In the spirit of the 43rd General Chapter the Regions of RELAL, USA-TORONTO, and CANADA FRANCOPHONE convened a meeting of the Visitors of North and South America which was held at Residence De La Salle in Laval, Quebec, Canada from May 22 to May 28, 2001.

The Brothers came together in prayer, fraternity, and discussion to examine the Lasallian mission in the Americas. The Brothers were supported in their work by the prayers and hospitality of the senior Brothers of the Francophone District in whose community residence the meeting was held.

The objectives of the meeting were:
To develop a better understanding of each other and the different districts.
To share concerns, experiences, and information that could be useful to one another.
To explore initiatives of cooperation and means to achieve them.
To discuss application of the recommendations and propositions of the 43rd General Chapter.

The participants included Brother William Mann, Vicar General, Brother Miguel Campos, General Councillor, the Brothers Visitor of the Districts of the Americas, and the Executive Secretaries of each Region.

Brother Vicar General gave the opening address to set the tone for the meeting. He used the four resurrection appearances as the framework for his reflection.

A. Jesus appearance to Mary Magdalene at the tomb when Jesus said to her, "do not cling tome." Brother William encouraged the group not to cling to the past but to be open to the newness all around us.

B. The appearance of Jesus to the holy women and Jesus words to them. "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brethren to go to Galilee and there they will see me." Brother William reflected on the last five General Chapters that have encouraged the Brothers not to be afraid but to go to the poor.

C. The appearance of Jesus to Thomas when He encouraged him to "Put out your hand and place it in my side. Leave doubt behind, and be a man of faith." The Vicar shared with the Brothers how hard it is to leave doubt behind when confronting the enormity of the issues that face us, but we must be men of faith.

D. The appearance of Jesus to the disciples at the sea of Tiberius when Jesus told his disciples to "cast your net on the right side of the boat and you will find fish." Brother William challenged the Visitors to encourage their Brothers and Colleagues to cast out their nets one more time. Jesus also invited the disciples to "Bring some of the fish you have caught... and. . . come and eat with me." It is necessary for us to invite our students, colleagues, alumni, parents, and all associated with the Lasallian mission to come and eat with us to share our Lasallian "meal."

The areas of concern discussed during the meeting included:

A. Association
Types of association
Relationships with the communities and District
Formation of Associates and Brothers

B. Mission
Objectives and outcomes of our Lasallian educational activities
Promotion of Christian values
The poor and excluded
Ministry to the immigrants
Evangelization

C. Interdependence and Areas of Cooperation

D. Vocation Ministry
New initiatives in the Regions

During the meeting Yanick Chamberland-Richer of Montreal Lasallian Youth addressed the group regarding the planning of a meeting to be held in Quebec in 2002 to address the topic of Lasallian Youth. This colloquium to be called Quebec 2002 will invite 100 Lasallian youth and 50 moderators from the 11 regions of the Institute. The theme will be Hand in Hand Building a World of Love. The participants are to be leaders in their own Lasallian Youth programs. The objective is to create an international association of Lasallian youth expressing faith, fraternity, and service. The meeting will be held from July 10 to July 17, 2002. There will be time for presentations and discussions as well as service. For more information you may contact Yanick by email at quebec2002@moncourrier.com.

Also, at this time, in Canada there will be the gathering for the World Youth Day to be held in Toronto from July 18 to July 28, 2002. A Lasallian participation in World Youth Day is being organized and more information will be forthcoming.

At the conclusion of the Visitors meeting a formal statement was formulated to express their concerns and hopes for the Lasallian mission in the Americas. The Visitors met in commissions to dialogue on topics, such as: the need for a Lasallian research center, immigration, how can the Lasallian Higher Educational Institutions assist in the development of the Lasallian mission.

The meeting was hosted by Brother Maurice Lapointe, Visitor of the Canada Francophone District assisted by his Auxiliary Visitors and the Brothers of the Residence. A "thank you" - "merci beaucoup" - "gracias" to all.