UPDATE (October 20): Brother John Johnston reports that his surgery is scheduled at Methodist University Hospital in Memphis on Tuesday, October 31. Please continue to remember John in your prayers.
^{(Br. Francis Carr)}

Memphis – USA: The Health of Brother John Johnston: Because of symptoms of discomfort experienced during the past few months, Brother John underwent a colonoscopy on Monday, October 9. Results indicated the presence of a colon tumor. A biopsy has revealed, according to the pathologist, that the tumor contains cancer cells.

Further studies are being scheduled to determine the best surgical treatment. These include a CAT scan and additional blood work. Following further tests, surgery will be scheduled to remove the tumor and a portion (about a foot) of the colon.

Future treatment will depend upon the complete findings at surgery. It is too early to tell if chemotherapy or radiation will be needed.

Please keep Brother John in your prayers during the days and weeks ahead.
^{(Br. John Blease)}

COLOMBO - SRI LANKA - The Situation of Our Brothers in Mannar and Adampan: The increase of violence in Sri Lanka, specially the hostilities between the Government Security Forces and the LTTE carders have been very much in the news in recent times.  Since January 2006, more than 1000 lives have been lost, while more than 200,000 have been rendered homeless.  Many have fled to India for refuge or moved to safer places in Sri Lanka itself.

Under this situation, the lives of our Brothers in the north in Mannar and Adampan, and their ministries have gone through severe strain.  Compared to other areas like Jaffna, Trinco and Batticaloa, the administrative District of Mannar has been less affected.  However a few nasty incidents around Mannar disturbed the fragile peace there too. 

The Brothers and the hostellers of De La Salle House, Mannar, had to go through a very frightening experience on a day in late June.  At about 7 p.m., a few policemen from the nearby check post had entered the house and threatened the Brothers at gun point, beat up a few boys and the assistant hostel warden.  This was a reaction to an attack on the said check post by an unknown person earlier that day.  Fortunately, an officer had come and taken the policemen away.  On the following day, high ranking officers from the police and military had come, made inquiries and re-assured the Brothers.  Thank God, no lives were lost in this incident.

The following are some information as I heard from the Brothers in my recent visit to Mannar.

The Hostel

After the incident described above, many parents had taken away their children from the hostel.  Only 52 out of 100 have returned after the holidays.  About 25 boys are unable to come back to the hostel as the check point to their area is closed for several weeks.

Many parents who are fisher folk and farmers are finding it difficult to pay the hostel fees as their trades have been affected by the prevailing security situation.

Two Brothers Stranded in Jaffna

Brothers Stanislaus [Principal of St. Xavier’s College] and Reginold [Vice –Principal of the school at Adampan (photo)] have been going to Jaffna University to follow week end courses for their Masters in Education.  When the fighting started around Jaffna peninsula, the two Brothers were in Jaffna.  They are living with the priests.  The only land route to Jaffna, the A- 9 road, has been kept closed for nearly a month.

Evacuation of about 10,000 people who want to come out of Jaffna by sea and air has been rather slow.  We hope and pray the two Brothers will come back safe and sound as soon as they get their turn.  They can be contacted by phone some times.
Note: Bro. Stanislaus came back by ship on 14th September evening.

Adampan Community and School

At the moment only Brother Selvathas is holding fort there.  According to him many families have moved to the Madu shrine, about 20 km away, for safety.  The school is officially open though attendance is down to 100.  The Parish Priest, Apostolic Carmel nuns and Bro. Selvathas stay in Adampan with the remaining few families.  Food and other essential commodities are scarce.  People survive with rice and locally available vegetables.

Vankalai School

At Vankalai, where Brother Vijeya is the school principal, some children and their families have gone away for safety, perhaps to India.  Few more are trying to leave.  Number of teachers who are from Jaffna have been unable to see their families for one month and are worried.

Mannar Nursery

The La Salle pre-school in Mannar, which was being conducted in a new building, has been temporarily moved closer to the Brothers house.  The nursery building is not safe as there is increased presence of security forces who are vulnerable to enemy attacks.

The purpose of the foregoing report is to inform the Brothers of the District and the Institute about a particularly difficult situation that some of our Brother are facing, and to request your understanding, prayers and Brotherly support.
^{(Br. Henry Dissanayake - Provincial Visitor)}

Lebanon - News from Lebanon: Life. Often all they can do is take note of the immense amount of damage and of the total loss of their belongings. Everything needs to be rebuilt. For the past month efforts to rebuild after clearing away the rubble are going ahead at a brisk pace and the prevailing atmosphere is contributing to a large degree to unity and solidarity between the different strata of society. It is very likely that from this disaster there will emerge a greater openness of heart and an opportunity for peace in the region.
The Lasallian establishments which opened their doors to the refugees have now recovered their calm. This was an opportunity for creating bonds with a section of the population which had suffered a lot and which up to now had been unknown to us.

