SYDNEY – AUTRALIA - CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS IN AUSTRALIA: Brothers of the District of Australia, NZ and PNG assembled these past few days to celebrate 100 years of the arrival of the Brothers in Australia in 1906. Br Alvaro, Superior General, and Br Victor Franco, General Councillor, graced the occasion by their presence. Br Superior’s address, titled “Colours of Hope” was thought provoking and received with acclaim.

Br George Van Grieken of the District of San Francisco delivered three presentations on Lasallian Prayer; Br Christian Moe presented an inspiring and informative address on the French Brothers who formed part of the pioneer community in Armidale, NSW; while Br Ambrose Payne, Visitor, facilitated a process on the “Being Brothers Today” document. He also delivered a challenging address to the Assembly while launching an innovative approach to vocations ministry in the District.

The occasion celebrated also the Golden Jubilee of three Brothers including the Br Visitor.
Congratulations to Br Ambrose Payne, Visitor, Br Vincent Keating, Auxiliary Visitor and all the Brothers in the District.
^{(News - District of Australia, NZ and PNG)}

Rome - Italy - New members of the International Council of Young Lasallians: Lucas de Villers (District of Canada Francophone) and Carlos Reveles (District of North Mexico and Lasallian Volunteer at the Casa Generalizia in Rome) have recently been named by Brother Superior General as members of the International Council of Young Lasallians (ICYL).

Lucas de Villers (19 years old) has been working with the Lasallian Family since 2002, mostly at Camp De-La-Salle, which is a vacation camp for children from 5 to 16 years of age. In 2004, Lucas was a member of the delegation from the District of Canada Francophone that was present at the Vocational Congress of the Americas that was held in Guadalajara, Mexico. In September 2005, he became Associate of the Institute with five other “animators” of Camp De-La-Salle. He is presently studying “advertising” at the university.

Carlos Reveles (26 years old), a former Lasallian student, has been engaged in Lasallian mission for about eleven years, first during a number of Holy Week Missions in El Salto, Mexico, and last year as a Lasallian Volunteer at Colegio José María Morelos y Pavón in Tecpan de Galeana, Mexico, where he worked as a technology teacher. He is presently a Lasallian Volunteer at the Casa Generalizia in Rome.

Both Mario Alberto Díaz (District of North Mexico) and Diane Leutgeb Munson (District of Midwest) have recently concluded their membership on ICYL.

The International Council of Young Lasallians (ICYL) was begun by Brother Superior in response to the proposal of Young Lasallians at the 1st International Symposium of Young Lasallians at Quebec during 2002. It is one of the international advisory councils to Brother Superior General and General Council; and one of its principal aims is “to foster awareness, sharing, and interaction between or among individual Young Lasallians (normally understood as being between 16 and 35 years of age) and Young Lasallian movements around the world.
^{(Br. Bill Mann)}

Issy-les-Moulineaux - France - The General Assembly of the Association La Salle: On November 15th and 16th 2006 the Association La Salle held its Annual General Assembly which brought together almost 170 Directors of Lasallian establishments in France. They met at Lycée St.Nicolas in Issy-les-Moulineaux in the suburbs of Paris.

Mr.Étienne Roulleaux-Dugage, Secretary-General of the ALS, presented the report on the activities of the ALS for the academic year 2005-2006. He mentioned in particular the big events of the year (the Lasallian Days at Beauvaiset, the Assembly on Association for the Education Mission at La Motte-Servolex) and the orientations for Lasallian formation (a year for a break and evaluation for the CLF (French Lasallian Center) and for the formation of animators in the network, the work of a commission for a new organization of Lasallian formation….).

Mr.Jean-Pierre Coadic, Director of “La Croix Rouge” in Brest, was elected President of the ALS.
Br.William Mann, Vicar-General, who had arrived from Rome where the International
Assembly ‘Associated for the Lasallian Education Mission’ had just taken place (October 23rd – November 4th), was invited to tell us about the Assembly and its conclusions. He informed us of the process followed by the delegates to this Assembly and particularly stressed the main priorities and the orientations adopted by the Assembly concerning mission, association and structures.

