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A Glossary: Specialized Terms in Lasallian Usage
Compiled by Brother Brendan Kneale, FSC
This glossary will serve as a dictionary for terms which might not be familiar to every Lasallian Partner. The terms defined pertain primarily to Church and Institute matters and are, in effect, technical. The definitions are brief and concise, and will help in understanding the Lasallian language. An asterisk indicates a word that is defined in the glossary.
Affiliated Member: a layman or laywoman formally honored by the Institute as a member
of a special group of individuals who have served Lasallian* ideals in some
extraordinary way; the affiliate may use the initials ‘AFSC’ after his or her name to
indicate Affiliated Brother* of the Christian Schools.
Apostolate: the kind of work to which the Church through its various agencies sends
people and institutions on mission*.
Aspirants: men who are seriously considering, usually in a non- residency program,
whether or not they are called by God to become Christian Brothers*.
Assembly: A convention held once every several years for Brothers* and colleagues from
the entire Region*.
Benefactor: a title of honor given by the Institute to a man or woman who has provided
extraordinary material help to the work of the Institute*.
Benilde Religious and Charitable Trust: an endowed foundation which provides funds for
the Institute’s Service to the Poor program, including tuition aid to District schools, and
support for other educational works.
Brother: title given to vowed religious of the Brothers of the Christian Schools.
Comparable to titles such as ‘Sister,’ ‘Father,’ ‘Reverend.’ Commonly used in other
religious orders to denote a vowed religious who is not an ordained priest.
Campus Ministry: a program in a secondary school or college which fosters Christian
service and spirituality through activities, liturgies, retreats and prayer.
Canon Law: the Code of Canon Law (latest revision published in 1983) contains some
1680 canons,or official regulations, governing Roman Catholic cardinals, bishops, priests,
Brothers*, Sisters, institutes*, laity, parishes, schools, sacraments, etc.
Canonical: an adjective used to describe any person or action that conforms to the
requirements of Canon Law*, such as a Visitor* or a formal visitation.
C A P: An acronym for Community Annual Program; a set of policies and practices
renewed and revised each year at special meetings of each community of Christian
Brothers* in an effort to better adapt the Rule* and District* regulations to local
conditions.
C A P S O: California Association of Private School Organizations.
C B S: Christian Brothers Services, a company headquartered in Illinois and created by
the Brothers* of the Midwest to offer to religious* orders and their enterprises a variety of
insurance coverage.
C B I S: Christian Brothers Investment Services.
C B E B T: Christian Brothers Employee Benefit Trust.
C C C: California Catholic Conference [of Bishops].
C C C S: California Catholic Conference of Superintendents.
Centro La Salle: A free educational center in Tijuana, Mexico, operated by the San
Francisco District* and the North Mexico District*.
Charism: a grace or spiritual gift given to those in apostolic* or missionary work in the
service of others; e.g., the gifts of preaching, prophecy and healing are charisms; the
term is sometimes applied to entire institutes* as well as to individuals.
C I L: acronym from the Italian for International Lasallian Center, a program conducted
at the Christian Brothers’ Motherhouse* in Rome, in which Brothers* and Lasallian*
Sisters from around the world are trained for various leadership positions.
C M S M: Conference of Major Superiors of Men.
Community: a religious* community is a canonically* recognized group of individuals
who belong to a religious* institute* and live together in the same residence according to
the Rule* of that institute*; the building in which they reside is often referred to as the
‘community house’; the term can be used to mean the whole of an institute*.
Congregation: often used synonymously with order* and institute* for an officially
recognized religious group.
Contacts: men who indicate an interest in becoming a Christian Brother and with whom
the Brothers remain in contact as they discern their life's vocation.
Continuing Formation Committee: A committee of Brothers who assist in fostering the
ongoing personal, spiritual and professional development of Brothers who have made
their final vows*.
Convocation: an annual convention of Brothers* from the District*, similar to an
assembly*; the occasion at which Brothers* celebrating a jubilee* (anniversary) are
honored in company with Affiliated Members*.