Likewise, the activities organized for the children have ended, since they have returned to their villages or neighbourhoods. This period gave an opportunity to Young Lasallians, teachers and members of Signum Fidei, to devote themselves to this suffering population and to truly live the service and fraternity which characterize every Lasallian.

The new school year is due to start on October 9th. It will have question marks hanging over it : will all the pupils be back, since some have been evacuated to Europe and beyond, with their parents? Will all the teachers be at their posts, since some made no secret of their wish to emigrate?....not to mention the fact that the existing financial problems will have been increased by the air and sea blockade which was only lifted on September 7th. Will the families be able to face up to paying the school fees? We run the risk of losing pupils for this reason, even though we are offering every facility for resolving this problem.

In spite of all the difficulties, the Lebanese people are recovering hope and, with tenacity and courage, they are picking themselves up after these somber and painful times.
^{(Br. Jean-Claude Hérault)}

MORAGA - USA - Lasallian Student Leaders 2006: “Teenagers.” Oftentimes society tends to associate that word with laziness, trouble, and disrespect. On July 16, 2006, however, a group of teenagers who fit a very different profile exploded through the doors of Saint Mary’s College of California in Moraga. Full of enthusiasm and excitement, more than 170 students, from fifteen high schools in seven states, gathered to spend a week together on the campus of the De La Salle Christian Brothers’ premier college in the West. It was the third annual Lasallian Student Leaders conference, a summer gathering sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers’ District of San Francisco (the western province of the Christian Brothers). Each year at Lasallian Student Leaders (LSL), students work together, with their faculty moderators and a volunteer staff of Lasallian Collegians, to deepen their understanding of the Lasallian educational mission, to develop leadership skills, and to establish collaborative relationships among schools.

This year’s LSL was the largest yet, involving more than 210 participants. The week was, as always, an intense mixture of work, training, brainstorming, planning, coordinating, and executing. “At first it was hard to open up because you didn’t know anyone.” said Sarah Wright of Denver’s J.K. Mullen High School. “But I realized that we actually had something in common when we all asked Saint John Baptist de la Salle to pray for us. That made it easier to open up.”

What the participants have in common is that they are being educated in the tradition of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, founded by Saint John Baptist de La Salle more than 320 years ago. The mission of the De La Salle Christian Brothers is “to give a human and Christian education to the young, especially the poor.” A popular way of expressing the values that underlie that educational mission, one widely used at our high schools, is the statement of five core principles that a Lasallian school should embody: These principles are Faith in the Presence of God; Respect for All Persons; Concern for the Poor and for Social Justice; Quality Education; and Inclusive Community. LSL gives students who hold leadership positions in their high schools the opportunity to come together to discuss how their school community is being guided by these principles and how they as student leaders can help.

Throughout the week each student attended a number of school and committee meetings, where each group was given a specific responsibility (a dance, banquet, rally, or media presentation) to coordinate. Here, the students who were strangers when they met learned how to work together positively and effectively together. Prayer and liturgy, skits and socializing, meals together and nightly mini-dances topped off by the big dance, were among the many activities that let students bond and form community. The students were also entertained and challenged by guest speakers.
^{(Tanya Susoev)}

Tanya Susoev is a graduate of Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory in San Francisco
and is now a Lasallian Collegian, attending the University of San Diego.

WISCONSIN - USA - Midwest Lasallian Youth gathering: Congratulations to Jeff Daffner and the entire Roncalli - Manitowoc campus ministry team for a very successful Midwest Lasallian Youth gathering last week! Being with all the kids, doing service, and experiencing the tremendous hospitality of Jeff and the Roncalli folks was a big boost for our kids and a great start to the new school year!

Here an excerpt of the article published in August in the MANITOWOC Herald Time Reporter in Winconsin: More than 100 high school and college students are returning to their hometowns today with changed hearts and minds.

"Lasallian Youth strives to answer the call of all poor around us. Mother Teresa said that those who are poor in possessions are richer still than those who are poor in spirit," said Sara Masarik, campus minister at Roncalli.

Lasallian Youth serve at local pantries, work with Habitat for Humanity, are tending to a garden on the school grounds with the produce to be donated, and tutor struggling students at Roncalli, as well as at the San Juan Diego Middle School in Racine.

Masarik said Roncalli students serve the "socially poor" by visiting shut-ins and nursing homes, and the "spiritually poor" by running retreats and serving in parishes.

The theme of the camp was "Simply Love," reflecting a Mother Teresa invitation: "Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier."

You can read an article about the gathering HERE.
^{(News: Midwest District)}

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