Most days, Assumption University’s golden ceremonial crown is preserved inside the AU Museum. Once each year, it leaves its place among the University’s historic treasures and becomes part of a living tradition.
That tradition continued on August 14, 2026, as Assumption University of Thailand (AU) celebrated the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the Suvarnabhumi Campus.
Members of the AU community gathered following an invitation from Rev. Bro. Sirichai Fonseka, f.s.g., Ph.D., President of AU, to share in an afternoon of faith, remembrance and fellowship.
The observance began with Holy Mass at the Saint Louis Marie de Montfort Chapel. The community then gathered in front of the Cathedral of Learning for the annual Crowning Ceremony honouring Mary, the University’s patroness.
As the crown was placed upon the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a familiar ceremony took on renewed meaning.
The crown represented faith and devotion, but it also carried the story of AU itself. It connected students witnessing the ceremony for the first time with alumni, faculty members, staff and Brothers of Saint Gabriel who had stood in the same place across generations.
The Feast of the Assumption commemorates the Catholic belief that Mary, having completed her earthly life, was taken body and soul into heavenly glory. For the University that carries her name, the feast remains closely tied to its identity and mission.
Mary’s life of faith, courage and service offers a model for education that extends beyond academic achievement. Her example calls knowledge to be joined with compassion, leadership with humility and personal success with responsibility toward others.
Following the crowning, the commemoration continued at the Lobby of the Cathedral of Learning, where members of the AU community shared a moment of fellowship.
Universities continually change. New generations arrive, technology reshapes classrooms and fresh ideas open different paths forward. Yet some traditions endure because they remind a community who it is. AU’s Assumption Day Crowning Ceremony remained one of those traditions.
For one afternoon, the golden crown moved from the University’s collection into the hands of its living community—carrying history forward and reminding AU that progress and tradition could stand together.
WRITER: THE AU LIBRARY
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