Sunday evening, April 29, the Brothers of the Casa Generalizia began their celebration of the 350th Anniversary of the birth of St. John Baptist de La Salle, Founder of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. To celebrate the occasion, 350 people were invited to join the Brothers for the evening. It was a beautiful day and the feeling was definitely one of spring that has come to Rome in all of its splendor. The flowers on the steps of the Casa were in full bloom, and the scent of orange blossoms was delightful to those of us who are blessed with not being allergic to the pollen. It is a wonderful time to be in Rome, and nature too seems to be commemorating with us this anniversary. As the guests arrived, there was a festive atmosphere in the air. (Some of the young people attributed this to the fact that Rome was playing Lazio that evening in football.) In the entryway to the Generalate, the guests passed by a copy of the letter from Pope John Paul II to Br. Alvaro, Superior General, congratulating him and the Institute on the occasion of our celebration.

The celebrant for the evening Mass was Cardinal Pio Laghi. The Cardinal has been a long time friend of the Brothers, and was well chosen to be the celebrant for this occasion. He was a primary force in the establishment of Bethlehem University that has been administered by the Brothers since 1973. The Cardinal seems to mirror in many ways the concern for the poor that de La Salle showed three hundred years earlier. In 1972, the Cardinal was Apostolic Delegate to the Holy Land. At that time, he indicated the urgency of founding a college on the West Bank for the local Arab population particularly the Christians, because they had no local possibility of higher education. Because of the pressure that Israeli authorities were putting on the Arab population, if there were any delay in the project "it will be too late. This is our last chance." Long a strong supporter of Catholic education, he worked hard for the founding of a University on the West Bank, and today, our Lasallian University in Bethlehem exists partly because of his vision and support.

In his homily, he spoke of John Baptist de La Salle as a forward-thinking man who continues to be a "teacher for educators." He asserted that education was a universal right, even for the poor and the abandoned, and that the school was a demanding venture that required well-prepared teachers.

He described the Founder as a courageous reformer who devoted himself, both in his actions and writings, to the preparation of teachers. He organized education in an original way and brought the ideas of love and witness into his pedagogy. "Do you want your students to practice what is good? You must first practice it yourselves." "One good example is better than a good lecture." He created a paradigm of values for good teachers: suitable behavior, simplicity, prudence, wisdom, patience, modesty, gentleness, zeal, self-control, mercy, and generosity. He said, "Those who are bold enough to speak about God, should first practice speaking with God."

Currently Lasallian institutions live in very diverse conditions. Students who attend Lasallian Schools are Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Hebrew, Muslim, Buddhist, followers of Confucius, those who follow traditional religions, and persons with no religious creed. In this context, the Lasallian family is characterized by its profound unity in diversity and by offering the "intangible" that keeps them all united. This is indeed a gift of the Spirit received through De La Salle.

At the end of the Liturgy, Br. William Mann, Vicar General, and Brothers Claude Reinhardt and Juan Pablo Martin Dueñas, General Councilors, thanked those who had attended the celebration. Among the guests were Cardinal Pio Laghi; members of the secular clergy and representatives of other Religious Congregations; Brothers from 29 countries including Br. Mario the Visitor of Rome, Br. Gabriele the Visitor of Torino and Br. Robert Schieler the Visitor-Designate of the District of Baltimore; Guadalupana Sisters; Affiliated Members of the Institute and Benefactors, Associates and Partners, faculty, and staff members who collaborate with us in our Lasallian ministries in Rome; students and former students; Mr. Jean-Pierre Hascöet, President of the World Confederation of Lasallian Former Students; Mr. Antonio Cardone, President of the Association of the Lasallian Family of the District of Rome; and many family members and friends of the Brothers.

Following the Liturgy, we joined together for an evening of food, drink and celebration. I had a delightful time practicing my Italian with two young students from Istituto Villa Flaminia in Rome. They are pictured here with Br. Donato, President of Villa Flaminia. Actually, their English is much better than my Italian. Congratulations to their English teachers.

Oh, by the way, Lazio equalized in the last 30 seconds of the football game with Rome. Final score: 2-2.