Saturday - November 4th
Final Day of the International Assembly
A joyful and hopeful ending to an historical event
 Our last day’s work began with the prayer, “Here I am Lord, I come to do your will.” This certainly was in the hearts of all the delegates, as we began our discernment of the Areas of Emphasis contained in the final working document.
We were reminded of the Assembly’s prophetic authority and the importance of our participation in setting priorities for the Lasallian family.
Row by row, we passed to the Salon John Paul II, where we each marked five Areas of Emphasis we consider priorities.
 The Steering Committee explained that all the Areas of Emphasis are important and would be included in the final report of the International Assembly, but that it was necessary to especially highlight accents among these priorities for the Lasallian family.
The Writing Committee from the MEL and Association Committees will consolidate the final document of the International Assembly, which will be distributed to the entire Lasallian world in January.
The representatives of the groups which suggested schema to organize the Orientations for the final document, presented their integrated proposal. The Assembly analyzed and commented upon the scheme and it was passed to the Writing Committee to be incorporated into the final document.
 The last working session of the International Assembly was in the Intercultural Groups with which we began our work two weeks ago. This was a wonderful exercise to come full circle and be with the associates, now friends, with whom we began this journey.
We were asked to write three phrases or ideas to express a message to the Lasallian world about not only the work we did with our heads, but also with our hearts.
When we returned to the Aula Magna, our phrases and ideas were read aloud like a litany of shared hopes, ambitions, passions and commitments.
We hope that these words will help to convey some of the emotional colors of our experience during the Assembly and our dreams for the future.
 The closing session of the International Assembly, Saturday afternoon, was crowned by the beautiful and inspiring words of the Superior General, Brother Alvaro Rodriguez, “New Wine in New Wineskins”.
Brother Alvaro shared our joy and thankfulness to God for permitting us to gather together Lasallians from every continent, but he also reflected upon the realities to which we should respond. Our mission is to help all youth become men and women “for others”, especially the poor and excluded and to educate young people in values which give meaning to their existence.
Brother Alvaro focused on two particular realities which he challenged us not to distance ourselves: the phenomenon of immigration and the tragedy of hunger. “If children are the very heart of our Lasallian mission, what is the ‘sign of the times’ telling us?”
Just as in his words on the first day of the Assembly, Brother Alvaro, reminded us that “the Spirit of God is the great protagonist in our Lasallian adventure.”
He ended his remarks with the following words:
“When you return…bring with you a message of hope and a word of courage….Let everyone see the fire of an unstoppable ardent passion in our eyes and let it become contagious.”
A standing ovation by the whole Assembly was the only way we could spontaneously express agreement and acceptance of his words.
 Gery Short ended the session with special thanks to all the numerous groups, committees, commissions, staff and individuals who worked to organize, support and guide the Assembly. The General Council and the Brothers’ Community of the Casa Generalizia were thanked for sharing their home with us. Brother Paulo Fossati, in the name of the Assembly, thanked Gery for his leadership as President of the Assembly.
In the evening, Brother Michael French introduced our final Eucharist together, as the closing of a cycle: Two weeks ago, we began with a gathering. We then shared the Word in our midst. Finally, as part of this last liturgy, we were symbolically sending or commissioning one another by anointing each other’s hands.
The joyous hymns, music and dancing of our Mass continued through the reception, dinner and party afterwards.
As the delegates began to leave, we remembered the verse from the song, the “Color of Hope”, which Brother Alvaro had shared with us:
“Knowing that you can, wanting to be able to,
getting rid of the fears, turning them inside out
painting the face the color of hope,
tempting the future with the heart”
Live Jesus in our hearts…
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