Futures Meeting Calls for Closer Lasallian Partnerships on the East Coast, USA: From August 8 - 12, 2004, representatives from the Districts of Baltimore, LI-NE, New York and the Toronto Delegation came together at the Friar Tuck Inn Convention Center in Catskills, NY to discuss the future of the Lasallian mission in the area. The open ended structure of the conference allowed the direction of the discussion to be open to new possibilities for enhancing collaboration among the Brothers, the Districts, and lay associates. The speakers and facilitators of the event provided goals and purpose, and then stepped back to allow the participants a chance to look at what innovations would enable and enrich our mission to provide a human and education to students, especially the poor. The range of discussion ranged from structural changes to increased spiritual opportunities.

The assembly utilized formal presentations, prayer services, and group discussions to direct the focus. The gathering opened with Brother Robert Schieler, FSC, Baltimore District Provincial, calling us to be open to brand new structures and new ventures to meet our mission. The group was then introduced to the facilitators of the assembly Denise Simeone and Brother Michael Fehrenbach, FSC who guided the assembly to examine all options. Keynote speakers, Sister Carol Cimino, SSJ, Brother Gerard Rummery, FSC and Brother John Klein, FSM, provided insight into meeting the needs of our students, looking to our Lasallian heritage, and examining the possibilities of another charism's methodology respectively. The Vicar of the Institute, Brother William Mann, FSC challenged the gathering to be open to the Holy Spirit moving us to place new footprints and not merely rename old realities. The prayer services called on God's guidance and utilized water, rocks and sand from each zone placed together to symbolize our increasingly linked ministries. The group discussions energized the assembly to examine many new options.

Group discussion in the forms of committees and panels opened a myriad of new prospects. Calls for new federations of like apostolates that overlap the old provincial lines were heard. Calls for more opportunities to be open to community through sharing prayer, meeting and fellowship among Brothers and colleagues came forth. The opportunities to give birth to new ministries were discussed. Novel methods to invite forth those with religious vocations were expressed. The gratitude to the Brothers for the years of dedication and service and their opening up to lay colleges to join in the future was made clear. These new ways of meeting the call of St. John Baptist De La Salle's heritage of service to youth were called forth, and after reflection and discussion they were given to the leadership with the call to act now to meet the needs. Finally, the assembly convened with the energy to step forward into the future with confidence and trust in God's providence.
^{(Timothy Donovan)}

Building the Kingdom of God at the 2004 Lasallian Youth Gathering: The July, 18-23 Lasallian Youth Conference hosted by the LI-NE district at Providence College in Providence, RI focused on building the Kingdom of God with Faith, Service, and Community. The students gathered at the conference came from schools in the Baltimore, LI-NE and New York Districts to spend time together in worship, to devote some time to others and to share some fellowship. The over 140 students formed the largest assembly of students from the three districts ever, and the number of schools that participated was the most ever as well. The large group brought great enthusiasm and spirit.

Building the Kingdom with faith opportunities was present from the very start with the opening liturgy led by Father Albert Kenney of La Salle Academy in Providence. The group began and ended each day with a prayer services that were led by schools throughout the three districts. The students led prayer services that provided time for personal reflection, and gave us symbols to remember them. The services were full of youthful spirit that energized the group through reflective songs and activities.

Service's role in Building the Kingdom came in the form of three days of service that saw students working in service sites that focused on caring for others from very young babies to a one-hundred year old woman. The opportunities for service were diverse as students served in infant care centers, childcare agencies, elderly care centers, disabled youth centers and soup kitchens. The sites allowed the students to care for others, and to learn about themselves as they reached out to others. The students came back from their days of service and spoke about the ways that they found themselves transformed by those they went to lend a helping hand.

Finally, the Community aspect of the Kingdom was present throughout the conference. From the opening icebreakers to the socials that ended our days the days were spent together. The students were sent out to volunteer with students from all over the east coast to build opportunities to meet new people. It was evident that the participants were becoming a strong community as they all came together from different schools to share some fellowship at work and leisure. At the final assembly the students expressed their understanding of the Kingdom of God by providing insights into how the time to come together in prayer, in serving others, and in time together changed their perceptions on the importance of living a life of Faith, Service and Community.
^{(Timothy Donovan)}

LLI Focusing Lasallian Spirituality on the Kingdom of God during Summer Assembly: The East Coast's third group of the Lasallian Leadership Institute (LLI) participants gathered on Manhattan College's campus in the Bronx, NY from July, 25-30 to concentrate on Lasallian Spirituality. The main presenters Fr. Kenan Osborne, OFM and Br. John Johnston, FSC focused the session on De La Salle's legacy of leading students to salvation by bringing them into the Kingdom of God. The role each of us to be good shepherds to our students was examined within the Catholic Church, the life of St. John Baptist De La Salle, and the growing Lasallian Mission of today. The week fostered discussions among the participants that went long after the presentation sessions.

