The CELAS colloquium continued on Friday with the main address of the assembly. Br. Antonio Botana, Director of the Lasallian Center for Spain, delivered the address. His topic was Association According to De La Salle. It was an excellent address and I have placed an edited version in our Online Publications section in Adobe Acrobat format.

Br. Antonio spoke of the Heroic Vow of 1691 and the vows taken by St. John Baptist de La Salle in 1694 as a "source" event for any discussion of Association. He described these events as a "center of gravity" and explained how the act of association contains four essential elements: commitment, charism, communion and mission. The act of association is a journey in which people are transformed. It is a prophetic gesture directed towards the future, linking confidence in God, solidarity with the Brothers and responsibility for the beneficiaries of our work. He emphasized that in Lasallian Association the commitment is with people (associates) rather than with work. Association is more a communion with people rather than an organization; an offering to God, other associates and children and young in need.

His address is well worth reading for any who are interested in Lasallian Association, a key topic of the 43rd General Chapter.

(The woodcut above is by Br. Richard Buccina, Baltimore, USA. One of them is on display in the Generalate here in Rome and was done in 1990 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the Heroic Vow of 1691).

After the morning break, there were five presentations about experiences of Association.

The first was by Br. Mario Chiarapini, Director of Angelo Mai Institute in Rome. The Brothers of the District of Rome realized several years ago that immigration had become a serious problem in Italy. They wanted to make a concrete response linked to the promotion of justice and to the educational service of the poor. Consequently, in January 1991, they started an educational venture in the Angelo Mai Institute in Rome with the aim of helping poor immigrants make an easier entrance into Italian life and work. Today, the services of the Angelo Mai Institute include: Italian language classes, special classes for the elderly, medical classes and the distribution of medicine, provisions for people to take showers, and the distribution of clothes shoes and food (the evening meal hosts about 100 people).

The role of volunteers is crucial for this venture and their valuable contribution makes things go smoothly. "Every person is my brother" is the motto that adorns the walls of the classrooms. "Working in this school for immigrants gives one the feeling of being clearly in line with the charge laid on us by De La Salle: associating for the educational service of the poor." In July, the volunteers organize holiday camps by the sea or in the mountains for immigrant children. The services they offer are very much appreciated by those for whom they are intended, and the Association is known and highly regarded throughout Rome by the civil and religious authorities.

The second presentation was made by Ms. Marta Miguel and Mr. David Ruiz of Spain. They are members of the Christian Community of La Salle, Palencia, which is made up of 6 lay people who range in ages from 26 to 33. Their community is associated with the Brothers of the District of Valladolid. Before forming the community, each went through a process of discovery and maturation in faith within Christian groups operating in Colegio La Salle. A sense of vocation was closely bound up with their commitment to the education of young people. The two poles that attracted them were the call to form a community and the desire to make a commitment to young people.

Looking back, they see how much they absorbed the charism of De La Salle. There closeness with the Brothers community in Palencia gradually increased, and they were led to celebrate what they call their "option for stability". As a result of this, they now share very closely with the Brothers a mission and a community way of life. "Our way of life is telling us that to live out a vocation according to the Lasallian charism is to live and seek to unite community and mission. Today we are a Lasallian Christian Community which wishes to continue to incarnate the Lasallian chaism with the Brothers in step with the present time and be open to the Spirit which leads all.

The third presentation was delivered by Br. Stan Decock of North Belgium. He described an aging District with 19 primary schools, 14 secondary schools and 10 other centers and establishments. Though the District of North Belgium has 130 Brothers, none of them are teaching in their schools. The schools maintain their traditional Lasallian character through an association called "The Flemish Lasallian Perspective" (VLP) in which Brothers and lay staff participate. Inspired by the Lasallian tradition, many lay people commit themselves selflessly to the various initiatives that have developed as part of the VLP association.
The VLP Association aims to be present on the educational scene in an inspiring and service-providing role, so as to invite a core group of colleagues in schools and establishments to participate in the Lasallian Dream. A great difficulty is that the vast majority of the staff in their schools are "second generation" and have never personally worked with the Brothers, and are thus not easily motivated to commit themselves to work in Lasallian groups. Regardless, the VLP continues to have hope in the future of the Lasallian charism and the values of the Lasallian educational tradition.


The fourth presentation was given by Mr. Joël Le Natur of France. For 13 years he has been professionally employed at the heart of the Lasallian educational work on France. It was through his "professional" activity that he discovered Lasallian spirituality, rather than through a conscious life choice for Lasallian spirituality. Lay people often find their "way" through the professional door. "Through the events of their professional work for young people, they gradually discover the people and things which lead them to follow in the steps of John Baptist de La Salle."
Further, for lay people, "the experience of exercising co-responsibility in the mission enhances the awareness of their baptismal vocation within the Church." Looking forward, "while it is true that we have made real progress in the structures of association, I think that progress has been slower in terms of commitment... Even where there is the will to make a commitment, it remains a fact that, in keeping with our secularist society, we put greater stress on the professional performance of our teachers. So much so that the job dominates the mission." "Our co-responsibility must go beyond simply sticking to structures and move towards a discussion about individual commitments and about the needs we wish to respond to."


The final presentation of the morning was delivered by Mr. Peter Siney, school chaplain at De La Salle School in St. Helens, England. He has worked in the school for just over 3 years and is the first full-time chaplain employed by the school. He believes that "association will not work if it simply means inviting the laity to follow the life of a Brother. This approach does not do justice to what makes each different approach special. We need to search for new ways to grow together, to form a shared understanding of what the Lasallian Mission is and what role we each have to play in fulfilling this." He sees a "turning point" in his understanding what it means to be Lasallian came "while attending one of the modules at last year's SIEL here in Rome. The opportunities to share faith, experience and 'story' with other Lasallians not only increased my awareness of what being Lasallian means but left me with the feeling that I do not work alone, but that I contribute a small part to the Lasallian mission alongside many others from all over the globe. Meetings like this one, anything that connects people... all help create a sense of community and shared mission. It is only through listening to others, being challenged and having a real experience that we can truly understand "Association" and have ownership of a shared mission."
The remainder of the day was spent in workshops which responded to the morning presentations. More to follow...