Coordinator of Continuing Formation: a Christian Brother* who is a member of the
District Leadership* Team and who coordinates the activities and programs designed to
further the development of Brothers* who have made their final vows*.
Coordinator of Lasallian School Boards: a member of the District Leadership* Team who
oversees the work of the Boards of Trustees for Lasallian secondary schools and acts as
liaison between them and the Lasallian Education Corporation (LEC)*.
Coordinator of Lasallian Formation: a Christian Brother* who develops, coordinates,
executes, and promotes Lasallian resources and education for the formation of Lasallian
mission awareness among lay partners, members of Boards of Trustees, and Brothers.
Coordinator of Lasallian School Programs: a member of the District Leadership* Team
who oversees District* programs of education and formation of students, school
personnel, and Boards of Trustees in Lasallian* values.
Councillor: a Brother* chosen to assist the Superior General* and his Vicar* in
administrative work of the Institute* at the Motherhouse* in Rome.
D L S I: De La Salle Institute*.
Deacon: a member of the clergy ordained to provide service to a parish or diocese* as a
preacher and as a minister of certain sacraments, but who does not celebrate Mass*.
Declaration: The Declaration is a document prepared in 1966, prior to a revision of The
Rule* by the general chapter*, meant to provide, in common language, an understanding
of the spirit, purpose, and work of the Brothers*.
De La Salle Institute: the headquarters and legal name of the Brothers* of the District* of
San Francisco.
De La Salle Institute Foundation: A fund raising and development foundation, initiated in
1996 under the direction of Brother Jerome Gallegos, to raise money for Service to the
Poor programs associated with District* schools and apostolates.*
Delegate: the religious* superior appointed by the Superior General* to represent him in
governing a delegation*; the local administrating Brother* is called president.
Delegation: a geographical area containing too few Brothers* to form a district* but with
prospects of eventually doing so.
Diocese: a geographical area under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
Director: the local religious superior of a community* with terms limited by Canon Law*
or by the Rule*.
Directors' Association: an official group comprised of the directors* of the District’s*
communities* of Christian Brothers.*
Dispensation: a canonical* document which dispenses a religious* from the requirements
of vows* and returns that person to a secular state of life.
District: a geographical area in a region* containing enough Brothers* to form an official,
canonical,* administrative unit in the Institute* under the direction of a Visitor*.
District Council: a canonically-required board of Brothers,* advisory to the Visitor;* a
majority of its members are elected; the council meets several times each year.
District Chapter: a policy-shaping body of Brothers* elected to nominate Visitors* and to
formulate legislative acts adapting the Rule* to local conditions; it normally meets every
four years. (Colleagues may be invited as consultants.)
District Leadership: also called the Administrative Team, these officers of DLSI* include
Brother Visitor* and his Auxiliary; the team advises the Vistor* and Auxiliary Visitor, and
shares in the administration of the District*. (Currently comprised of: the Coordinators of
Continuing Formation, Lasallian School Boards, and Lasallian School Programs, the
Director of Engineering, and the Controller.)
District of San Francisco Christian Brothers Charitable Trust: an endowment that helps
fund special medical and retirement needs of the Brothers*.
District Twinning: a pairing of districts* or sub-districts* for mutual support and assistance.
The District of San Francisco is twinned with the Sub-district of Pakistan.
Four Year Plan: a set of guidelines for this District*, currently for 1995 through 1999;
contains a mission* statement, propositions for application of the Rule*, timetables, etc.
F S C: initials which follow a Brother’s name to indicate membership in the Institute.* In
Latin, Fratres Scholarum Christianarum (Brothers of the Christian Schools), known
informally as Christian Brothers, or De La Salle Brothers.
General Chapter: similar to a district chapter;* is conducted at the Motherhouse* in
Rome, and is representative of all Brothers* worldwide; legislation is undertaken, and
the Superior General is elected for a seven-year term.
General Councillor: a Brother* who acts officially as a permanent advisor to the Superior
General* during his term.
Generalate: the Christian Brothers* headquarters in Rome, often called the Motherhouse*
or the Center of the Institute* or Casa Generalizia.
