ASSUMPTION TOGETHER – Assumption Alumnae Association

While not one of the beneficiaries of AAA, Assumption Together plays a large role in sustaining the spiritual formation and development of alumnae via organized collaboration between the laity and the lay communities of Assumption. It is for this reason that we are featuring Assumption Together, to focus on ongoing spiritual growth through partnership with the religious community.

By Tina Casas Nakpil

As taken from the biography of St Marie Eugenie of Jesus by Se Helene Bories, R.A., “.. in the thinking of Mere Marie Eugenie and Pere d’Alzon, religious and lay together would be necessary for the realization of the mission of the Assumption … in such a community, religious and laity will find … a help that is at the same time spiritual and intellectual.”

ASSUMPTION TOGETHER is “… a movement that recognizes the specific role and importance of lay-religious partnership in the life of Assumption communities and schools all over the world” and in the extension of God’s Kingdom here on earth.

St. Marie Eugenie and Pere d’Alzon both agreed that the Lay will provide the experience and know-how of the world, as well as be present in areas where the Religious cannot be present. Further, the Religious will provide the permanency of the movement as well as the spiritual guidance, nourishment and energy needed by the Lay.

It was only in 1994, that Assumption Together was given a formal structure with which to actualize itself. It has since then, evolved into what it is today.

In the year 2000, Assumption Together was born. For the first time, 18 Lay Representatives from the 5 continents of Asia, Africa, Europe, North and South America took part in the General Chapter, previously an all-Religious conference where directions for the Congregation were set for the next 3 years. This was an offshoot of the vision of Sr. Cristina Gonzalez, then Superior General, together with Olivier le Gendre (+), to establish a parallel Council of Lay Representatives to the General Council of Religious.

In October of 2003, the 1^st Permanent Council of Friends of Assumption (Conseil Permanent de les Amis de l’Assomption [CPAA]) was held in Lourdes, France. Our very own Lirio Mapa represented Asia. Subsequently, the CPAA was renamed as the Conseil Permanent de l’Assomption Ensemble [CPAE], the Permanent Council of Assumption Together.

In December 2005, in Assumption Antipolo, the 1^st Assumption Together Mini-Asian Congress with representatives from India, Japan, Philippines and Thailand was convened.

In 2007, the first Philippine Lay Representative was appointed in the person of Lourdes “Baby” Herrera, who was responsible for preparing the Philippine province for the canonization of St. Marie Eugenie. She also oversaw the launch of Assumption Together – Philippines via two Congresses in 2010 and 2013. Another Congress was organized in 2016 under the leadership of the next Philippine Lay Representative, Chinit Rufino.

In 2015, happening between the 2013 and 2016 Congresses, the Base Document and “Path of Life” of Assumption Together were finalized. Luisa “Bubut” Neri was part of the CPAE then. Both these documents clarify what is meant to be part of Assumption Together and guide the Lay on how they can live out the spirit of the Assumption in their own social environment.

It is worthy to note that from 2000 till the present, the Philippines has always had a lay representative in the CPAE: Lirio Mapa, Chinit Rufino, Luisa “Bubut” Neri and presently, Inez Polotan.

With the onset of the pandemic, Assumption Together under the leadership of Inez Polotan, has adapted itself to the times. In lieu of Congresses, Zoom Kamustahans are now the norm. This has provided Assumption Together, a far wider reach that is more cost-effective and efficient, allowing for more frequent mini-assemblies to discuss needs, share resources, pray together, and work out ways to animate the Assumption Together way in the Province.

In early July 2020, Polotan, created a Core Team to reach out to different sectors of Assumption. The Core Team is comprised of representatives from AAA, AMA, CLAy and MEI.

AT Core in 2020 AT Core in 2021

Using Zoom and Viber as its primary means of communication, over the course of 3 months, AT Core touched base with 14 Assumption groups ranging from the mission schools, to two Family Councils, to several CLAy groups, to the AAA and AMA Boards and to the Administrative Team of the San Lorenzo College. Because of Zoom, the Core Team “travelled” across the Philippines from one region to another with facility.

