Lasallian Educational Ministry
John Johnston, FSC
Regional Convocation
Saint Mary's College
Moraga, California
August 1984
Opening Remarks
Never in my life have I had a year and a half
to prepare a forty-five minute talk! But never in my life have I spent as much time
reflecting on the myriad issues associated with LASALLIAN EDUCATION MINISTRY. Preparing
these remarks has been a blessing, because it has forced me to clarify my positions and to
structure the expression of my thoughts into a forty-five minute format.
Brothers, since this convocation is an assembly of the United States/ Toronto Region, this
talk should have both U.S. districts and the Toronto District in focus. But the
considerable differences between the countries of the United States and Canada render
impossible a single point of reference. Maintaining a dual focus, however, is not
feasible. The basic point of reference, therefore, will be the United States of America.
Nevertheless, I think that most of what I have to say is relevant to the situation of the
Institute in the Toronto District today.
A Search of Living Men
The Declaration tells us that it is as living men that we must discover how fidelity to
our Lasallian charism can be lived in the present time (Declaration 7). I've asked myself
in recent years if we are really judging, deciding, and acting in the United States as
living men. I've questioned whether we are really faithful to that dynamic stance which
the 39th General Chapter consciously adopted in 1966-1967. Our delegates made courageous
decisions at that chapter, as well as at the First U.S. Regional Chapter in 1968 and
subsequent District Chapters, decisions that replied to concrete situations demanding
clear, unambiguous responses. I think that most of those decisions, perhaps not all, in
that time and conditions required them.
Letting Go
I am not particularly concerned now about assessing that past. I am more concerned that we
be just as creative, dynamic, and bold today. Sometimes I fear that we are locked in,
frozen, paralyzed by decisions of another day. Are we living too much on past investments?
Investments made not only fifty years ago, but also fifteen years ago? Permeating these
remarks this morning will be a plea for openness, detachment, for a spirit of
"letting go" not only of that Institute of 1960 which no longer exists, but also
of that Institute of 1970 which no longer exists, an Institute the story of which is
ancient history to the young men in this gathering today.
Toward a Common Understanding
But that remark should not lead you to expect anything remarkably creative and
revolutionary today. On the contrary, I think that the elements for a creative
revitalization of Lasallian Educational Ministry are known to all of us. But to make
better sense out of these elements, we need a less nebulous and more functional model of
Lasallian Education Ministry. Under the umbrella of such a model, we can find the order
and direction for which we crave; without it we have confusion, frustration,
demoralization, and polarization. We have to have a common understanding of "who we
are and what God expects us to do" (Fiddler on the Roof), a common understanding
which we consciously embrace and to which we commit ourselves in association.
A Recognizable Ministry
The topic assigned me - Lasallian Educational Ministry - implies that there is in fact
such a recognizable ministry. I believe that there is - or at least there should be and
can be. As a catalyst in our search for what that something is, I'll present some
responses to four questions: Lasallian Educational Ministry: By Whom? What? For Whom? How?
The questions are closely interrelated, so much so that I find it impossible to begin
where I would prefer to begin: with the For whom? I must begin with By Whom?
LASALLIAN EDUCATIONAL MINISTRY: BY WHOM?
Part I
Central to an effective and functional model of Lasallian Educational Ministry is a common
understanding of the By whom? is this ministry to be exercised? When we operate out of
fundamentally different image of what a Brother is, our presuppositions and mutual
expectation become so diverse and communication so painful that we are inclined to avoid
conflict and opt instead for a spirit of "amicable toleration" - the equivalent
to a commitment to the status quo. Certainly a healthy diversity in living the Lasallian
vocation is a rich blessing. But if we are to achieve any significant degree of unity in
this diversity, we must have a common understanding of who the Brother is and what he is
all about.
DLS's Image of the FSC
De la Salle's understanding is clear. God in His Providence, that is to say, in His love
and concern for poor and neglected youngsters, kindles a light in the hearts of certain
person, calling them to respond in association to these needs. The Brother is such a man,
called to be minister, ambassador, co-worker with Christ. The Brother is a man of God,
totally consecrated, a man whose life is centered on Jesus Christ; a man committed to the
following of Christ in freely chosen celibacy, poverty, obedience, and service of the poor
through education; a man vowed to this commitment all his lifetime, trusting that God will
be faithful. He is a faith-filled and prayerful man, a community man, a zealous man.
DLS's imagery is apostolic. In the sixteen meditations he prepared for the Brothers to use
during the important time of the annual retreat, he speaks of zeal an astounding forty-six
times. He consistently refers to the young as "those God has confided to your
care."
An Apostolic Model
This apostolic model of consecrated life, for a long time ignored because it did not
readily fit into 19th and 20th century theologies of consecrated life, was vigorously
embraced by the 39th General Chapter.
