|
 The District of Bogota
By: Bro. Jorge Solano |
Bogota Beginnings: The Brothers' presence in Colombia began in 1890, when they were called there by Bishop Bernardo Herrera Restrepo. Several French and Ecuadorian Brothers were the pioneers of the work in Colombia. The first Brothers established their first community in the city of Medellin The first De La Salle Brothers arrived in Bogota in 1983. Quickly houses were founded in various cities and town throughout the country. Due to the topography and the limited means of transportation it was thought advisable to create two Districts out of the prosperous District of Colombia. And so in 1928 the District of Bogota and the District of Medellin came into being.
 The works of the District of Bogota are situated near the eastern part of the Magdalena River, Colombia's chief river, in 7 Provinces and in the capital city of the District of Bogota. Within the city of Bogota are the Provincial house, the houses of formation, La Salle University and six primary and secondary educational institutions. There are 120 of us Brothers and in our District we serve in 27 educational works which in turn serve boys and girls and young people from the middle and low socioeconomic classes.
Recent programs for the poor: Besides the educational service in the State schools, where the majority of students have few resources, the District is heading up educational programs in the rural areas that are affected by violence. Less than one year ago the Reliquia (a neighborhood) School was started in the eastern plains, under the auspices of the La Salle School educational community in Villavicencio. In addition, there have been agreements made with the government for teacher training for those who work in areas where access to formal education is difficult. The Brother Scholastics have taken on the leadership of an educational work in an area of extreme poverty near the city of Bogota, in an area called the Cazucá Heights.
 Collaborators in Mission: In the Lasallian spirit of Bogota, the first collaborators in mission have always been the lay teachers. They are currently carrying out special formation programs for teachers using the spirituality of Saint John Baptist de La Salle. They have strengthened the School for Teachers programs in several of our educational centers. In most of our institutions they themselves run the spiritual retreats for teachers. In the same way at the District level there are schools for the formation of leaders and catechists aimed at the formation of young people with leadership traits. The District held its First Assembly of Lasallians Committed to the Educational Mission, whose objectives were to become familiar with the different experiences in favor of the poor and excluded that exist in each of the District's works and to continue to a process of reflection and action on the challenges that are demanded of us today along these lines in Colombia. By a decision of the District Chapter, there was created the CINSE (Educational Services and Research Center) where different levels of participation as regards pedagogical and spiritual reflection are being developed. The university pastoral ministry program supports high student, teacher, and parent participation which nurtures the Lasallian philosophy. The District is aware that the joint effort of former students from our institutions is a task that needs to be adopted.
 Brother Formation: In addition to the above, Brother formation is initially aimed toward the study of the Educational Sciences, with a specialty in Religious Studies at La Salle University. Since 1973 this program has been followed beginning in the postulancy and culminating in the scholasticate. Recently these initial studies have been complemented with greater emphasis in Philosophy. When the Brothers leave the scholasticate they receive the degree of Licentiate in education. The young Brothers are accompanied by a Brother who looks after their comprehensive growth. Formation fro the other Brothers is carried out by means of their participation in sessions organized by RELAL (Latin-American Lasallian Region) or by the Institute, such as the CIL and SIEL programs. In accord with District possibilities they study abroad, especially in theology, pastoral ministry or catechesis programs.
Work with senior Brothers: Our senior Brothers can live in the communities they select, in accord with their health status, the vow of obedience and the recommendations of the Brother Visitor. So in several communities they are living examples of De La Salle Brothers and they make excellent spiritual leaders. There is also an assisted-living house, in Fusagasugá, where senior Brothers need more health care. They live happily there and some of them take up tasks appropriate to their age such as editing their memoirs or deepening their prayer life. Some of them even continue with educational efforts, according to their physical abilities.
 Vocations: The District of Bogota is a young District with many vocations. The postulants are joined each year by generous young people who have graduated from our educational institutions. The Brother novices make an inter-District novitiate in Rionegro, Antiochia, along with other novices from Ecuador and Medellin. The Brother Scholastics heartily support the pastoral ministry programs in the schools in Bogota. And many young Brothers are a youthful presence of the charism amidst the educational works in eight other cities in the country.
The District has a significant presence in the mission in Haiti with several Brothers there and they have taken up this position by means of an agreement with the Brothers from Francophone Canada.
The District Youth Pastoral Ministry Program and the Plan Ruta (Vocation Discernment Program) have yielded excellent results in maintaining our works. Each day the preferential option for the poor and excluded of our society gathers more force on the part of the new generations of Brothers.
At the District leadership level, the Brother Visitor has a government community made up of the Secretary for Vocation and Youth Pastoral Ministry, the Secretary of Education, and the District Bursar. With the decisions of the 43rd General Chapter and the 11th District Chapter in mind, this government community has designed and is implementing within the District what is known as THE PLAN OF GOVERNMENT. |
|
