The number 7 is associated with fullness. For this reason, we wished to celebrate and give thanks together with the entire Assumption community for these 70 years of service to Guatemalan society through the education of women who shape and transform society. It was therefore necessary to prepare ourselves to celebrate this seventieth anniversary, giving thanks for the work God has accomplished.
At the end of December 2025, the community of sisters accompanying the mission remembered the first community of the Religious of the Assumption who, sent by M. Francisca de Paula with the approval of M. Marie-Denyse, arrived in Guatemalan lands. We gave thanks for the work the Spirit has allowed us to carry out as a congregation in this portion of the Kingdom entrusted to us. While giving thanks, we also prepared for the great celebration that would take place a month and a week later: preparation of the liturgy, the hymns, and the Cathedral’s decoration. Preparation of the heart to live this important event for our Assumption community.
Eucharistic Celebration
The great day arrived. On the morning of Saturday, February 7, hearts overflowed with joy and gratitude. The Cathedral’s main altar was adorned with white flowers. The image of our foundress, Saint Marie Eugénie, accompanied by the flags of Guatemala and the Assumption, expressed the reason for our gathering; at the opposite end, the flags of France and of the Church reminded us of the international character of our great family.
The celebration was scheduled for 10:30 a.m., yet the Cathedral, with its doors open, began welcoming students, alumnae, teachers, former teachers, parents, and friends from 9:00 a.m. Joy was immediate; warm greetings reflecting the familiarity that characterizes us, smiles on every face, and photographs near our foundress were clear signs of the gratitude that filled every Assumption member that day.
Everything was ready. The choir of 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students, accompanied by teachers and sisters, led the music for this great celebration. At 10:30 a.m., the Cathedral was full: Religious of the Assumption from El Salvador and Petén, students from different generations, friends of the Assumption, and the wider community; the entrance monition invited all to celebrate the Eucharist with grateful hearts. The opening hymn filled the space as the celebrants entered in procession, presided over by Monsignor Gonzalo de Villa S.J., thus inaugurating the celebration.
Monsignor Gonzalo de Villa S.J. presided over the celebration, concelebrated by Fathers Manuel Abac, Carlos Pirir, and Miguel Aguilar. In his homily, he invited us to continue bearing fruit, so that the seed of the Assumption—sown and nurtured through the life and witness of many sisters and alumnae—may continue to flourish in Guatemalan society, forming leaders who transform the present of society. The entire celebration was marked by thanksgiving; Assumption hymns resounded in the Cathedral, bringing back memories of all that has been lived at La Asunción.
Unveiling of the Foundation Stone
In the afternoon, the celebration continued with a ceremony unveiling the foundation stone that marked the beginning of the La Asunción School building. Organized by the alumnae, the event also honored M. Violeta Pacas, who, as Provincial archivist, ensured the preservation of history. Unveiling the foundation stone makes present the past that gives meaning to our present and sustains the future.
To dream of the 70th anniversary celebration has been an act of gratitude involving the entire community: sisters, teachers, students, alumnae, parents, friends, and collaborators. We dreamed of a celebration that would gather us as a family, where the Assumption spirit would fill us all—and so it was. It is God who guides everything, Saint Marie Eugénie reminds us, and today we are certain that He will continue to make the seed of the Assumption grow within Guatemalan society.