Fr. Kenan's message that the Kingdom of God is present now posed an immediate call to action to all of us. His invitation to listen to God's call to expand the Kingdom now leads us to examine our roles as Lasallian educators to take part. Br. John's focus on De La Salle's central focus of salvation for the pupils of the Brothers' schools with a "human and Christian education" for the poor and children of artisans leads us to look at our role in the mission today. De La Salle's commitments that led from one to another that were driven by his desire to do God's work focused his spirituality on being a good shepherd to his students, and called him to found an order of teaching Brothers that continues this work long after his death. Br. John brought this mission into context today as it now has grown beyond France, Europe, religion, and expanded to lay colleagues.

Other events during week allowed the participants to go beyond merely looking at education as a job. Buttimer Institute (a three year summer session Lasallian studies program) graduate, Michael Cook of St. Mary's College in Moraga, CA, presented his one act play, Saint John Baptist De La Salle - Journey of a Man to the assembly to illustrate how De La Salle answered this call to be such a man, and founded a mission that grew into the Brothers of the Christian Schools and now is shared by lay partners of many faiths, women, men, and nationalities. On the final day, three participants were invited to give reaction presentations. The presenters represented three branches of our mission today a college prep high school, a college, and a child care agency. They shared their stories with triumphs and obstacles to accomplishing our roles in building the Kingdom. Dan Rhoton of St. Gabriel's Hall, a Philadelphia area program for court adjudicated boy's, spoke of the need to be countercultural to meet the needs of every young person we teach. Br. John summed up the week with the message that we are the ones God has chosen to carry on this mission. Thus, we must say yes to God's will to become the light our students need to be full members of God's Reign.
^{(Timothy Donovan)}

The New Teachers' Institute Provides a Lasallian Approach to Education: The fifth annual New Teachers' Institute came together on La Salle University's campus in Philadelphia, PA from August 2 - 5, 2004 to focus on teaching with a Lasallian approach. The sixty participants hailed from ministries throughout the Baltimore, LI-NE, New York Districts, and a few Lasallian Volunteers from other US Districts. This years' session included a new program for teachers new to the Lasallian network with prior educational experience. The traditional workshop focused on Lasallian values and approaches with a pragmatic classroom skills facet.

The fifteen participants that were new to Lasallian education were provided three main sessions. The first was an overview to Lasallian Educational Heritage presented by Br. Tom Lackey, FSC, New York District Auxiliary Visitor. Next, followed a presentation given by Br. Fred Mueller, FSC, LI-NE Districts' Director of Education. The final session focused on teaching in Lasallian schools by Mr. Jeffery Mancabelli, Principal of St. John's College High School of the Baltimore District.

The forty-five new teachers worked their way through the institute to acquire Lasallian approaches and classroom techniques. Leane Romani, Language Arts Instructor at La Salle Academy in Providence, spoke to the group on the Twelve Virtues of effective Lasallian educators. Other general sessions focused on Affective and Effective Teaching for Good Instruction led by Br. Jim Butler, FSC, Baltimore District Auxiliary Visitor and Classroom Management conducted by Br. Joe Wilkowski, FSC, Manhattan College Professor. Following the general sessions each new to education participant was grouped with mentors in their subject areas to focus on the basics of the different subjects and grade levels. The last night of the program four educators in Lasallian education came and shared their perspectives in a panel discussion format. The prayer services focused on reflecting on the upcoming year in education, and the socials gave community time to share thoughts and fellowship.
^{(Timothy Donovan)}

The "Order of Merit to the Democracy" Medal: De La Salle University, Bogota, Colombia, received the Order of Merit to the Democracy medal this past August 19, 2004, at formal ceremonies. The award was presented by the second permanent Constitutional Commission for foreign relations, foreign commerce, defense and national security and additional honors were presented from the Senate of the Republic of Colombia. Much was made of the University's 40 years of educational contributions in the education of Colombian professionals, its service to the country and the important tradition of the Brothers of the Christian Schools in the development of Colombia as a nation.

