SECOLI Tsunami Relief Update: Click here to see a report on money raised to date through SECOLI and where to send money.

Click here for a very interesting first hand account of Br. Paul Toohey's recent work with the tsunami vicitms which he recently did along with 4 scholastics, 6 postulants and 3 staff members.

District of Colombo, Sri Lanka, Update on the Tsunami Tragedy: Thank you for all the prayers, concern and support you have expressed. It is a great encouragement and consolation to us.

By this time we know that Joy Kumar (10) of St. Xavier’s College Mannar died in the Tsunami. Four boys of the same school lost their mothers.

Here is the latest account of the Tsunami damage to those known and close to us:

15 Boys of St. Xavier’s College, Mannar, lost their houses and belongings. 4 mothers and several siblings died. They are from the Eastern cost.
10 Boys of St. Benedict’s College were affected. Their houses were completely or partially washed away.
Over 200 boys of De La Salle College have been affected, having to leave their homes, in some cases permanently.
9 families of Brothers or their relatives have been affected because their houses were submerged.
8 Lasallian partners have been similarly affected. One of them lost her house completely.
68 children of LCES pre-schools and several children of De La Salle beach houses have been affected.

Many government, non-government and voluntary organizations are engaged in relief work. Already, a number of our institutions have been engaged in various relief efforts such as running a camp for displaced families, providing food parcels to displaced people, cleaning up water wells in affected areas, cleaning up a church, a convent and a school that were severely affected.

Here is an account of what we have been able to do, together with our Lasallian partners:

1. Provided assistance to repair houses and to recover essential household items for those victims connected to the Lasallian families. In some cases assistance to find alternative accommodation. – 15 families helped, 68 more identified.

2. Cleaned up school buildings, churches, religious houses and water-wells in affected areas, particularly in the Kaluthara and Matara Districts.

3. Distributed school materials and uniforms to children of Lasallian schools and other children in the neighborhood who were affected. About 160 children have already received help.

4. We are educating students (up to 50) whose families were displaced, parents have died or lost their family income. This is a specific project for our Boys Town and the Hostel in Mannar.

5. Engaged in trauma counseling.

6. Provided 22,500 food parcels to displaced people. (L.C.E.S.)

These have been possible because of your generous donations. We are very much touched by this expression of Lasallian solidarity.

I believe that the spirit of the season of lent which we have just begun will help us further in our services to others.

Please mention “Tsunami Relief Efforts” in your correspondence when you send any help.

Thank you again for your support and concern. We shall keep you in our prayers.
^{(Brother Henry Dissanayake, Visitor, Colombo, Sri Lanka)}

Latin American Assembly of Signum Fidei (February 8th – 12th 2005): On February 12th, Br. Victor Franco, Assessor General of Signum Fidei and Delegate of the Superior General, declared closed the Latin-American Assembly of Signum Fidei: five days of intense work and the study of Lasallian themes of great interest. The atmosphere was one of almost overflowing, emotional joy along with incredible Lasallian fervour. It has been a marvellous experience which will leave an indelible impression – or so we hope –on the hearts and minds of all and in the very lives of the 60 participants from the nine Districts present. It has been something amazing….as if the Holy Spirit was urging us on, through our meetings, in the work which was bringing our friends closer together, to be, with us, better Christians, apostles and Lasallians. Of special joy to us was the large group of “young people” who amazed the “veterans” with their presence, their presiding at prayers and their communicative joy.

We have decided that, in one way or another, we are going to publish the most important of the profound themes which were offered for reflection to all; the conclusions we came to from each theme; the essence of what those present thought of this Assembly which has left us full of enthusiasm. As soon as it is ready, this publication, which will be very interesting for us , for our brothers and sisters who were not here and for the De La Salle Brothers themselves.will be included on the web page, for the information of everybody in general.

February 10th was spent by the members of the Assembly in the school of Manos de Dios. We continued the planned activities of the Assembly until 5 o’clock in the evening: we met the pupils, present although they were on holidays. Pupils and teachers performed some artistic items and popular dances for us…We gave the pupils some toys and games which had arrived providentially some days earlier from “Madre Coraje” in Jerez, Spain. The events of the evening, especially the Eucharist, were presided over by Mons. Piñeiro, Bishop of Peru and former pupil of La Salle Lima, with his characteristic warmth.We dined later in the school dining-hall which allowed us all to admire the three elements of this Centre which was subsidised by the EDIFICANDO NGO of Maravillas in Madrid: College, Sanctuary and Dining Hall. There are still three workshops to be built for the professional formation of the pupils in the final three classes of the Secondary School: Carpentry - Bricklaying - Electricity and Engine.
That evening, the members of the Assembly exchanged friendly greetings from their
Countries of origin.

Porto Alegre Assembly for Brothers: The second Assembly for Brothers of the District of Porto Alegre took place from January 19 to 21, 2005, under the theme "Our Educational Mission as Brothers." The objectives of this Assembly were: 1. To evaluate the educational mission as Brothers; 2. To understand and gain a deeper appreciation of our educational mission; 3. To plan for the future of our educational mission; 4. To celebrate our educational mission.

The central focus was our educational mission today and tomorrow; considering the Brother's mission in today's context (the particulars of the Brother's and Associate's educational work); the Brother's educational mission over the course of different stages in life; initial and ongoing formation for mission; patterns and guidelines for the future. Ninety Brothers attended the Assembly and they came from all the areas in Brazil where the Brothers are present.
^{(Br. João Angelo Lando
Secretário Provincial)}

Tsunami Relief Concert at Christian Brothers College High School - St. Louis, MO – USA: On February 19, CBC High School hosted a special Tsunami Relief Concert.

The concert featured three bands, all Christian bands from the St. Louis area. Proceeds from the event will go toward relief efforts to provide financial assistance to those impacted by the devastation of the recent tsunami.

Before the concert, Ed Hamer, a science teacher at CBC and organizer of the event said, "We expect that there will be high school students from all over coming here, so it should be a great time."

CBC High School is one of the oldest secondary schools in the Saint Louis area with roots dating to 1849. The school is metropolitan in nature, with students coming to school each day from 125 different parishes. See: www.cbchs.org.
^{(Rob Staggenborg)}

If you have news notes that you would like us to consider publishing, please email us:lasallew@lasalle.org