 The 43rd General Chapter (May & June 2000): There is not time today to give an overview of Lasallian Youth programs around the Institute. However, I encourage you to share with and to learn from one another during these days here in Rome.
For a good District program, you might want to learn about the Young Lasallians of the District of French Canada. For a good national program, you might want to learn about the Young Lasallians of the District of France. For a good inter-national program, you might want to learn about the Young Lasallians of the District of Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea.
To understand the emerging international movement of Young Lasallians, it is good to call to mind some words that can be found in the Message from the 43rd General Chapter: “To all of you who desire to identify yourselves more closely with Lasallian mission or spirituality … we commit ourselves to take seriously every effort at association.”
 The World Youth Day in Rome (August 2000): About 1,500 Young Lasallians from all around the world lived here at the property of the Casa Generalizia. About 200 of them met here in this Chapter Hall with Brother Superior, Brother Claude, and myself and (a) committed themselves to assist us and to participate in the Institute’s association on behalf of the poor and (b) asked us to help them strengthen the international links and connections of Young Lasallians around the world. A delegation from Canada asked for the support of Brother Superior and the General Council in their organization of an international colloquium to pursue the association of Young Lasallians in an international movement.
 The Colloquium of Young Lasallians in Quebec (July 2002): About 150 Young Lasallians from all around the world met for one week in July 2002. They committed themselves (a) to work with the Institute in its commitment to the poor and expressed a desire (b) to respond to the invitation of Pope John Paul II to help in the formation of “a civilization of love.”
They reached four conclusions during the meeting: (a) it was too soon to launch an international movement; (b) a better knowledge of what was happening with Lasallian Youth groups around the world was needed; (c) the strengthening of the work of Lasallian Youth groups on the local level was the priority; and (d) an international council of Young Lasallians should be established by Brother Superior to continue the reflection about these matters.
 The Creation of the International Council of Young Lasallians (January 2003): The participants in the Quebec 2002 Colloquium and the Visitors of the world were asked by Brother Superior to propose members for the International Council of Young Lasallians. In January 2003, the Council was named; and it has already met twice. The membership is inclusive of Brothers and Postulants, Lasallian Volunteers, present and former Lasallian students, Lasallian teachers and school administrators, members of District teams and commissions, married and single persons, men and women.
In my work with them, I sense (a) their commitment to the life and the mission of the Institute, (b) their strong desire to be protagonists in the work of Lasallian Youth groups, and (c) their hope to be involved and included in the meetings and assemblies that are happening on District, Regional, and International levels. One of them recently said to me, “It is good that the 6,000 Brothers are collaborating so well with the 80,000 Lasallian Partners, but I hope that you don’t forget to include the millions of us who are students and former students as Lasallian mission and the Lasallian Family moves into the future.”
 Present Projects and Priorities: There is much good work with Lasallian Youth groups happening in many parts of the world. The people on the local level have been responsible for this.
The International Council is working very hard (a) to know better what is happening on the local level and (b) to help communicate the good news of what is happening to others. So far we are doing this principally through participation in local initiatives, through articles in District publications, and through the use of the publications and web site of the Institute.
 For example, we have been happy to communicate information to the Institute about such things as: (a) the multi-national gathering of Young Lasallians, such as that of Europeans that was hosted in Poland in July of 2003 – a pilgrimage to the monastery of the Black Madonna and to the concentration camp of Auschwitz; (b) the integral involvement of Young Lasallians in the Lasallian educational mission,  such as that of Lasallian Volunteers, former Volunteers, and their families at De La Salle School for the Native American people of the Blackfeet Nation in Montana, North America; and (c) the annual “vacation missions” in some sectors, such as that of the District of Sao Paolo, Brazil, where Young Lasallians give witness to their faith for one week among the poor in villages and are helped to find God and love in their outreach to others.
 We are even now waiting to share photos and an article of a gathering of some 200 Young Lasallians of all of Italy in April here in Rome at the Casa Generalizia. This is a good example of Young Lasallians and Young Brothers of a District constructing together a national movement.
Your assistance is needed with information if ICYL (International Council of Young Lasallians) will be able to help form a network of Lasallian Youth around the world. Please fill out and return to me the form, which has been placed in your mailboxes today, requesting information about those responsible for Lasallian Youth groups in your District.
A Second International Colloquium of Young Lasallians: Finally, with the support and approval of Brother Superior and the General Council, the Regions of ARLEP (Spain & Portugal) and of Italia have been asked – one or the other – to host a second international colloquium of Young Lasallians in July of 2005. We hope that during these days the Visitors of the Regions will come to some agreement about this request.
We continue on this road in fidelity to the Message of the 43rd General Chapter: “To all … [including Young Lasallians] who desire to identify yourselves more closely with Lasallian mission or spirituality … we commit ourselves to take seriously every effort at association.” Thank you.
|