The Rector and the Vice-Rectors of the University were commended, as was the District Visitor of Bogota in his role as president of the Administrative Board. Also receiving commendation was the University's Administrative Board members and the Brother Secretary of the RELAL Region of Latin America.

En la fotografía, el Hno. Fabio Gallego Arias Rector de la Universidad de la Salle, recibiendo del Senador de la República Jairo Clopatofsky la Distinción "Orden Mérito a la Democracia."

Pictured is Brother Fabio Gallego Arias, Rector of De La Salle University, as he receives the "Order of Merit to the Democracy" distinction from the Senator of the Republic.
http://www.lasalle.edu.co/eventos/hnos/mensajes/superior.pdf
^{(Br. Edgar Figueroa Abrajim)}

The Guadalupana de La Salle Sisters held their 8th General Chapter in Cuernavaca Morelos (Mexico) from July 10th to 31st . Br. Antonio Botana, Secretary for Lasallian Associates, was present as Assesor for the Chapter.

The 32 Sister Capitulants examined their recent history and the aims that need a response nowadays and committed the Institute to continuing the story of their history without repeating the past. The following extracts from the Plan which the Chapter has drawn up for the Institute over the next six years, bear testimony to their decisive and creative attitude and their Lasallian charism :

“ The Sister Capitulants of the 8th General Chapter,
conscious that ‘the Lord wished the destiny of the Institute to be in the hands of the Sisters’ (Rule, 163), and that it is our duty to update and refound the charism of our Founder in a plan which cannot be simply a copy of what our Institute was at the time of its origins, since both society and the Church have changed and it is to them we owe our duty,
we affirm before our own Institute and before the other Lasallian Institutions and Associates, our conviction that we are the bearers of the charism of de La Salle and of wishing to live it in full in our condition of Guadalupana de La Salle Sisters;
We know that the greatest preoccupation of our Founder, Br.Juan Fromental Cayroche, was the evangelization of youth, the education of the poor.
It seems evident to us that the charism which he wished to transmit to his Institute was none other than the Lasallian charism, from which he had discovered a potential which up till then had been hidden and this is its capacity to be lived fully in feminine form, that is to say by the consecrated woman.
We see as necessary a discernment process at Institute level, which will help us to see the relation between the distinct actions carried out by the Sisters as part of the sole Mission of the Institute as well as indicating the options and priorities indicated by our aims.”

The Sister also elected the new General Council for the next six years.
Sister Ana Bertha Arcos Pardo is the new Superior General.
^{(Br. Antonio Botana)}

We create: A meeting of the Young Lasallians of ARLEP: Can you imagine giving up 7 days of your holidays to reflect on the Lasallian charism and increase it in yourself? The Young Lasallians of ARLEP (Spain and Portugal) have just finished living this experience during their regional meeting, held between August 1st and 7th in Tarragona and Barcelona. The motto of the meeting was ‘We believe – We create’, relating to the three values of our charism: FAITH, FRATERNITY, SERVICE.

The meeting was divided into two parts, the first in Tarragona, where prominence was given to reflection, formation and dialogue and the second in Barcelona, where experiences, both of service and of faith, were to the fore. During the first three days in Tarragona a day was set aside for each value (Faith-Fraternity-Service) and these were worked on in groups, workshops and seminars. In addition a dialogue was started between the Regional Sub-Commission on Youth Pastoral Ministry (made up of young people and Brothers), the International Council of Young Lasallians and the participants. In Barcelona service was lived by visiting and participating in some NGOs. The meeting ended with a eucharist at Our Lady of Montserrat after a pilgrimage filled with the spirit of faith and fraternity.

The participants filled their backpacks not only with personal enrichment but also with commitments to reinforce association both among young people and with the Brothers, and to continue, little by little, constructing a youth movement which will become stronger and stronger within the Lasallian family.
^{(ICYL@lasalle.org With the special collaboration of Txus Sánchez, District of Bilbao)}

Novices’ Vows: In July the Districts of Mexico were honoured by the presence of Br. Alvaro Rodriguez, Superior-General, on the occasion of the Vocational Congress for the American Continent which was held in the city of Guadalajara.

These days providentially coincided with the First Profession of Vows of the Novices who were concluding this stage of their lives exactly on the 31st, when Brothers, family members, collaborators and many people close to our charism, had arranged to be in the Parish of the Immaculate Conception of Moya in the city of Lagos de Moreno. Around 11.30 A.M. the Novices met with their sponsors for the taking of the habit, and other invited persons to begin the ceremony.

