News

Today, on the Feast of St. Monica, a special moment of grace and commitment was celebrated at Emmanuel’s House of the Augustinians of the Assumption in Nairobi, Kenya, Africa.
Brothers Kasereka Visoma Pontine and Arsene Vwapasingo Katenho, both from the Democratic Republic of Congo, renewed their annual vows in the presence of Father Bernard, Vice-Provincial of Kenya.

Dear brothers and sisters,

I return to you after the wonderful experience of Lourdes, where I had the joy of celebrating the Solemnity of the Assumption with other brothers and sisters. This month of August is like a time of recalling for us, because it takes us back to the memory of our sources through celebrations. Today it’s Saint Monica, tomorrow it’s Saint Augustine. Happy feast day to us all!

In Nairobi, Kenya, Magalie Yolanda Torres-Rowe has been sharing her joy and faith with the children of the Catechesis Program. In the churches managed by us, the Assumptionists (Augustinians), she is teaching them a simple yet meaningful song in Spanish: “Hola Jesús, eres mi amigo” — “Hello Jesus, You Are My Friend.”

Father Barry’s journey with the Assumptionists began in 1963 at Assumption College, where a formative education and community life inspired him to join the congregation. After many years of teaching, he felt called to something entirely different—serving in the far north of Canada.

Dear brothers and sisters,
Happy feast of the Assumption!
I’m writing this message from Lourdes. Even if the main objective is to wish you a beautiful and joyful Assumption Day, it’s impossible not to share with you my very first experience in Lourdes. The Assumption in Lourdes, an expression that can evoke several things at once.

Dear brothers and sisters in the Assumption family:

Vietnamese bishop Van Thuan Nguyen was imprisoned for thirteen years due to his faith. One day, Van Thuan was thinking about what he could do during his imprisonment. He was good at writing and it was easy for him to find a pencil. But how to get paper? He remembered his uncle telling him, “When we were poor, I rarely wrote on paper. I learned to write Chinese characters on banana leaves and in the dirt.”

The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a Roman Catholic holy day of obligation and the patronal feast of Assumption University, will be celebrated on Friday, August 15. Services in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit will be Morning Prayer at 8:00 a.m., Mass at noon, and Evening Prayer at 5:35 p.m.

This July, Bro. Hugo Fernando Morales Ballesteros, A.A. made his annual spiritual retreat at the historic Desierto de la Candelaria in Ráquira, Boyacá—Colombia’s second oldest monastery, founded in 1604. Surrounded by silence and prayer, the retreat offered him a deeply renewing experience.

Across the world, the Assumptionist mission comes to life through individuals who serve with quiet strength. One such voice is Magalie Rowe-Torres, CSJA—an Associate Sister of St. Joseph, a Peruvian immigrant, and founder of Latina Center MARIA in Massachusetts.