The end of this General Assembly of the ALS was an emotional moment for many, when Mr.Paul Malartre, Secretary General of Catholic Education, in the presence of Mr.Santini, Deputy-Mayor of Issy-les-Moulineaux and other elected representatives, conferred the Medal of Chevalier of the National Order of Merit on Mr.Bernard Pistre. The latter has exercised various responsibilities in the network, the last of which was being Director of Saint-Nicolas of Issy-les-Moulineaux up until last summer.
^{(News - www.lasalle-fec.org)}

Philadelphia – USA - La Salle University Awards Honorary Degree to Bro. Miguel Campos, Who Has Spread the Lasallian Mission Worldwide: La Salle University of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (USA) honored Bro. Miguel Campos with an honorary doctorate at an Honors Convocation on 8 October 2006.

Bro. Miguel, who has taught at La Salle University, is presently a General Councilor of the Institute.

“Throughout his career, Bro. Miguel has cultivated and used his talents for the good of many – his students, colleagues, fellow Brothers, and the lay associates who he knows will help to carry the Lasallian mission into the future,” said La Salle Religion Professor Gail Ramshaw, who sponsored Bro. Miguel for the honor. “A man of intelligence and master of four languages, a man of passion for the mission and with a work ethic to be admired and emulated, Bro. Miguel is truly deserving of our appreciation.”

In conferring the degree, La Salle President Bro. Michael McGinniss said of Bro. Miguel, “Your seminars, retreats, and workshops in North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe have touched many Lasallians, helping them to understand, among other things, the religious dimension of all education. You have helped to make John Baptist de La Salle accessible and inspiring to your fellow Brothers and all our Lasallian colleagues.”
^{(Adapted from www.fscbaltimore.org)}

Lyon – France - Young Lasallian week-end in Lyon: On October 21st and 22nd 2006, the Young Lasallians from the expanded Rhône-Alpes region met in Lyon for a weekend of fraternity and discovering the Lasallians network.
The program:
● a cross-city rally
● exchanges on fraternity
● an evening of recreation and games
● presenting the Lasallian movement…
This was an opportunity for meeting the new faces of the teams from Toulouse, Lyon La Salle and Lyon Lazos…and for renewing acquaintance with the older ones…

Today…
And if the Young Lasallians are getting older, what they will have remembered from this week-end (and from the homily of Mgr. Barbarin) is this “Today” of God:
Just suppose this year, the teams were to outdo themselves in helping children to reach the stars?

Just suppose, today, one were to decide on a year of volunteer work…like Jean-Emmanuel (helping young people in difficulty, in Reims, last year) or Christina (who came from Mexico to help the gypsy children in Toulouse)?

Just suppose that today one were to become a member of the national team, like Pierre-André who presented it to us?

Or just suppose, straight out, as Br.Josselin imagined it, feeling ourselves called to a vocation to the religious life, we were today to commit ourselves to the formidable adventure of the Brothers of the Christian Schools?

Today still the work of Saint John Baptist de La Salle continues….and may Jesus live in our hearts for ever.
^{(Marie-Aude Quemerais (Lyon Lazos team)}

Winona – USA - ICYL Member Protests for Peace:  A member of the International Council of Young Lasallians and her husband recently pled guilty to misdemeanor trespass at the Minnesota National Guard Armory in Winona (USA).

Diane Leutgeb Munson is one of the founding members of the International Council of Young Lasallians. She was a participant at both the 1st International Symposium of Young Lasallians in Quebec in 2002 and the 2nd International Symposium of Young Lasallians in Rome in 2006. As she stated at her trial, “it is time for each of us to take on the consequences of this war, to accept our own responsibility in it. Dorothy Day reminds us that ‘silence means consent.’ I choose not to be silent….”

Both Diane and her husband Mike Munson are associated with the Winona Catholic Workers, who conduct the Bethany House of Hospitality for poor and homeless people. Both are graduates of Lasallian schools. Peace-activist Dorothy Day was one of the founders of the Catholic Worker Movement, along with former-Brother Peter Maurin of France.

Diane and Mike each received one year unsupervised probation, with the stipulation that the three not be present at or near the Armory for thirty days. In the course of this case, the prosecution initially asked for two days of community service from each defendant. Recognizing that all three live and work at Bethany House of Hospitality, the judge asked the prosecutor if this stipulation wasn't in fact "nonsense," and basically "meaningless." The prosecution subsequently dropped the service requirement for all three. The three also received a "stay of adjudication" which means that if the terms of the probation are adhered to, no conviction for this offense will go on record.
^{(Br. Bill Mann)}

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