Assumption community as a big, sturdy tree. Its roots run deep, grounded in faith, love, and the charism of the Assumption. Its trunk is strong, providing stability and strength through the generations. For those who are hurting, searching, grieving, or simply in need of belonging, its wide branches offer shelter, comfort, and protection.
When I was going through the loss of my husband and later my mother, I found refuge beneath those branches. The Assumption community gave me a safe place to grieve, to pray, to heal, and to grow. Like a tree that welcomes all who seek shade beneath it, the Assumption spirit embraces people and makes them feel that they belong.
But the beauty of the Assumption spirit is that it does not stop there. It is not only about bringing people into the fold; it is also about reaching outward. Just as a healthy tree continues to grow, extending its branches farther and spreading seeds that give life elsewhere, the Assumption community calls us to go beyond ourselves and share God’s love with others. We are invited not only to receive support but also to become instruments of support. We are called not only to find shelter but also to help provide it.
To continue reading Kristine’s reflection, click here
HYDROPONIC GARDEN BENEFITS THOSE IN NEED
From the Catholic Free Press of Worcester, MA
This article highlights Urban Missionaries’ new food assistance project in Worcester, Massachusetts, where our Sr. Akeneta is involved in serving those in need.
Feeding those in need is more than a pipe dream for Urban Missionaries of Our Lady of Hope. For many years, the Catholic social action ministry’s LittleStore thrift shop and food pantry has given away or sold food, furniture and clothing at deep discounts to those in need.
Sr. Akeneta assisting with the hydroponic garden
Each week the food pantry serves about 30 families at no cost, and other people can choose bread, pastries, birthday cakes, fruit and vegetables at a fraction of the usual cost. The pantry receives donations and partners with five local grocery stores to distribute produce at discounted prices.
Now Urban Missionaries will be able to offer a lot more fresh produce thanks to the creation of the Community Garden of Hope… In January, they began growing lettuce and kale in a small hydroponic garden in the LittleStore with two towers that absorbed sunlight through a large window during the day and relied on grow lights at night. The produce was bagged and handed out for free. A much larger hydroponic garden with four vertical towers was planted in the parking lot on July 25. Between the indoor and outdoor gardens, Urban Missionaries hopes to grow produce year-round.
To read the full article, click here.
