Celebrating St Augustine with the Augustinians of the Assumption

My experience sharing the celebration with my brothers Augustinians of the Assumption begins on the morning of August 28th, 2023, in the prayer of lauds, a moment of encounter with the whole "Augustinian family, united in one prayer, asking our holy intercessor St Augustine to enable us to experience brotherhood.

May we, gathered to meet Jesus Christ, experience in our lives the mercy of God, so that, through his teaching and witness, we may find in him a model of life that will enable us to attain holiness. At the end of the prayer all of us at Casa Dufault shared this celebration with a rich lunch.

My brother Jose de Jesús (Assumptionist aspirant) and I, rushed out to support our brothers of our community of San Andrés Apóstol, to organize the feast in honor of our patron Saint Augustine of Hippo, likewise to celebrate the 28 years of religious life of our formator, Father Sébastien Bangandu and the fourth renewal of temporary vows of our brother Rafael Huerta Ramos.

Arriving in the parish, we began to help the cooks in the preparation of food and in the decoration of the parish hall where the conviviality would take place at the end of the celebration of Mass.

After a hard work, the bells of the San Andrés parish sounded for the Eucharistic preparation. As we prepared for Mass, we received the guests and relatives of both brother Rafa and Father Sébastien.

I also met for the first time my brothers Angel Gabriel and Eliud Tlecuile (Assumption postulants) who live in the Emperatriz de América parish; I met the others formator fathers and Father Louis Kivuya, the new regional superior of Mexico, which was a great experience to be able to visualize and know the majority of the members of the Assumptionist community of Mexico.

The moment of the Eucharistic celebration began with the entry of the regional father who presided over the Eucharist, followed by Brother Rafa and his parents, Father Sébastien and some other priests and religious who accompanied them to witness the act of renewal of vows.

The liturgical team included my religious brothers, postulants and aspirants. A good number of parishioners, relatives, friends of the Assumptionist community participated in the Mass.

After the liturgy of the word, the regional father invited Brother Rafa to the altar for the renewal of his vows. This personal moment was the most special, as I have never witnessed a renewal of vows. There were many mixed feelings at that time in my mind, to see how my brother Rafa gave his life to Jesus Christ, promising to serve him in poverty, chastity and obedience, step out of himself to the service of others. His renewal of vows was for me an experience that I keep deep in my heart and that I share in this little review. The mass ended with the blessing of the regional father.

They say that Mexicans make a party for absolutely everything and this celebration would not be an exception. All the parishioners, family and friends of the Assumptionist family, were cordially invited to taste a delicious meal prepared with much love by the community of San Andrés.

The atmosphere was very festive, many smiles, many hugs, we toasted with a little wine, Rafael and the brothers dancing to the rhythm of the cumbias, a moment of joy where each of us could share the gift of life.

In my experience, I can say that in the celebration of St Augustine, I was able to know a little more about the Assumption charism, I could know its warm closeness and I could feel welcomed by a simple but wonderful family.

Erick Maximino Rojas, candidate

Ángel Mixteco Cocotle, assumptionist postulant

On Monday, August 7, 2023, at 7 pm, we met at the Dufault house for the entrance mass to the postulancy of the aspirant Ángel Mixteco Cocotle, originally from Magdalena-Veracruz. Indeed, after a year of aspirant, Angel made his second step in the Assumption formation which is the postulancy.

The Eucharistic celebration was presided over by Father Flavio Bustos Castillo, the outgoing regional superior. Concelebrated Fathers Miguel Díaz Ayllón and Sébastien Bangandu Mwanza, formator. The liturgical animation was ensured by Father Jesús Tlecuile Mixteco and the postulant Eliu Tlecuile Zepahua.

The Mass was attended by lay Assumptionists, friends of the house and also parishioners of the Lord of Mercy chapel where Angel carried out his apostolate.

During the homily, Angel was given a few minutes to share about his call to follow Jesus Christ in the congregation of the Augustinians of the Assumption. After the homily, the cross was handed over him and the habit was given to him. After the mass, we met in the room to share some walnut peppers and enchiladas.

In addition to being an event that is part of the celebrations of the Assumption of Mary in this month of August, it is for me a joy with much meaning, because Angel is the result of an Assumption missionary journey of many years and that has been the origin of several vocations.

At the same time, the area of Veracruz has put us in contact with many young people interested in deepening their faith and their Christian vocation through our charism and spirituality. As an Asuncionist missionary, I know the indigenous area from which Angel comes. Surely Angel had not yet been born when the Assumptionist presence was on mission in their territories.

As a result of our missionary and apostolic work in this area, seven years ago, we had a priest who is now parish priest in one of our three parishes and I was also able to share in the growth of many children who are prepared and committed today.

So for me it is a great joy that Angel starts today this new adventure. The challenge will not be easy, but with our support and prayer, the best is yet to come in the life of Angel and for us members of the great family of the Assumption.

Thanks to our benefactors, friends and associates of the Assumption who help us in different ways to continue with the formation of young people who want to dedicate their lives to the service of the Kingdom of God. May God accompany the Angel and may St Mary Assunta take care of him in this new journey.

Maricarmen Martínez Álvarez, lay assumptionist

The new general superior of the Augustinians of the Assumption

On June 12, 2023, Father Ngoa Ya Tshihemba, 11th Superior General of the Augustinians of the Assumption (also called Assumptionists) was elected. This Congolese religious (DR Congo), 52, succeeds Father Benoît Grière, of French origin, who has just completed two six-year terms at the head of this Congregation.

The Assumptionists now have 915 religious and 45 novices spread over 128 communities in 33 countries on all continents. Father Ngoa Ya Tshihemba was born on 16 October 1970 in Mbau (North Kivu) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Born into a farming family, he is the oldest of 8 children and attends primary and secondary school in Mbau.

He made his postulate in the Kambali college and his novitiate (1995-1996) in Charles Lwanga house of Butembo (Nord-Kivu). He made his first vows on 28 August 1996.

After the novitiate, he was appointed in Kinshasa (1996-2001) where he obtained a degree in philosophy.

From 2003 to 2007 he studied theology at the Institute of Inter-congregational Theological Formation of Mexico (IFTIM), where he obtained the canonical baccalaureate in theology.

He was ordained a priest in Butembo (North Kivu) on 24 January 2008. He returned to Mexico for four years of studies in pedagogy (2009-2013) and obtained a degree in pedagogy. He began as a formator and replaced the parish priest of the Empress of America for a year.

In 2013, he was appointed in Manila (Philippines), where to date he was master of novices, responsible for formation in the Philippines and superior of a formation house.

Polyglot (in addition to Kinande, his mother tongue, speaks Swahili, Lingala, French, Spanish and English), he knows Africa, North America and Asia well. He likes to read and listen to music and walk through nature.

P. Thierry Kambale Kahongya, a.a.