Faces of Lasallian Partnership
By Joy L. Choate

On the weekend of October 3-4, more than 600 members of the District of San Francisco came together in Burlingame, California to review and respond to the District's "Context for Action" and "Action Plan." During the course of the weekend, Lasallian Partners -- Brothers, lay men and women, priests, and other religious -- saw videos that captured the Lasallian spirit as it is manifested here in the San Francisco District and in the District-supported schools and apostolates in other countries.

What do we look like? Peer into my looking glass, and you will see the faces of people from all over the world working together to educate students in Kenya, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Oregon, California, Washington, Mexico, Bethlehem, and the Philippines.

Feel the warm smile of a young Vietnamese girl as she shyly turns her head from the camera. Look deeply into the kind and understanding eyes of Mildred Dill'ard, the 80-year old African-American receptionist who greets each student arriving for tutoring at the Lasallian Opportunities Center (LEO) in Oakland, California (see story, page 4). Feel the cool water that the young boys in Sri Lanka splash on one another as they take their daily bath. Listen to the student who says, "It's so wonderful how my own faith was strengthened in a community that wasn't of my faith, because they believe in God and they believe in things that are important to everyone regardless of religion or race." Taste the meals prepared by the men in Southern Pakistan who are recovering drug addicts and who pray in Muslim, Hindu, and Christian forms.

All these faces were present at the District of San Francisco's Convocation. According to one student, "Our Convocation helped me realize that we are all part of this plan, from Brothers to teachers to students." In his opening remarks, Brother David Brennan, FSC, Visitor of the District, reviewed reasons why such a large group had been called together: "We want to continue to collaborate and to make sure people understand all the works in which we are involved here at home and in other countries. Also, we want people to ask questions and respond to the Action Plan so we can integrate their suggestions."

Those in attendance heard inspirational messages from Brother Raymond Suplido, FSC, General Councillor to the Brother Superior General in Rome; Brother Miguel Campos, FSC, Coordinator of the Office of Ministry and Lay Formation for the Diocese of Santiago, Cuba; Father Kenan Osborne, OFM, Professor Emeritus of Systematic Theology at the Franciscan School of Theology and the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California; Father Jose Arong, OMI, former President of Notre Dame University in the Philippines; and from Brother David Brennan, FSC, Visitor of the District of San Francisco.

The audience visited other countries by way of videos produced by photographer and editor, Scott Gibbs of Quadrant Productions. Scott recently returned from a seven-country tour of the apostolic works supported by the District of San Francisco. Reflecting on his experience as videographer, he remarked, "When you look at the faces of the people in these videos, remember that these are your faces and that this work is your work. I can say this because in each place I visited, whether in the United States or in another country, I saw a certain sameness. And that ‘sameness' changes lives. In fact, being part of this work has changed my life."

These verbal and visual messages of affirmation of the Lasallian Mission complemented and informed the small group sessions where participants identified strategies and ways of implementing the goals of the Action Plan. According to one person, "The gathering far exceeded my expectations. The videos were very powerful, and the entire experience gave me a sense of hope and unity. People with whom I spoke felt called, challenged, and affirmed."

Indeed, Brother Miguel told the 600 Lasallian Partners, "We are crossing a threshold. We are seeing the end of one era and the beginning of something new." Brother Miguel described himself as a "living witness to the changing context in the San Francisco District." He cited as an example of the "end of one era" the first workshop he gave in the District 25 years ago, which only Christian Brothers attended. Looking into the audience before him, he noted that most of the participants were not Christian Brothers, reflecting the current worldwide statistics that 7,000 Brothers work with 66,000 colleagues in 87 countries. "This changing body finds itself at a threshold -- a threshold that calls on faith to move into the unknown and the courage to be transformed."

The "something new" that is emerging is not limited to the declining numbers of Brothers and increasing numbers of their Partners. It also includes an ecumenical spirit which welcomes people of other faith communities, as stated in the Context for Action, Section 1.2: "Those of us who do not share the Christian faith but who support many of the principles underlying the Lasallian mission of human and Christian education, recognize the essential role of faith in the lives of the Brothers and our Christian Partners. We share with them our own inspiration coming from our particular religious beliefs or humanistic values."

Entering the Threshold: Convocation Faces
High school student Jason Doyle lives with Brother Tim Mayworm, FSC, at Journey House in Pasadena, California. Journey House opened its doors 15 years ago as a place where young men who are wards of the court can live in a safe and stable community, enabling them to succeed in school. Many of the students at Journey House are former gang members once involved in drugs and crime. At the Convocation, Jason shared part of his story: "I arrived at Journey House one year ago after being in and out of foster homes and institutional group homes. Before I came here, I didn't have any plans. Now, I'm beginning to believe I can actually do something. I'm able to plan three or four months in advance. Journey House not only provides me with the basics of food and shelter, but the staff trusts the students. I know that no matter what happens, they won't abandon me. I'm not sure how Brother Tim keeps the kids in school, but he does. Compared to the other places I've lived, Journey House is a big TEN."

The support from Journey House continues even after students graduate from high school. The staff helps them prepare for college and obtain financial aid. Even after they leave, Journey House remains home to them. Jason says "the support and feeling of security that students experience at Journey House often makes graduates think about going back to help others coming up in the program."

