Friday, June 5, 2026
The Plenary General Council’s work on this day focused primarily on the Congregation’s finances. On this occasion, the General Treasurer, Fr. Alex Castro, presented, in turn, the General House’s financial statements, the status of our various investment funds (portfolios), the cost of formation, the solidarity campaign, and the implementation of financial management training for religious (“Economic Ratio”).
The treasurer’s report indicates that the General House’s finances fared quite well during the 2025 fiscal year. It is worth noting that the General House incurred extraordinary expenses over the past year due to the acquisition of new equipment, such as a new, more efficient photocopier, the replacement of the heating and air conditioning system at Villino Dufault (currently occupied by Assumption University), the redesign of the Generalate website, as well as excess travel expenses incurred due to the needs of the Congregation’s leadership. Fortunately, Providence has also blessed us with exceptional income that has made it possible to cover these expenses: the payment of arrears owed to us, the rental of Casa Pirelli (formerly occupied by the OA) by the Ursuline Sisters’ novitiate, and contributions from numerous pilgrims hosted at the house during the Jubilee Year…
The PGC also expresses its gratitude to the communities, associations, and organizations that come together each year to support our annual solidarity campaign. It notes that the 2025 campaign, which was intended to fund the roof repair of the administrative building at Kambali College (Saint Pius X) in Butembo, D.R. Congo, is currently facing a funding shortfall of 14,000 U.S. dollars. Nor do we forget our commitment to fund the solar installations for Radio Moto Oicha—through the 2026 solidarity campaign—this communication tool serving the people who have been victims of massacres in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. We hope for a broader mobilization than just the few communities and parishes that are already typically well-engaged. May the Lord bless the work of our generous hands.
The final part of the day was devoted to a discussion about the life and mission of our two brothers in Russia, Fathers W. Gorokhov (Slava) and Pierre Long. The members of the PGC assured them of their fraternal and spiritual closeness. They thanked them for all the daily sacrifices they make in this delicate mission. The same sentiment extends to our brothers in the community and parish of Our Lady of the Poor in Mbau (DRC), who, in addition to the pain of the deportation of our three brothers and the many instances of abductions and massacres of the population, have just suffered the massacre of some twenty faithful. May their souls rest in peace with the Lord.
The PGC urges every religious and lay member of the alliance to keep our brothers in Moscow and Mbau especially in their prayers.
Fr. Thierry KAHONGYA
Testimonial
The General Plenary Council in Iasi
For a few days, the peaceful Assumptionist community at Saint Augustine Monastery in Iaşi saw its daily life take on a different, special character. The corridors, usually filled with monastic silence, times of prayer, and community life, were filled with an unusual bustle: that of the members of the General Plenary Council (GPC), gathered for an important session of work and reflection.
As soon as they arrived, the members of the CGP were welcomed with genuine warmth. The local community spared no effort to make everyone feel at home. The warm welcome, the kind smiles, the brothers’ willingness to help, and the many discreet yet meaningful gestures quickly created a family atmosphere. In this setting marked by simplicity and conviviality, the members of the CGP were able to devote themselves serenely to their work while experiencing firsthand the Assumptionist fraternity.
As an African proverb says: “A home that welcomes is greater than one that merely possesses.” Through its warm hospitality, the community has shown that its greatest wealth lies not in its walls, but in the openness of its heart toward those it welcomes.
Fr. Jaques KABORE