Hong Kong – China - The Executive Committee of UMAEL meets in Hong Kong: The Executive Committee of UMAEL held its annual meeting at La Salle College, Hong Kong on November 18th and 19th 2006. The meetings are usually held in the regions from which the members of the Committee come. This time it was the turn of Hong Kong, a distant city, unknown to most members of the Committee. The welcome by our friend, Nicholas Ng, member of the UMAEL Committee, by the offices of the Past Pupils’ Associations of Hong Kong and by the Brothers was extraordinary and very fraternal. We were also able to visit three Lasallian establishments in the city: La Salle College, La Salle Primary which was just beside it and St.Joseph’s College. The establishments would make many a Lasallian Director envious: complete and ultra-modern equipment, thanks, among other efforts, to the work of searching for funds by the past pupils.

On the agenda for the Committee Meeting: news from the Federations and Associations in the Lasallian Regions and above all - study and approval of the agenda for the next WORLD CONGRESS OF UMAEL, which will take place in PANAMA from October 24th to 28th 2007.
^{(Br.Claude Reinhardt)}

Valencia-Venezuela -The Process of our Educational Vine - 23rd  Lasallian Pastoral Pastoral Days of the District of Valencia-Venezuela: From October 26th to 28th 2006, a large group of Brothers and Lay Lasallians who were gathered together in the “CASUPO” House of Formation of Valencia-Venezuela for the 23rd District Pastoral Days, reflected on their experience as Christian educators. The meeting was framed within a dynamic of trying to offer spaces and moments of reflection, study, interchange of experiences and prayer around the spirituality of the Christian teacher.

All the activity was developed with a motivation and atmosphere which gave it a special significance and which was the methodological guide for dealing with the diverse periods of reflection, sharing and prayer: “THE PROCESS OF OUR EDUCATIONAL-PASTORAL VINE”.
We were happy to have present our Brothers from FLASA (La Salle Foundation) and representatives from two ‘brother’ institutions: Colegio Mons.Salustiano Crespo and the Education Unit “La Zaragoza”.

We  tried to make use of the days to promote the spiritual renewal of the pastoral life of the ‘wineskins’ – education centres based on our own spiritual renewal (new wines) as Christian educators.

For this purpose we sought to promote the ‘vines’ – lives, vineyards – the vine shoots of our centres, especially the ‘vines’ which are our targets: children and young students. The intention was not just to beautify the ‘wine cellars’, but to work in them, trample on the grapes, squeeze them, preserve them, dry them, taste them,….educate,….evangelize. We were looking for some biblical metaphors and the iconography on the true vine led us to produce and consume the new and good wine so that our education work in the pastoral sense would be a wine that would give enthusiasm to our lives but not intoxicate them.
We feel that we offered attractive and cheerful days, like a wine that is drunk, like a feast that is shared with prayer, reflection and especially the Eucharist as the toast – a banquet of fraternity par excellence.
^{(Educational Pastoral Ministry Team - Mr. Gerardo Lugo and Brother Luigi Manganiello)}

Mainohana - Papua New Guinea - Towards greater heights - Indian Brothers in PNG: What a great day it is! It is a historic day! The first three Indian Missionaries Bro. Xavier, Bro Jeyaseelan and Bro. Antony have been commissioned to go and work in PNG. A great collaboration with the District of Australia New Zealand Papua New Guinea! Three of our best men have been chosen and they have accepted it whole-heartedly. It is the land of ‘unexpected things’. Trusting God’s providence and having faith in the Brothers there, they have offered themselves to go and work in PNG.

It is a sign of maturity for the Delegation of India. A great sign of growth and development! It is also the beginning of a new chapter in the Delegation History. This will give hope to the PARC in a special way. For all these years we have been blessed with missionary Brothers from Sri Lanka, Spain, France, England, Ireland, United States and Australia. Their spirit is still hovering over. That same great missionary spirit blesses these Brothers too.

A Commissioning Mass was arranged on 12th November. Most of the Brothers were present to congratulate them and pray for them. Bro Xavier, one of the missionaries, gave a homily on their mission in PNG. Everybody was spell bound. A felicitation program was organised by the Lasallian Youth Movement. Participants from different institutions exposed their talents and congratulated the Brothers.

Finally, on 19th November they left the Indian shore for that ‘promised land’. They were given a cultural welcome at Hohola. They will have an immersion program before they actually get into the mission.
^{(Bro. Arockiadoss, fsc., President)}

South Bronx – USA - Highbridge Community Life Center in New York City: The “Highbridge Community Life Center” was one of two neighborhood non-profit organizations recently awarded US $200,000 by the Bank of America through its annual Neighborhood Excellence Initiative for its “work to promote positive change in the New York community.”

Founded by the Dominican Sisters, there have been Lasallian Volunteers and Brothers of the New York and LI-NE Districts involved for many years now in this extraordinary Lasallian work in service of the poor. The Highbridge neighborhood in the South Bronx, a part of the poorest Congressional District in the USA, is a distressed but resilient neighborhood that struggles daily with deteriorating housing, illiteracy, violence, domestic abuse, and high rates of AIDS, cancer, and heart disease.

The other organization to have received this award as a Neighborhood Builder in 2006 was “Heart of Brooklyn.” (In this photograph, Executive Director Brother Edward Phelan is the fourth from the left.)
^{(Br. Bill Mann)}

INDIA - Vocations in India: A vocational perspective – Open letter : “Ask God that he will be pleased to make “Ask your insititute grow and bear fruit day by day” – st. Lasalle.

Dear Brothers and Lasallians,

I have called to be fishers of men. For the past four months I have been doing recruitment mission in southern part of India. As you all know that India is a source and base of many religions. Though it has different religions the people of India are united in the name of Indian.

In India the people are divided in two catagories as majority and minority. The Hindu people come under majority. Christians and Muslims and others come under minority catogories. Here in India the size of Christians is small especially the Roman Catholic.
So for I have covered eight dioceses of Tamil nadu. There were 148 schools were adressed. The response of the students is quite remarkable. There were 680 students given their green signal to join our istitute. Out of 680 students if 30 students join us I would be very happy.
The major problems I faced:

• Since the size of the catholic familiy is small in number the students are not ready to join. The main cause is that in each family they have a male and a female child because of this the number of recruitment is going down.'
• The second major prblem is camparision between priesthood and Brotherhood. Due to the misguidence of some parish priest and nuns most of the students would like to become priest than religious Brother.
• The third major problem is most of the parents prefer their children to become a priest than religious Brother.

Come and See program in the Diocese of Dindigul:

There were 140 students given their name to join our institute in the diocese of Dindigul. I have send invitation for come and see program. Out of 140 students only 34 students attended. The one-day program was well organized. There were seven Brothers helped me to make this program meaningful. All the students enjoyed well. They learned more about our holy founder St. Lasalle, our charism and our mission in an around the world.

Dear Brothers and Lasallians please continue to remember all young Indians and pray for their good vocation, especially our Brothers in India. Let the mission of our Brothers attract more young people.
Servant of God
^{(Brother Jegan,Fsc,- India)}

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