Loreva Bromley, a math teacher and department chair at La Salle High School in Milwaukie, Oregon left Riverside, California where she was a public school teacher for six years to return to her childhood home in Portland. Before long, she was hired at La Salle. When asked how teaching in a Lasallian school differs from teaching in public school, she answered, "On the surface things are the same, but deep down they are radically different. The people I work with are top-notch professionals; they treat the students with respect and truly care about their spiritual and emotional well-being."

The Christian Brothers have not worked directly at La Salle High School for several years. The Lasallian tradition is maintained through new teacher orientation and by example. Loreva explained, "The people who are hired here are deeply spiritual. They are not all Christian or Catholic.

"I always felt the spirituality I brought to La Salle was respected and valued. At first, I imagined there was a chasm between what I believed and the beliefs of the Catholic faith, but that was not true." Three years ago, Loreva joined the Catholic Church. "The Providence of God brought me here," she said. "Those of us who work at La Salle share a love for God and a love for our students. That is our binding force."

Jesse Murray, a Lasallian Volunteer at Cathedral High School in Los Angeles, teaches science and serves as the assistant coach for cross-country running and track. Jesse joined Lasallian Volunteers in 1998 (after graduating from Saint Mary's University in Winona, Minnesota) for three reasons: first, he wanted to live in community with the Brothers; second, he felt a sense of pride about the work of the Brothers and wanted to "give back"; third, he says, "I have received much, and I want to be a positive influence in the lives of others."

Thea Stidum, a Trustee at Christian Brothers High School in Sacramento, retired as Principal of Sacramento High School eight years ago. She became friends with Brother Richard Camara, FSC. "Our school's team was in the same league as Christian Brothers High School. We were rivals," she said with a warm smile.

"Lasallian education is different from the public school system, not so much from an educational standpoint, but in its very human way of reaching out to students and to colleagues," she emphasized. "The first thing I noticed about the Brothers was their gracious hospitality. Graduates from their schools reflect this in the way they speak with affection and pride about their educational experience as students. If you have any association at all with Lasallian educators, you can't help but be caught up in it."

Brother John O'Neill, FSC, left Saint Mary's College of California three years ago to join three other Brothers at Christ the Teacher Institute for Education (CTIE) in Nairobi, Kenya

Brother John explained that the students in Africa do not seek an education to become independent. Instead, they look at education as a way of becoming members of society. Culturally this is expressed in an African saying that translates as, "I exist because we are." When Brother John spoke about Jane and Jacob's visit to Kenya last summer, he said, "They both fit right into the Brothers' Community. We lived together, shopped together, worked together, and prayed together. . . . While there are some hazards here, we have a safe environment. To their credit, Jane and Jacob accepted the little things like lighting candles when the lights went out and having to drink boiled water when El Niño turned our water murky. Their visit reminded me of the movie, To Sir with Love, because the students adored them both."

Little known to many people is the fact that there are also Lasallian religious sisters. The Superior General of the order, Sister Mary Chin Da Han Dam Rong, was a participant at the Convocation. The Lasallian Sisters are located in Bangkok, Vietnam, and San Jose, California. In San Jose, they work in partnership with the Christian Brothers apostolic work, De La Salle Chapel, offering educational services and support programs for the Vietnamese families of the area.

Brother Christie Dorus, FSC, is the Auxiliary Visitor for the Sub-District of Pakistan. He attended the Convocation with Brother Baptist Croos, FSC, the Visitor from Sri Lanka. Brother Christie, a student of Brother Baptist at one time, has been a brother for 36 years. Brother Baptist has been a Brother for 41 years. The Christian Brothers have been in Sri Lanka since 1865 and serve people from four different religions: Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, and Christian. Today, they run three private schools, eight government schools, five Boys Towns, and five other apostolates including the Mission to the Poorest in Mutwal, Colombo.

The Brothers have been in Pakistan since 1959, working with a population that is 99% Muslim and 1% Christian. In addition to operating three schools, they also run the country's only Catechists' Training Center, the Benildus Literacy Center, and a Drug Rehabilitation Center in Sinijhoro.

At the Threshold: Courage to Move into the Unknown
At the end of the Convocation, one of the Brothers said, "I really enjoyed this gathering of representatives from all over our District and from other countries. It gave me new energy and brought new meaning to my vocation and our apostolate. I am particularly touched by the enthusiasm, love, and appreciation of our Partners for our founder, Saint John Baptist de La Salle, and for his vision."

As the District of San Francisco moves forward with its Action Plan, it does so with the full knowledge that more women and men are embracing the Lasallian spirit and mission of offering a "human and Christian education to the young, especially the poor...." (The Rule, Article 3)

It is a major shift to move from thinking about the work of the Christian Brothers to the work of the Lasallian Partners, yet this is the threshold at which we now find ourselves. None of us knows what is on the other side. Having seen the faces of everyone as they left the Convocation, however, it is clear that each person now has the courage and faith to support one another and fully participate in the incredible, providential, evolutionary vision of Saint John Baptist de La Salle.

"Saint John Baptist de La Salle, pray for us. Live Jesus in our hearts forever."