San Francisco Beginnings

Our District of San Francisco was founded in 1868 when the Brothers came to conduct Saint Mary's College then in San Francisco. Over the two decades following their arrival, the numerous institutions established by the District reflected the growth and development of the Brothers' educational mission on the West Coast of the United States. The early Brothers came mostly from New York, Prince Edward Island in Nova Scotia and Ireland.

With the opening of the novitiate in 1879 in Martinez, California, an interesting chapter in the history of the District began. On the Novitiate site was a small vineyard, and from these beginnings the District's Christian Brothers Winery was born. The winery's phenomenal growth and financial success allowed the Brothers to finance many of its works. The winery was eventually sold in 1989 and is no longer an enterprise of the District.

When the Second Vatican Council took place in the mid-1960's, the District had over 250 Brothers with a number of them serving in overseas missions, notably in the Philippines, Africa, and at Bethlehem University in Palestine. The Brothers then worked in 11 schools and taught over 5,000 students.  A subsequent decrease in vocations by nearly 50%, and a resulting dramatic increase in the Brothers' median age, paralleled similar changes in many religious orders and in the diocesan priesthood.

Today there are just over 120 Brothers in the District who, in association with almost 700 colleagues, minister to more than 9,000 students in California, Oregon and Washington. In the District the Brothers conduct Saint Mary's College of California, ten secondary schools, one middle school, one elementary school, four community-based educational centers for young people and adults, a retreat and conference center, and a recovery facility for adult victims of substance abuse.

In spite of the decline in the number of Brothers, our association with Lasallian Partners over the years has allowed the District to continue to expand its ministries. In recent years, two significant works have been started are the De Marillac Middle School in San Francisco and De La Salle North Catholic High School in Portland Oregon.

De Marillac Middle School

In September, 2001, Principal Catherine Ronan welcomed the first class of sixth graders to the new De Marillac Middle School, which opened in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood. The school is jointly sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers and the Daughters of Charity, who together also conduct nearby Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory, and is named for the Daughters' founder, Saint Louise De Marillac, the Patron Saint of Social Workers. The Tenderloin district is an area of San Francisco hard hit by poverty, homelessness, and crime. Hope is hard to come by, for young people in particular. De Marillac Middle School will provide young people in the Tenderloin with a safe and nurturing place in a new coeducational middle school serving grades 6-8. The school is located at the former Saint Boniface School site at the parish of the same name, headquarters to numerous Catholic social outreach programs conducted by the Franciscan Brothers and Fathers, including Saint Anthony's Dining Room. Modeled after three San Miguel schools conducted by the De La Salle Christian Brothers in the East and Midwest, the new school will provide an intensive, dynamic, and value-oriented Catholic education for inner-city youth who are being lost for a lack of educational opportunity. The goal of the school is to bridge the educational deficits of low-income students who are far below grade level in basic skills, so that in three years' time they can comfortably compete in the most demanding high school programs in San Francisco.

Visit the De Marillac Middle School web site for more information.

De La Salle North Catholic High School

In September, 2001, De La Salle North Catholic High School opened its doors and welcomed its first freshman class. Over the next several years, all four grade levels will be represented.

What is most unique about De La Salle North Catholic High School is that it is the second high school in the nation to offer a college-preparatory education made affordable by a corporate internship program in which every student works one day a week while also attending school full-time. Modeled after the internship program at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Chicago, a carefully structured master schedule allows students to job-share a responsible office job while achieving a college-preparatory education. De La Salle North Catholic is the first high school in the nation to adopt the corporate internship model that Cristo Rey pioneered. Cristo Rey, which serves an inner-city area where dropout rates from public high school are staggeringly high, sends more than 75 percent of its graduates to college.

Corporate sponsors contract with the St. Joseph the Worker Corporate Internship Program at De La Salle North Catholic to fill clerical and professional office jobs. Each job is shared by several students, and though each student works one full day per week at the job site, the school day and the school year are extended and designed so that no student forfeits any classroom time. The fees paid by the corporate sponsors go to the school, and the school in turn can keep tuition far lower than it would otherwise be.

But to succeed, preparation and support are essential. All students attend a special training program to practice the skills they'll be required to use, and to learn about dress, behavior, and accountability. Students are accompanied to and from their offices, and they have regular discussions with Worker Program staff about how their work is going. The work schedule and academic schedule are linked, so the focus on school is never lost, because the work is part of school life. The students don't neglect homework or friends or sports or activities to hold down a needed job. And they aren't alone in their endeavors, because each full-time job is shared among a team.

The Changing Face  of Leadership

In recent years our Lasallian Partners have welcomed the challenge of leadership in our District. In 1988 our District had 9 major institutions all under the leadership of Brothers. Today, 21 institutions are under the leadership of 6 Brothers, 12 lay men and 3 lay women. In order to respond to the request of the 43^rd General Chapter, a District Assembly on Mission was held at Saint Mary's College of California in Moraga. The 140 Assembly delegates will included Brothers and Associates formulated direction for the District's Lasallian educational mission for the next four years. Decisions made by the Assembly will be reviewed by the Brothers' Eleventh District Chapter convening in October 2002.

Regional Novitiate

The District of San Francisco currently hosts the Regional Novitiate for the USA/Toronto Region. The Novitiate is located north of San Francisco at Mont La Salle, which is also the headquarters of the District's Visitor and Leadership Team. Mont La Salle is also the retirement center for the Brothers of the District. At the present time, 15 retired Brothers live at Mont La Salle and are cared for by a full staff of other Brothers and lay men and women.

As we look to the future, we are heartened by the experience of working so closely with our Lasallian partners in Mission. While there have certainly been a number of changes to our District over its 134 years, we look forward to continuing the Spirit as Saint John Baptist de La Salle by responding to the needs of those young people entrusted to our care.  

For more information about the District of San Francisco, visit www.delasalle.org.