That this General Chapter option for an apostolic model of a consecrated life was a
repudiation of the "monk-who-also-teaches" model with two separate ends, one
primary, the other secondary, is well known. But we cannot presume that Brothers are now
operating out of this General Chapter apostolic model. Many of us, I suspect, are
consciously or unconsciously living out of models which are not Lasallian. One such model
suggests a new form of dualism: personal growth through the living of the three
traditional vows and spiritual exercises as the primary end; and the service of others as
a separate and secondary end. Another places its primary focus on the living of community
life or on witnessing to fraternal love, with the service of others a separate and
secondary end. Later we'll talk about models of association that cannot be reconciled with
the Lasallian model of association. There is no question here of right model and wrong
model. It is a question of which model we, through our General Chapters, have embraced.
Apostles, Not Just Teachers
But there is a second consideration concerning our image that is equally important. We are
called to be apostles in virtue of our religious consecration, not just teachers. We are
to be excellent teachers, yes, but more than that. We are to be loving men, concerned for
young people, yes, but more than that. We are to be evangelizers. We are called to be
zealous men. Zeal is of the essence of our vocation. And let us not confuse zeal with
professionalism. We must, of course, be professionals, but zeal is more. Zeal involves an
ardent desire to help young people grow in the spirit of Christianity.
Brothers in Association
So far, Brothers, our focus has been the image of the FSC as an individual. Let's adjust
that focus: the first Brothers experienced themselves called to live their consecration in
association with men united by a conscious sharing of the same ideal, expressed in and
through a strikingly original manner of living the Gospel. They vowed association for the
purpose of teaching the poor gratuitously. This vow of association was in a sense a vow of
identity: it answered the question: who were these men living this new life style?
This association had teeth in it. The men committed themselves to one another for the
service of the poor. They vowed obedience to the group and to its representatives. They
promised to go wherever they were sent and to do whatever they were assigned. They vowed
stability, even if obliged to beg alms and live on bread alone.
To Live in Society with...
Association is a precious tradition among us. We live it on the international, regional,
district, and community levels. We hold that it is a constitutive element of our vocation.
Our commitment to association has no less teeth than that of our early Brothers. We also
have committed ourselves to one another: "to live in society with." We have
promised to go wherever we may be sent and to do whatever we may be assigned by the body
of the Institute or by its superiors.
Perhaps what I have just said sounds naive. But it is in fact the way we describe
ourselves every time we renew our consecration. There have been changes in our process of
assigning and being assigned, but the bottom line is still the same: availability:
"Here I am, Lord, send me."
In the last twenty years, we have become increasingly aware of our responsibility to
participate more actively and directly in determining how our gifts and talents should be
used in the service of others. Institutional needs have gradually yielded to the personal
needs of the Brothers as priority criteria. Inevitably, tensions have developed around
district commitments and personal preference.
Nevertheless, there are considerable differences in assignment policies with the Region. A
number of districts have worked creatively and with success to reconcile district
commitments and personal preference. Some others, in practice if not in theory, grant
individual choice. In some districts, Brothers are challenged to consider specific needs
before they choose their apostolate; in other districts this practice is less common. A
considerable number of Brothers choose to stay where they are. A smaller number choose new
apostolates, in existing schools or outside them. The tendency is for districts to become
a composite of the individual choices of the Brothers. The possibility of corporate
planning is quite limited. It seems clear we are operating out of different models of
association. We lack a common understanding of the commitment to working "together
and by association."
Availability
Our Institute model - go wherever we are sent; do whatever we are asked - is not the only
feasible model for religious institutes. But it is the one we have freely chosen as an
international body. It is the model to which all of us committed ourselves. In essence it
means that we agree to work together and by association, in a structured and coordinated
manner, a district plan which we make our own. Certainly we have the right and even the
duty to make known our interests, preferences, and judgment relative to our suitability
for specific tasks. Certainly also we can and should bring initiatives for new
possibilities to the Visitor and District Council. What matters is that we are available,
available to be challenged and to consider seriously the needs of the district and even
the Institute internationally. The bottom line is that the Visitor has the last word,
which is more than a formalistic rubber stamp. That power the Institute gives the Visitor
is a responsibility demanding sensitivity, concern, and utmost respect for the human
person, a responsibility for the exercise of which the Visitor is strictly accountable.
Association - that commitment freely made to one another for the sake of the mission -
must be built on mutual trust and self-sacrifice. An association of loving persons freely
committed to the same ideal is a group with power - legitimate power at the service of the
Lord and of the Church; a power to do really worthwhile and significant things.
Part II
For some three hundred years the Brothers have received, lived, and passed on the
Lasallian ideal, aided for a number of these years by men and women collaborators in an
important but secondary role.
A Changing Model
This traditional model of the FSC-lay collaboration has virtually collapsed everywhere. It
neither can nor should continue to exist. It is not merely a question of diminished number
of Brothers. It is more the call to full apostolic participation of all Christians, and
the willingness of so many well-informed, highly motivated men and women to respond
positively to the challenge.
As the percentage of lay teachers in U.S. Catholic schools has increased (from 8% in 1944
to 74% in 1982), we have progressively shared positions of responsibilities. Yet at the
same time, many of us felt frustrated, perhaps demoralized, that Brothers' schools, as we
once knew them, were things of the past.
