Thirty-seven Lasallian educators from the District of San Francisco, representing schools and apostolates in California, Oregon, Washington, and Arizona, joined colleagues from around the nation for the 2008 Huether Lasallian Conference in St. Louis, Missouri, November 20 – 22.

The theme of this year’s conference was “Global Learning and Social Responsibility Through Lasallian Education.” Featured speakers included Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann, MM, president of the current session of the United Nations General Assembly, Drew Christiansen, SJ, editor-in-chief of the weekly magazine America, and Dr. Eboo Patel, an American Muslim who is founder of the Interfaith Youth Core.

Speakers and breakout sessions focused on the global nature of the Lasallian educational mission and on the educational opportunities and challenges in our modern world, including the application of Catholic social teaching, positive interfaith relations, teaching for peace and justice, creating connections with Lasallians internationally, and promoting solidarity with the poor both at home and abroad.

The opening session featured live video links to Lasallian educators in Rome, Bethlehem, Nairobi, Manila, and Mexico City. Lasallians around the world prayed and sang together as the conference began. The closing event was the Awards Dinner for Distinguished Lasallian Educators, hosted by Christian Brothers College High School in St. Louis. (See the photos below, and click here for more on Michael Richards, the Distinguished Lasallian Educator in 2008 for the District of San Francisco.)

The Huether Lasallian Conference – named for Brother Francis Huether, FSC, who organized its creation in 1973 – is an annual event, sponsored by the Office of Education of the Christian Brothers Conference, which serves the Lasallian educational mission of the United States and Toronto Region.

In the U.S.-Toronto Region there are some 120 Lasallian apostolates offering a wide spectrum of educational services and programs. Lasallian secondary schools currently number 54, making them the largest network of Catholic secondary schools in the nation. For more on the Region, visit www.lasallian.info.

The global Lasallian educational mission extends to 84 countries and serves some 900,000 students. For more on the global Lasallian mission, visit www.lasalle.org.

From left: Brother Kevin Dalmasse, FSC, Brother Robert Schieler, FSC,
Michael Richards of San Miguel High School (Tucson), and Gery Short
of the San Francisco District Office of Education

Brother Bob Schieler presents Mike Richards the Distinguished Lasallian Educator citation for the District of San Francisco.

Mike Richards receives the Distinguished Lasallian Educator medal from Gery Short.

From left: Gery Short, Celestino Fernandez, Kim Ferranti, Elizabeth Goettl,
Brother Timothy Coldwell, FSC, Michael Richards, Alma Mejia-Garcia