Canonization of MOTHER marie eugenie

A School Offered To The Holy Father, June 15, 2007

On the occasion of the canonization of Marie Eugenie of Jesus on June 3, 2007, on Trinity Sunday, in Rome, the Congregation gave to Pope Benedict XVI a gift, an expression of the Assumption’s charism of education, from the sisters, families, students and alumni and alumnae, collaborators, friends, and all those who belong to the groups of Assumption Together.

This gift was a “pilot school” for poor, sick or orphaned children that will be established in a country of the Third World chosen by Pope Benedict XVI.

To offer a school was a way to demonstrate our educational work for the transformation of society by the Gospel on this earth, the place of glory for God, according to the words of our foundress. This theme: "the earth, a place of glory for God," was chosen for the canonization. It has been used for several months now, creating a very strong link among the 34 countries where the Congregation is at work.

As Sr. Diana, Risa Bondoc and her mother offered a model of the school to Pope Benedict XVI during the Mass of June 3rd, the Holy Father told Sr. Diana that he was offering back the school to the Religious of the Assumption, and asked that it be established in Africa. We rejoice and are glad!

The model that was brought up during the offertory was designed by Christian Bougeard, an architectural engineer who is a friend of the Assumption and works with AIA Architectes.

In the model, the school is set on a flat terrain: it’s enclosed from the street by a little wall. There is an administration building on the left and a little waiting area on the right. The school is basically two buildings which face each other across a quad. Each building has two classrooms on the ground floor and two on the second floor (so there are eight classrooms all told). The roofs are simple but able to protect against the sun and the rain and allow natural ventilation of the classes by means of “Persian windows.”

At the back, an overhang and two little buildings for service close the quad and separate it from the playgrounds and from a little kitchen garden.

This gift was given to the Holy Father on June 3rd during the canonization Mass, and was symbolized by the little model of the school that you see on this page.

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Pope Benedict XVI at Canonization Mass

Sr. Diana, Risa Bondoc and her mother offering the model of the school to the Pope

The school coming together...

...with trees and people, too!