Huether Workshop: a national gathering of Brothers* and teaching colleagues originally
organized by Brother Frank Huether to address educational concerns on an annual basis.
Holy Family Community: a community* of retired or convalescent Brothers (and their
assisting Brothers) located at Mont La Salle.*
I D E A S: Institute of Drug Education and Alcohol Services, a secondary school program
sponsored by the District*.
Institute: in the Church a term (more correct than the traditional terms congregation* and
order*) used to describe various canonical* groups of consecrated religious in the
Church; it includes groups of priests*, or male or female religious*, and sometimes
others. [However, its use in De La Salle Institute*, denotes a corporation in civil law.]
Journey House: A group home in Pasadena, California, for troubled, neglected, or
abused boys, operated under the direction of a Christian Brother*.
Jubilee: an anniversary celebration for Brothers* who received the robe* twenty-five,
fifty, sixty (or more) years earlier.
L C W R: Leadership Conference of Women Religious*.
L E C: the Lasallian Education Corporation is the legally constituted group of those in
District Leadership exercising reserved powers* in all the school corporations in which it
shares membership (or is the sole member.)
La Salle: John Baptist de La Salle, founder of the Brothers* of the Christian Schools in
France, 1680; canonized a saint in 1900; declared by the Church in 1950 to be Patron of
All Teachers.
La Salle Vietnam House: a community* of Vietnamese Brothers* in San Jose, California;
along with several Vietnamese Lasallian Sisters they serve the Diocese* of San Jose and
operate an educational center by the name of Opus Tuum.
Lasallian: the adjective used to describe the Brothers' heritage or traditions as initiated
by La Salle*.
Lasallian Volunteers: lay men and women, primarily recent graduates from Brothers’*
schools, who donate one or two years of service to Lasallian* schools and works in
various parts of the world.
L E O: Lasallian Educational Opportunities, an educational center in Oakland, California,
under the direction of the Brothers* which provides extra-school services for students
from the sixth to the twelfth grade, as well as summer and adult education programs.
L I - N E: Long Island-New England District*.
Mass: the primary form of worship in the Catholic Church, celebrated by a priest, the
central focus of which is the Consecration of the Eucharist, with a sharing in the
Eucharist known as ‘communion.’
Mission: from the Latin root meaning "send," the term includes the various works or
apostolates* to which the Church sends people and institutions.
Mont La Salle: a complex of buildings in the hills west of Napa, California, housing De
La Salle Institute* offices, the Novitiate*, Provincialate*, and Holy Family Community*.
Currently Brother Raphael Willeke serves as Administrator and coordinates relations with
neighboring entities, such as the Hess Winery.
Motherhouse: the headquarters or Generalate* in Rome at which the Superior General*,
his staff, offices, and facilities such as C I L* are located.
N A R B: National Assembly of Religious Brothers*.
N C E A: National Catholic Education Association.
Novice: a man in the Brothers* vocation program who has completed the postulancy
phase and enters the Novitiate.* A Novice* receives a Brother’s robe* and undertakes a
year-long formation program prior to taking first (temporary) vows* and proceeding with
further academic and pedagogical training. (The term is used similarly in other institutes
of consecrated women and men.)
Novitiate: the program (or building) in which a Novice* receives his (or her) training.
One Hundred Plus Program: An international group of 100 Brothers organized in 1993 at
the General Chapter* to be trained and sent to developing sectors of the Institute* in
order to assist in projects involving education of the poor.
Order: a general term applied to institutes* of consecrated life and to religious
congregations*; the term was formerly used for those institutes* which had, as members,
priests who took solemn vows*.
PARC: Pacific-Asia Region* Conference, consisting of Districts* in New
Zealand-Australia-New Guinea and Southeast Asia, including Japan and the Philippines.
Partner: one of several terms used to describe lay people who are co-workers,
associates, or colleagues of the Brothers* in their schools and other enterprises.
Perpetuity: a property of trusts or endowment funds, describing an assurance of useful
income, by means of returning some of the income back into the fund, as far as actuaries
can predict, e.g., for fifty or more years.