But lay teachers as well as Brothers have wrestled with the implications of this dramatic
change. Many dedicated lay teachers in the FSC world are expressing the desire to
participate not only in positions of authority in the school, but also in the Lasallian
spirit and FSC tradition. The 40th General Chapter studied this development, calling it
the Lasallian Family Movement, and strongly encouraged it. What has happened in recent
years is nothing short of remarkable. Numerous districts of the Institute have organized
frequent and effective workshops and retreats for lay collaborators in Lasallian
spirituality and ministry. The response has surpassed all expectations. There is a high
degree of desire and readiness for identification with the Lasallian tradition. US/Toronto
participants in the Mexico World Congress were amazed to hear teachers, parents, young
people speak of "our Founder and of the Spirit of Faith and Zeal in association.
The older model of FSC-lay collaboration - a triangular model, if you will, is yielding to
a circular model. On points of this circle are the Brothers, the administrators, teachers,
staff members, parents, former students, board members, friends, benefactors, students
themselves.
A New FSC Role
In this circular model of Lasallian Educational Ministry, the FSC have a crucial role to
play, but a different role from the past. This role is to animate, that is, to give
spirit, support, vigor, and zest, to move to action, to encourage. We exercise this role
of animation not only as individuals, but as communities. Determining precisely how is an
essential moment in the process of formulating the Community Annual Program. Our
communities ought to be "impact centers," giving spirit to the Lasallian Family,
sharing, as the trained Lasallian disciples we should be, the richness of our heritage. We
claim no special holiness or academic or professional superiority in virtue of our
life-styles; but we do claim this particular role of animation in Lasallian spirituality
and Lasallian Educational Ministry.
Brothers, I know that what I'm describing is feasible only in FSC schools. But when we
work in collaboration with other religious institutes or in other non-FSC schools or
non-school apostolates, we can still represent personally and communally the values that
constitute Lasallian education.
By Whom? The Lasallian Family
I want to insist that nothing I have said indicates in any way a "watering down"
of the FSC vocation. We must avoid all ambiguity and lack of clarity with regard to FSC
identity. The Brothers, on point of the Lasallian circle, have a distinct identity as
consecrated men. Nevertheless, the answer to the question By whom? is not: Brothers of the
Christian School with lay collaborators. The answer is rather: the Lasallian Family,
animated by the Brothers of the Christian Schools.
LASALLIAN EDUCATIONAL MINISTRY: WHAT?
"The end of the Institute is to give a Christian education to children." (Rule
of 1705) General Chapters throughout history, including the last two General Chapters,
have strongly reaffirmed this orientation.
Elements of Lasallian Education
The topic assigned me - Lasallian Educational Ministry - prompts us to ask whether there
is in fact a specificity to Christian Education that can legitimately be called Lasallian.
I think there are clearly discernible elements in our tradition that make it possible for
us to speak of a Lasallian expression of Christian education: attention to persons,
special concern for the economically poor and for all "down and outers";
commitment to excellence; creative and adapted education; dynamic religious instruction
and pastoral service; promotion of justice and peace; faith-filled and zealous teachers in
association.
The composite of these elements give us a picture of the WHAT of Lasallian Educational
Ministry. I'm not concerned whether other religious institutes have an understanding of
their mission that is similar. We do not define ourselves in terms of who we are not, but
in terms of who we are and what we are all about.
In this understanding we want to share with other members of the Lasallian Family. For the
next few minutes, however, I am going to focus specifically on our own relationship to
Lasallian Educational Ministry.
The Ministry of Christian Education
"It is true to say that the Brother exercises an apostolate whenever he truly
educates." (Declaration 41) The Institute has always given the central place in this
Christian education to religious education. But it has never dissociated the teaching of
religion from the rest of education, or devoted itself to religion alone. There has always
been the concern to link the work of evangelization with growth in education and culture.
(Declaration 40)
We are ministers who are educators; we are educators who are ministers. Our vocation
requires that we be well-trained, professionally and academically, that we be life-time
students. It demands also that we be prepared sufficiently in theology or religious
education to be instructors of religion, as well as pastoral animators. While the teaching
of religion will not always be feasible, it should be considered normal activity for the
Brother. We cannot accept lack of adequate preparation as an excuse for not teaching
religion. We have to remedy the lack. And there is no country in the world where
continuing education in religious education or theology is so readily available.
Ministers to Youth
But more than teaching of religion is required for our mission. We are called to be youth
ministers, experts on youth, specialists in helping the young grow in the life of faith.
Whether we are teaching religion or not, we can be actively involved, part-time or
out-of-school, in leading youth groups of prayer and Christian service, in helping with
youth retreats, in counseling and spiritual direction of young people.
In some countries today there are full-time district-level administrators charged with the
promotion, animation, and coordination of pastoral ministry in the schools of the
district. The overwhelmingly positive response of young people to these movements is a
clear indication that they are looking to us, Brothers of the Christian Schools, for help
in growing as Christians.
But I repeat, Brothers, that Christian education is our ministry; the pastoral animation
of the young is one dimension of that ministry. To reduce the mission of the Brothers, as
some are inclined to do, to pastoral service is to opt for an apostolic scope far too
narrow to be in any sense healthy.
 
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