When asked to briefly describe their pandemic experience, the common feelings shared were: difficult but prayer-filled and grateful for blessings received. When asked what gives them hope during this pandemic period, the general answers were Jesus, prayer, family, the spirit of generosity and kindness.

We realized through these meetings that there was a thirst for continued spiritual formation and repeated requests for new prayer material and recollections. When we asked what support they might need from Assumption Together, we discovered from the Mission Schools their need for scholarships and equipment for the coming school year. And this was when what was initially planned as a mere “Kamustahan“ (a meet and greet), evolved into “Bayanihan” (a spirit of community and unity). The AT Core Team reached out to the various Assumption groups and successfully sourced nearly a P1 million pesos in donations!

The frequency of prayer circles has increased from twice a month to 4 times a month. 4 inactive prayer circles have been activated; 4 new prayer circles have been created. The preparation of new material and formation programs are ongoing care of MEI. We celebrated Assumption Day with a YouTube Mass co-sponsored with AAA and had about 1,500 attendees. We held a recollection via Zoom with Sr. Veronique Thibault, r.a. and Sr. Marjo Matias, r.a. with over 180 attendees.

We reached out to other Assumption groups: to more AAA chapters (the US included) and other Family Councils around the country.

AT in the Philippines was a recipient 100 bags of food and rice for the poorest. This was distributed in the depressed areas where AT is present.

Needless to say, the future has its set of challenges. We’re very dependent on technology and this is a great cause of concern: weak to zero internet connections, no equipment or technical knowhow. (Resourcefulness however, can bring a solution: The mission school in Kauswagan only had one laptop for its use, so that everyone could attend the AT meeting and the Retreat, they connected it to an LCD projector, and voila! Everyone could see and hear!)

There also is the communication barrier with Japan, Thailand and Vietnam.

New Initiatives, Challenges

Moving forward, AT also plans to be an enabler, bringing different Assumption groups together, so we can continue to be One Assumption. We want to bring partnership communities together through Zoom or pre-recorded videos. The communities can share their stories and bring their world into the life of the students.

AT Philippines Reaches Out in 2020

In early July 2020, Assumption Together (AT), under the leadership of Inez Polotan, created a Core Team to reach out to different sectors of Assumption. The Core Team is comprised of representatives from AAA, AMA, CLAy and MEI.

Using Zoom and Viber as its primary means of communication, over the course of 3 months, AT Core touched base with 14 Assumption groups ranging from the mission schools, to two Family Councils, to several CLAy groups, to the AAA and AMA Boards and to the Administrative Team of the San Lorenzo College. Because of Zoom, the Core Team easily “travelled” across the Philippines from one region to another.

When asked to briefly describe their pandemic experience, the common feelings shared were: difficult but prayer-filled and grateful for blessings received. When asked what gives them hope during this pandemic period, the general answers were Jesus, prayer, family, the spirit of generosity and kindness.

We realized through these meetings that there was a thirst for continued spiritual formation and repeated requests for new prayer material and recollections. When we asked what support they might need from AT, we discovered from the Mission Schools their need for scholarships and equipment for the coming school year. And this was when what was initially planned as a mere “Kamustahan“ (a meet and greet), evolved into “Bayanihan” (a spirit of community and unity). The AT Core Team reached out to the various Assumption groups and successfully sourced nearly a P1 million pesos in donations!

The frequency of prayer circles has increased from twice a month to 4 times a month. 4 inactive prayer circles have been activated; 4 new prayer circles have been created. The preparation of new material and formation programs are on-going care of MEI. We celebrated Assumption Day with a YouTube Mass co-sponsored with AAA and had about 1,500 attendees. We held a recollection via Zoom with Sr. Veronique Thibault, r.a. and Sr. Marjo Matias, r.a. with over 180 attendees.

We reached out to other Assumption groups: to more AAA chapters (the US included) and other Family Councils around the country.

