Dear Brothers,

The 44th General Chapter is drawing to a close and we Capitulants are eager to share with you the results of the intense weeks we have lived in community here at the Center of the Institute.  The diversity of our origins, of our cultures, and of our situations, far from endangering our unity actually enriched it and invited us to listen attentively to one another.  We hope that you can have a similar experience, in your own particular circumstances, so that you may discover the richness of those who live and work with us and recognize the help they bring as we seek together what God wants of us today.

The invitation of the 43rd General Chapter that this 44th General Chapter be an “alternative” one in style led us to enter into a process inspired by the biblical episodes of the Exodus and of Emmaus to discern in faith what God is asking of the Institute today.  This challenges us to listen to the call of the world, the Church, of our consecrated life, and of our Institute engaged in human and Christian education, especially for the poor (cf. Rule 3).

Thank you for your prayers, your notes, the reflections you have shared with us, and your study of the preparatory documents. This helped us to engage in a fraternal effort at discovering the needs of our times.  We want to continue with you this awareness of the signs of God in our lives, in our communities, in the changing cultural contexts, and in our association for the educational mission, especially for the poor (cf. Rule 39).  The General Chapter is coming to a close, but this is only a beginning:  Brothers, communities, Districts, Regions, the Center of the Institute, we all have to seek together how to renew our lives as did the Chapter in the light of Emmaus, “Being Brothers Today: Open Eyes, Burning Hearts.”

Some of what we say will be familiar and some of what we say may be disconcerting. However, we hope that you will see in the challenges that we have decided to face nothing less than a commitment to the spirit of Jesus urging us to thoughtful renewal to fulfill the mission confided to us in our world and in our own particular situations today.  This urgency led us to place the report on “Interior Life” at the beginning of the Acts of the Chapter.

We face a major challenge, namely, to deepen our interior life, one that is lived by the Spirit in fraternal communities, driven by a passion for Jesus Christ and for humanity and to act in conformity with our words. The importance of the Lasallian vocation for the world and the Church today, and the concern for the continuity of the Lasallian mission, requires Lasallian vocation ministry, especially vocations to the Brothers’ life.  Are we willing, each of us, singly and together, to pray and have others pray for vocations, to teach about our life, to accompany those who show interest in being Brothers, to be open to new forms of association, to affirm our identity as Brothers?

The field for our shared mission is large. There are new challenges: the rights of children, respect for life from its inception to its end, problems created by migratory movements of people, the need for a true solidarity among nations… Along with other Lasallians engaged with us in the educational service and evangelization of many young people and others, especially the poor, let us face together the challenges we encounter.  The international character of our Institute should facilitate the coordination of our efforts and motivate us to have our voice heard.

The consensus which we achieved aimed at taking into account both the unity of the Institute and its great diversity, identifying the “Horizons” toward which we journey together and the major “Lines of Action” we listed – taking into account the suggestion that they not be too general -  rather than using the more familiar procedure of stating “Propositions”.  Recommending flexibility in applying the “Lines of Action” to reach the “Horizons” does not detract from the fact that they are decisions taken by the General Chapter by a large majority, and thus engage all of us in their implementation.
We are called, each of us singly and together, to be Brothers today, associated together in community and in the body of the Institute and with many partners engaged in the educational service of the poor, children, the young, and adults, whom we encounter in our ministry.

Brothers, whatever your age, play your part for the vitality of the Institute (cf. Rule 145) in your own circumstances! When your heart is open to the call of the Lord, he will fill it with the gifts needed to respond (cf. Rule 35c). We Capitulants have tried to do this before inviting you to do the same.  Be open today to the movement of the Spirit!