PARIS - FRANCE - THE TEACHING CONGREGATIONS UNITE: The Teaching Congregations have recently united in order to speak with one voice in the major areas of education and also to mutually enrich each other with their experiences and innovations.

THE URCEC – GATHERING TOGETHER THOSE IN CHARGE OF TRUSTEESHIP – WISH TO CONTRIBUTE, WITH A COMMON VOICE, TO THE EDUCATIONAL DEBATE.

The Religious Congregations, which were the initiators of the major systems of teaching, have just formed themselves into the Union of the Networks of Congregations engaged in Catholic Education (URCEC in French): around 110 male and female Congregations (in the front ranks of which are the Brothers of the Christian Schools and also the Jesuits, Salesians, Ursulines, Vincentians, etc.) who educate some 500,000 pupils. This provides the Union with the opportunity of playing the role, with even more efficiency, of being “the motivating force which public education needs if it is to make progress,” according to Brother Jacques d’Huiteau, Secretary General of URCEC. He also reminds us that “these Congregations have, for more than three centuries, largely contributed to the development of education, especially popular and gratuitous education.”

Today the Congregations are therefore regrouping their forces to help each other certainly, but above all in order to “enrich each other with their research, experience, and major innovations for the renewal of the education system.”

With the desire of always better displaying, in these times of new “educational urgency,” the “capacity of Catholic education for reaching young people most in difficulty.” It is also a necessary union, continues Jacques d’Huiteau, even if “the Church is rediscovering the importance, for Christians, of educational commitment; and how much school institutions can bear witness to a presence of the Church.”

In this sense, URCEC will help give – especially via the General Secretary of Catholic Education and the Conference of Bishops – “a common voice of the Congregations” during educational debates.
^{(La Salle Liens Internationals, N o59 – March 2007, p. 5)}

KENYA - LASALLIAN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN KENYA EXCEL ON NATIONAL EXAM: Form Four students (the final year of school before entrance into university) of the 4,200 secondary schools of Kenya take their national school-leaving exams in November; and they await the arrival of March, when the results of the exams are announced.

The three Lasallian secondary schools in Kenya all finished in the Top 100, which means the top 2 % of the entire country. What an incredible achievement! St. Mary's School in Nyeri ranked 23rd in the nation; Rongai Agricultural & Technical High School in Rongai placed 38th in the nation, and St. Paul's Boy’s Secondary School in the pastoral region of Marsabit managed to place 96th in the nation. Congratulations to the students and the teachers of these fine schools and to the Lwanga District of Africa!
^{(Adapted from LI-NE District Website www.cbline.org)}

EL SALTO - MEXICO - THE DISTRICT OF NORTH MEXICO CELEBRATES 25 YEARS OF HOLY WEEK MISSIONS: Twenty-five years of missionary service. A celebration prepared and embraced with great joy and care. Unfortunately, some days before the 2007 Mission a fatal accident deeply saddened everyone. Faith in the risen Christ kept alive the missionary call of the young people.

The missionary youth and vocational movement of the District began in 1982 in El Salto, Durango. Since then, thousands of young people and adults have participated in missions organized by Lasallian schools throughout the country, especially in the northern states.

The consolidation of the missions was assured with the 1992 foundation of the Brothers' community in El Salto and the beginning of the missionary volunteer movement in 1994.
The current year, 2006 - 2007, marks the 25th anniversary of the beginning of the missions and the apostolic, youth, and university movements of the District have taken great pains to renew their missionary spirit and to give a new spirit in preparing the mission. More information can be found on the District web site, by clicking on "Misiones lasallistas" to see materials dealing with missionary support.

This year, during the final days of preparation, on March 27, two of the organizers from the El Salto community went to Durango to obtain the hosts that would be used during Holy Week. During the trip a very sad accident occurred in which young Carlos José Méndez Flores was killed. The other occupant in the car, Brother Carlos Martínez was injured and hospitalized. This event had tremendous impact: passion and death. The memory of this missionary was recalled tearfully at all the commissioning Masses.

Once again the young people went to serve their brothers and sisters in the poor towns along the Mexican Sierra de los Desiertos. The Bishop of El Salto, Ruy Rendón Leal, wrote in his letter for the occasion of the commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the missions:
"We celebrate this anniversary of the missions in our Prelature with a profound sense of gratitude and joy in our Lord.

Throughout these 25 years thousands of missionaries have come to the Sierra de Durango to pass on the Gospel of Jesus Christ to our people, while living Holy Week with us in a generous way. We are especially grateful to the Brothers of the Christian Schools who, since that time, have enthusiastically organized these missions, and to the Lasallian Volunteers, who in recent years have actively participated in this important event." The Bishop concluded by saying that the events of this celebration "will help to maintain our commitment to continue our task to become true disciples and missionaries of Jesus Christ, so that our towns might have life in Him."
^{(Brother Lorenzo González Kipper)}

RHODE ISLAND - USA - LA SALLE ACADEMY EXCELS AT SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING FAIR: Students of La Salle Academy in Providence, Rhode Island, USA, excelled at the recent Rhode Island Science and Engineering Fair. No one sparkled quite like Senior Justine Fortier, who won the Best of the “Best of the Fair” for the fourth consecutive year! Justine will now represent Rhode Island in the International Science and Engineering Fair with her engineering project.

Additionally, she earned an “Amgen Award” for the La Salle Academy Science Department, the “Governor’s Cup Award” for the project with the most potential to improve Rhode Island, a “University of Rhode Island Scholarship,” the “Herbert Hoover Engineering Award,” and the “Base 8 Group Innovation in Technology Prize.” Wow!

Other students of La Salle Academy who were “Best of the Fair” finalists included Theresa Raimondo, Emilia Raimondo, and Michael Danielewicz. Additionally, Adam Meunier, Menas Woloohojian and Aubrey Curran all received “First Grant Awards,” while Helen Smith, Christopher Piette, Tom Cardente, and Brittany Smeal all received “Second Grant Awards.”

Congratulations to all of these outstanding students and to all who mentored them along the way. Congratulations to La Salle Academy!
^{(Adapted from www.cbline.org)}

BALTIMORE - USA - NCEA HONORS TWO DE LA SALLE BROTHERS: The National Catholic Educational Association of the USA (NCEA), which is scheduled to hold its 104th annual convention on 10 to 13 April in Baltimore, Maryland, will honor two De La Salle Brothers for their outstanding contribution of Catholic Education.

The Catherine T. McNamee, CSJ Award will be presented to Brother Michael Collins of the Midwest District for his outstanding leadership in promoting a vision of Catholic education that welcomes and serves students with diverse needs. Brother Michael is the President of De La Salle High School in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The Michael J. Guerra Leadership Award will be presented to Brother Kevin Strong of the Baltimore District in recognition of his outstanding commitment to the mission of Catholic secondary school leadership. Brother Kevin is presently the President of The Cardinal Gibbons School in Baltimore, Maryland.

The award in Baltimore, the city of the first permanent foundation of the Institute in the USA in 1845, also serves to honor all of the extended family of St. John Baptist de La Salle and their mission of education in the USA and throughout the world.

Established in 1904, the NCEA represents 200,000 Catholic Educators serving 7,600,000 students in Catholic elementary and secondary schools, in religious education programs, in seminaries, and in colleges and universities. Approximately 10,000 persons have enrolled to attend this year’s NCEA Convention, which has as its theme: “Anchor of Faith – Harbor of Light.”
^{(Adapted from the NCEA Website and from the February Newsletter of the Baltimore District)}

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