"Musician-aries" for AMA

The annual concert for the benefit of the Associate Missionaries of the Assumption (AMA) was held March 25th at the Merion Tribute House, Merion Station, Pennsylvania.

The continued generosity of the de Pasquale Family allowed us to offer a concert all enjoyed.

The dePasquale Family began performing chamber music as an ensemble in 1955. The Quartet was organized on a year-round basis in 1964 with the four de Pasquale brothers: Robert, Joseph, Francis and William as first violinist. Later, Gloria de Pasquale joined the quartet as cellist. She is currently cellist with the Philadelphia Orchestra.

In the newly formed de Pasquale String Trio, William is violist so his daughter, Francesca, can play the violin. They perform regularly in the Villanova Chamber Music Series and the Reading Friends of Chamber Music.

Music has always been a privileged way of both glorifying God and making the world a happier place. In working for this event, we experienced many ways of thanking and praising God.

The proceeds from the concert are used to support young women and men who offer a year or two of their lives to the service of God and their fellow human beings in various parts of the world. AMAs serve in different countries in the Americas, Africa, Asia and Europe.

As a young woman, Blessed Marie Eugenie declared that for her, this world was not a place of exile as we await heaven, but "a place of glory for God." She believed that humanity is called to collaborate with God here and now in building a just and loving society and that each person has a role to play, a mission to accomplish on earth.

The concert this year was extra special on account of the upcoming canonization of Mother Marie Eugenie, the saintly foundress of the Religious of the Assumption and the inspiration behind all that the sisters and the lay missionaries of the Assumption do.

We are grateful to all who came and supported this important mission.

We are grateful as well to Maggie McCormick who shared her reflections on having been an AMA in the community of Chaparral, New Mexico from September 2005 - July 2006.