HAITI – FESTIVAL OF HOPE: On Sept. 16th on the occasion of the Assembly of the Brothers at the start of the school year, our main joy was offered to us by two new Brothers who made their First Profession at the end of their novitiate.

They are Bros. Dorvil Patrick and Tidé Fritz Gérald. On the very same day we also had the “launching” of  the last stage heading  towards the Constituent Chapter of the new District, at which we were able to count on the presence of our Lay Lasallian School Directors and members of Signum Fidei. A month earlier four new Novices began their Novitiate.
^{(Brother Adalberto Aranda)}

AMMAN - JORDAN – YOUNG ECUADOREAN BROTHER JOINS THE DISTRICT IN AMMAN: A young Brother from Ecuadcor arrived in Amman on 12 September to join in the mission carried on by the Brothers of our District on its own terms.

After teaching for seven years in his own country, 29 year old Brother Felipe Borbor,  decided, in consultation with his Brother Visitor, to join our District as a result of the appeals made to the Brothers of the District of Ecuador to help the Brothers in their educational mission in the Sudan.  He seems very happy and to be fulfilling his potential in his new community in Amman, which has recently had a new Director, Brother Rafael Gonzalez, Bursar of the Holy Land Sector and Director of this House in the 1980s.

Brother Felipe has to juggle languages.  If he can speak Spanish with his compatriot Br Julio Coba and with Br Rafael, he has to change to Italian with Br Paolini Ercolani, doyen and leading light of the community.  The presence of Br Sami Hatem, who is responsible for spiritual and Lasallian animation in the Holy Land Sector, will enable him to begin practising Arabic of which he should have a good grasp before devoting himself to a special assignment in the Sudan.  In sum, Br Felipe does not run any risk of boredom, and, up till now, is showing no sign of homesickness for Latin America.

Br Felipe, with sporting prowess worthy of champion volleyball or basketball players, was attracted to the Brothers’ life by the example of Saint Brother Miguel (Febres Cordero), a native of his own country in which he is highly revered.  His vocation developed via the Seminary before passing through voluntary service, the postulancy and the Brothers’ novitiate.  After the bac, “my parish priest encouraged me to enter the seminary.  There, I read some writings of Saint John Baptist de La Salle as well as the life of St Miguel”.
A year later, in 1997, he left the seminary and worked for a year.  He then felt that he was called to become a Brother and joined the FSCs Institute.  The process started with a year of voluntary service in Tulcan, then a year’s postulancy in Quito, the capital of Ecuador, then the novitiate in Rio Negro, a suburb of Medelllin in Colombia.

In 2000, he made his first temporary vows, then his perpetual vows in 2006.  From 2001, Br Felipe has been teaching in the Quito Postulancy, then religious culture in the secondary department in Cuenca.

He maintains that he felt “called to go to the missions”, outside his own country.  At first, it was proposed that he go and help the few Brothers in Chile.  Then, his Brother Visitor, on his way back from Rome where he had met his fellow countryman  Br George Absi, suggested to him to go to the Near East with a view to helping later on in the mission of the Brothers in the Sudan.

He left Quito and landed in Amman on 12 September.  There, the superiors think he will have the opportunity of being well accompanied by two Brothers who speak his own language to learn Arabic while perfecting his French and start learning English, a language useful in the Sudan.  With such a heavy programme Br Felipe is sure that he will not be bored, especially as he loves to spend time with young people, which he hopes to do through sport, and also, with the presence in Amman of Br Sami, in the apostolate of the Lasallian movements.
^{(District of the Near East – www.lasalle-po.org)}

MADRID - SPAIN - SPANISH LASALLIAN CENTRE: Since September 3rd last, 14 of us, 7 religious and 7 lay persons, have been experiencing Lasallian-style community life, under the direction of formation staff members Brothers Jose M. Perez and Juan Gonzales. Our experience will last until November 30th.

We are analysing the life of the Founder, his life-journey, his writings and the creation of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools founded by him. Our programme includes a pilgrimage to the most important places associated with the origins of the Christian Schools.

We have an opportunity also to get to know other forms of education which involve poor and socially disadvantaged people, people with Down’s Syndrome or HIV, and with the Community of St Egidio.

The purpose of this 3-month period is to make us aware of the richness of Lasallian spirituality, which is a vocation to which we are called - Brothers and lay persons alike - to carry out Together and by Association the Mission of Christian Education which unites us in De La Salle.
^{(Brother Juan González, Director)}

NEW YORK - USA –  INAUGURAL BROTHERS AND PARTNERS RETREAT HELD: For the first time, De La Salle Christian Brothers and Partners, all from Northeast Districts,
gathered this summer for a retreat at the Mount Alvernia Retreat Center in Wappinger Falls NY.  Four talented Lasallians served as team leaders, bringing the experience to life.   Margaret Hayes and Jean Ricci are from La Salle Academy in Providence RI, Rita Pratt from St. Raphael Academy in Pawtucket RI, and Cathy Carroll of Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft NJ.

The fifteen participants were Brothers Lawrence Goyette, who served as coordinator, Charles Kitson, Tom Egan, Ed Phelan, Michael Sevastakis, Kevin Hargadon, John Nguyen, and Bart Schacter, and Partners Jeannie Cerone, Cindy Hirt, Connie Ciampanelli, Barbara Larned, Desiree Galashaw, Ty Hopkins, and Frank Cafaro.

 “Lose Your Mind, Come to Your Senses,” the retreat was multi-faceted and sensory focused, offering participants new ways of encountering God, and connecting St. John Baptist
De La Salle’s spirituality with each participant’s journey.  In addition to daily Mass and Morning & Evening Prayer, the retreat featured release prayers; guided meditations incorporating music, sound, and imagery that are based on several cultures; Qigong, a meditation through movement involving the coordination of breathing patterns with various physical postures and body motions; artistic spiritual expression through the creation of personal mandalas, a form of sacred art; visual journaling; a Spiritual Walk during which each participant received a message for silent reflection and quiet sharing individually with other participants.

Team leaders came together because of similar goals and interests.  Jean’s interest in alternative healing modalities led her to integrate Art with spirituality.  Margaret’s similar journey brought them together in sharing their spiritual practices.  This mutual spiritual enfoldment led to the development of “Coming to Our Senses retreat’s theme and workshops.

Rita’s specialty in developing complementary liturgy and prayer services in relation to the them, and Cathy’s vast organizational abilities helped to facilitate the ease and flow of the retreat components.

Partner Connie Ciampanelli says that the retreat was of profound personal value, and, additionally, brought into sharp focus the reality of how widespread the brothers and partners are, and how all contribute to spreading the message and mission of the Founder.

We hope that this inaugural combined Brothers and Partners Retreat, a concrete manifestation of the Lasallian Shared Mission, leads to many others.
^{(George Aldrich, La Salle Academy Public Relations Office)}

BOGOTA - COLOMBIA - SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION: At De La Salle University, Bogota, Colombia, 68 young people were confirmed on Saturday, September 29th. These young people had been following a formation programme promoting sacramental life among the members of the university community - students, lecturers, staff, graduates, parents.

This programme was organised by the Department for Human Promotion and Development led by Brother Edgar Figueroa Abrajim, and by the University Pastoral Team of De La Salle University.

The photographs show Mgr Fabian Marulanda, Secretary of the Bishops’ Conference of Colombia, presiding over the liturgical celebration in the Santa Cruz church in the University main campus.
^{(Brother Edgar Figueroa Abrajim)}

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