AT in the Philippines was a recipient 100 bags of food and rice for the poorest. This was distributed in the depressed areas where AT is present.

Needless to say, the future has its set of challenges. We’re very dependent on technology and this is a great cause of concern: weak to zero internet connections, no equipment or technical knowhow. (Resourcefulness however, can bring a solution: The mission school in Kauswagan only had one laptop for its use, but so that everyone could attend the AT meeting and the Retreat, they connected it to an LCD projector, and voila! Everyone could see and hear.)

There also is the communication barrier with Japan, Thailand and Vietnam.

New Initiatives, Challenges

AT Philippines in 2021

If we ended 2020 with a celebration of the Holy Mass, we began 2021, with – of course! — a Planning Retreat. Led by Sr. Marie Emmanuel, all the way from Thabom, we were also accompanied by Sr. Lerma, our Provincial Superior.

Our planning retreat led us to realize the following:

that there was an invitation for AT to continue reaching out to Assumption communities,
that AT must use “the old and the new” together, (not sure about this)
that the Kamustahans that we initiated the year before had an impact on many of the communities we reached out to, and
that the 500^th Anniversary of Christianity in the Philippines made a significant starting point for

AT’s mission in 2021.

Led by the Holy Spirit, our plans centered around this 500-year old gift of Faith, a faith which we believed must be celebrated in spite of the pandemic. Using the Churçh’s theme of “gifted to give”, AT combined the Kamustahan format with technology, creativity and reflection.

Dubbing this new series of Kamustahan sessions as “Assumption Together: Gifted to Give”, we began our zoom rounds in April and now in August, have completed 35 Kamustahans all over the country. By the grace of God, we successfully reached out to alumnae groups, CLAy groups, Family Councils, mission schools, administrative teams and Assumption friends.

Each Kamustahan begins with a video on the faith that was gifted to us 500 years ago, including how the Assumption Sisters had their beginnings in the Philippines. It continues with a testimony of how one of our students uses her gifts for the faith and it ends with group sharings on the following reflection questions:

What gift/s have you received from the Assumption?
What gift/s have you shared with the Assumption?
As a community, as one group, what gift/s can you offer the Church or the bigger community you live in?

The Kamustahans were a beautiful way for the AT attendees to recall and realize the bounty of God’s graces and how they are ready to give back (or continue giving back) in different ways to the Assumption, to their community and to the Church.

Three points were apparent per session:

Encounter – The Kamustahans were encounters with each other and with Jesus; encounters that provided a sacred space for us, encounters that touched, nourished, changed and enriched us.
The Power of the Collective – As individuals, our gifts are good. But put together as one group, our gifts become a force for good, a force for change.
Keep the Faith – This 500-year-old gift has been kept alive because we live it through the gifts that we continue to share every day. It is this faith that has formed us into women of faith and women of action, giving back everyday to make Jesus known, loved and served.

While our activities centered around the Kamustahans, AT Core also organized the following spiritual events:

a series of 4 Lenten recollections held over 4 consecutive Saturdays; two of which were given by Bishops
monthly 1^st Saturday Zoom rosaries, hosted and prepared by different AT communities. What started as requests to host a rosary, has evolved into groups volunteering for it.
9-day novena Masses in preparation for the Solemnity of the Assumption of our Blessed Virgin Mary, in coordination with a team of Sisters.

What Lies ahead of AT Phils?

Given the effectivity of the Kamustahan format, we foresee AT Phils to continue using this medium, making changes along the way as needed. We are also looking into activating the CLAy youth. We had started this some years back, had about 20 youth members, but in the midst of everyday activities, it lost its steam. In the interest of levelling the assistance given to the mission schools, AT Core is looking at proposing a way to “institutionalize” the process each mission school goes through when asking for scholarships. We believe that if the same process was implemented across all AC mission schools, then each mission school stands a significant chance to achieve its goals for scholarships. We are also updating the song, Boat of Many Colors, to stand as AT Anthem.