Before the eucharist there was a meeting with the Novices where Brother Superior, Br.Claude, the Brothers Visitors and the Directors of Formation listened to some personal experiences from those who were concluding and those who were beginning the Novitiate. The 19 Novices shared their experiences in a broad and wide-ranging manner, rich and full of the providential hand of God.

Following this, Fr. José Luis Aldana Wario, Rector of the Diocesan Seminary of San Juan de los Lagos concelebrated the eucharist with Fr.Victor Lizarde Rodríguez, parish priest, and three priests of the Congregation of the Mission. Of course, the closest and most special presence for all of us was that of Br.Alvaro and of Br. Claude, Councilor General, accompanied by Brothers Visitors Salvador Valle and Rodolfo Vivanco.

In his homily, Fr. José Luis developed in a clear and beautiful manner, the radical nature of our following of Christ and the characteristics which grow from this. Picking out some ideas, one could mention that the true knowledge of Christ is not a cultural or intellectual matter but rather a spiritual one. In this way we express the total giving and the clear and logical option which our life demands, to be consecrated to God in giving our lives for those which our society misunderstands as the rejected, the forgotten.

After that Br.Superior General delivered a short talk in which he showed the happiness of the whole Institute for the 8 newly-professed Brothers while sharing something of his own personal experience in the path of his formation and how this had positive effects on his family.

After the liturgical celebration all went to the Novitiate House to sign the official books recording each generation of professed Brothers and to take the official photo. Then everybody shared in a fraternal celebratory meal to give joy and encouragement to the new Brothers.

The names and Districts of the newly professed are:
Br. Joaquín Ricardo Aldana Martínez, Mexico North; Br.Mario Martín Barrios Castro, Mexico South; Br.Gabriel Samuel Figueroa Muñoz, Mexico South; Br.Jorge Armando Félix Valdez, Mexico North; Br.Ricardo Antonio Infante Pineda, Mexico South; Br.Moisés Mataamoros Muñoz, Mexico South; Br.Desiderio Azael Zaragoza Cortés, Mexico North.

Now that they find themselves in their new communities in the respective Scholasticates, we hope that God will bless them and that they will be faithful to the commitment to which God has called them. We unite in prayers for their perseverance and their happy and transparent testimony of life. We are confident that the young Brothers will continue contributing great ideas and lines of action so that we will be able to continue working miracles by means of Association for the Educational Service of the poor.
^{(Hno. Moisés Matamoros Muñoz)}

Lasallian Youth, collegians and moderators from the Midwest District gathered in Saint Louis, Missouri to celebrate “An Age of Discovery”. The theme of the gathering, which was held July 25 to August 1st, commemorates the exploration of the Louisiana Purchase by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark and the centennial World’s Fair of 1904. The ninety-six Lasallians ran a summer camp as the service portion of the gathering for sixty-seven children with special needs in cooperation TASK (Team Activities for Special Kids) and several other local agencies. Each day the children participated in dance, drama, art, science and sports accompanied by their Lasallian partners. The gathering was held on the new campus of Christian Brothers College High School.
^{(Brother Chuck Gregor, FSC)}

News from the Sudan: Because of the recent publicity given about the Sudan and especially about Darfour, it would be good to let all of our Lasallian family know how our Brothers are doing there. The Brothers’ community in the Sudan is located in Khartoum, which is 1000km from Darfour. The situation in Darfour has little direct impact on Khartoum except for demonstrations that take place there. It is difficult to understand what is going on because there is little transparency in terms of government affairs but the situation is certainly catastrophic.

It is also difficult to understand or predict international reaction to what is going on. In the last 10 years there has been little public outcry and international reaction about the war between the North and the South which has left more than 2 million dead and 4 million refugees displaced. It is estimated that 1 million of these refugees are now in the slum suburbs of Khartoum. It is to some of these refugees that our Brothers try to minister.

The educational system in the Sudan is in complete disarray. Those refugees who try to get an education find it almost impossible. Makeshift classrooms with 70 students are more the rule than the exception for these displaced people. There is little if any continuity in education for any number of reasons. Teachers are usually ill prepared and oftentimes have several jobs thus giving little attention to their pupils.

If you have news notes that you would like us to consider publishing, please email us:lasallew@lasalle.org