The 3rd National Congress of the Young Lasallian Movement (of Italy) [MGL] took place at the Generalate of the Brothers of the Christian Schools in Rome from March 17th to March 20th. Over 150 pupils from our schools in Italy participated. The topics dealt with were varied and numerous, but all tended to a single common factor, the theme which gave a name to this meeting: “Stars like YOU”. This was a strong theme, rich in meaning and worthy of a lot of reflection.

The congress began with a wide-reaching account of this theme, its significance in the search of the Magi and the consequences which this still has today for us young Lasallians. Topics such as the longing for happiness and its meaning were dealt with (on this point there was a talk by Don Domenico Sigalini, Deputy-Assistant of Catholic Action), as well as how to know how to take one’s life in hand and succeed in passing from the city of fear to the city of joy ( a reflection which was enriched by various stories and examples from people’s lives). There were also discussions on the awareness of how love conquers fear (as the experience of Edith Stein teaches us) and the exploitation of children in the poorest countries (and in others) and their right to be protected from the dominance of the city of fear. In short, there were many themes and topics, all enriched by people bearing witness, by stories, sharing, games and above all by celebrations and prayer, so as not to forget our natural quality of being young Lasallians and to make it ever more alive.

At the end of this experience, each of us felt more capable than ever of being able to do something important and it was indeed for this reason that the final sessions of the Congress were devoted to reflecting on the next tasks of the Italian Young Lasallian Movement (above all the World Youth Days which will take place in Cologne in the summer). The entire experience ended with the celebration of the Mass of Palm Sunday, at the end of which each group went back to its own reality to take up again the usual routine, each a little sad to have reached the end of this splendid festive occasion but with great joy of heart for having really done something important and significant, which makes us feel ever more proud to be young Lasallians.
^{(Maria Romana Barraco)}

District of San Francisco Colloquium on Association: Responding to the work of the 43rd General Chapter and preparing for the 44th General Chapter, the District of San Francisco has held a Colloquium on Association, in order “to provide better leadership in the area of association” and “to study and become informed about the current and emerging understanding(s) of association.” The Colloquium, on February 5, 2005, at Saint Mary’s College of California, brought together members of the District Council, the District Leadership Team, the Office of Education, the Directors of Brothers’ Communities, the principals and presidents of District schools, the members of the District Mission Council, and representatives from the U.S./Toronto Regional office. The participants prepared by reading essays from a “Lasallian Association: Experiences and Reflections,” a collection assembled by the U.S./Toronto Regional office. Four of the participants were asked to prepare special presentations for a panel discussion; and Brother John Johnston was asked to provide a keynote address.

The purpose of this first colloquium on the District level was not to produce legislation or draft recommendations or settle definitions, but rather to allow colleagues to discuss, freely and candidly, how their vocational lives are informed by the associative dimensions of Lasallian education. The day did not begin with a presentation or a lecture to which participants were asked to be reactive but with small-group discussions in which participants were asked to share and examine their own experiences. Then followed Brother John Johnston’s presentation on the history and development of “association” in the Institute. He described the current context, in which both laymen and laywomen have demonstrated an ability to live the Lasallian charism in new and original ways, and he praised the “synergy” that results when we work “together and by association.” He said that as we seek to conceptualize and name the ways in which Lasallian educators work together to carry out their educational mission, the most promising “umbrella expression” may well prove to be the familiar word “association.”

In the afternoon sessions, a four-person panel of District educators—one lay man, two lay women, one Brother—spoke of their lived experiences and on the challenges and visions for the future. More small-group discussion followed, then a brief address from the Visitor, Brother Stanislaus Campbell. Participants were extremely positive about the day’s discussions, writing such comments as “Association is already a strong reality in our District; there are challenges to deepening it, but we are well-positioned to meet these.” “Association is a daily, lived experience of all parts of the school community.” “There is a wide and deep experience of association within the District. It has its own integrity and momentum which should be respected. Association will develop gradually at its own pace with the prayerful attention of all whom take it seriously.” “Each District is going to have to be given the autonomy to develop organizations of “association” that fit the need of the individual culture of the area.” “Today reiterated the boldness of the direction we are taking. It will add to my zeal in conveying that to and living that with my community.”

Included among the twenty-five Brothers and thirty-one lay partners in the Colloquium were all of the District’s delegates to the Regional Assembly on the Lasallian Mission and Association to be held in Salt Lake City, Utah, in November 2005.
^{(John A. Gray)}

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