Postulant: a man formally accepted as a candidate for entry into the Christian Brothers*
and the Novitiate*.
Priest: a man ordained in the Sacrament of Holy Orders for the purpose of preaching,
celebrating Mass*, and administering the sacraments and, in general, having the care of
souls.
Provincial: the title used in most institutes* to denote the person whom the Brothers* call
Visitor*.
Provincialate: the community* in which the Provincial* (Visitor*) resides.
R C C B: Regional Council of Christian Brothers, a supervisory board of Brother Visitors*.
Reddition: a formal interview of a Brother by a religious superior, prescribed by the Rule*
for purposes of accountability.
Religious: a form of consecrated life recognized by the Church in which priests*, Sisters
and Brothers* take public vows* and live in community*. [Note: Diocesan* priests* directly
under a Bishop are not in this category.]
Region: a geographical area officially designated as a union of several districts* and
generally selected on the basis of contiguity and common languages. There are six
districts* in the United States/Toronto Region.
Reserved Powers: rights and duties retained by the LEC* for itself according to the
bylaws of those secondary school corporations of which it is a member.
Robe: the official religious habit worn by Brothers throughout the world, especially on
formal occasions, but replaced by other approved garb in various locales; with the robe,
a Brother wears a white ‘bib’ called a ‘rabat,’ similar to that worn by judges and
barristers in England; the rabat’s two flat sections are said to signify the two tablets of the
law given to Moses by God.
Rule: a canonically*-approved set of approximately 143 statements (along with
sub-statements) pertaining to mission*, duties, and practices that the Brothers*
throughout the world adapt locally as directives for their communities* and districts*.
S S A A: Secondary School Administrators Association; includes all principals and
presidents of the District’s* secondary schools.
Sangre de Cristo: the national retreat house sponsored by the Christian Brothers* for
extended workshops and retreats, located just outside Santa Fe, New Mexico, and open
to members of various religious institutes*.
S E C O L I: Service de Cooperation Lasallienne Internationale, an agency at the
Motherhouse* which coordinates contributions to various apostolates* around the world.
Service of the Poor: programs and operations designed to serve students and projects in
the District* which require special financial or other assistance to help them succeed.
SIEL: (from the Italian) International Session of Lasallian Studies, a periodic program at
the Motherhouse.*
Shared Mission: the various works and apostolates* of the mission* of the Brothers*
which laypeople and others who are not Christian Brothers* have been asked by the
Brothers* to share with them.
Sub-district: a group of communities*, generally in missionary areas, not numerous
enough to form a delegation* or a full district,* often presided over by an Auxiliary
Visitor*.
Superior General: the highest officer of the Institute* with canonical* rights and duties;
he works and resides at the Generalate in Rome, and is assisted by a Vicar* and
Councillors*.
Vaugirard: a community for recovering addicts in San Francisco, California, directed by
a Christian Brother.*
Ven a ver: "Come and See" – an immersion program, usually sponsored by campus
ministries* in Lasallian* schools, in which students experience firsthand the work of the
Brothers* and Partners* with the poor of Tijuana at Centro La Salle* in Mexico.
Vicar General: second highest officer of the Institute*, similar to a senior vice president.
Visitor: the presiding officer of a district,* often called Provincial,* and having canonical*
rights and duties.
Vows: traditionally, the three vows taken by religious* and members of other forms of
consecrated life in which a formal promise is made to live in celibate chastity, in
communitarian poverty, and in obedience, according to an approved Rule*. Many
institutes* have additional vows, as do the Brothers,* who also take a vow of stability and
a vow of educational service of the poor in accord with the same Rule. First vows,
annual (or temporary) vows, and final (or perpetual) vows are terms that respectively
describe vows taken for a single year at the end of the Novitiate,* and vows taken for a
single year which are renewable on an annual basis until the time for permanent vows
(generally at the age of twenty-five, or after at least five years of annual vows.)
W A S C: Western Association of Schools and Colleges, the accrediting body for public
and private secondary schools and colleges in Arizona, California, Hawaii and Nevada.
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