The Office of the Lasallian Charismatic Family is aimed at all those Institutes of Consecrated Life and lay groups which, in a structured and organised manner, are linked to the foundational charism of Saint John Baptist de La Salle, recognise themselves in that charism and feel called to live it in a creative way, committing themselves to the Lasallian Mission.

One of the purposes of this Office is to appreciate all Lasallian realities and, therefore, their presence in the life of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, as a living expression of the charism we have received and which the Spirit continues to renew in our time.

In his Letter on the occasion of the Year of Consecrated Life, Pope Francis reminded us that in each Institute “there is a larger family, the ‘charismatic family’, which includes a number of Institutes which identify with the same charism, and especially lay faithful who feel called, precisely as lay persons, to share in the same charismatic reality”.

Every religious family is aware that no charism is sufficient on its own. The charism, received from the founder, is intended for the whole people of God, and only if it is welcomed and brought to life by the different members of the people of God can it develop its full potential.

In this way, we desire greater and more concrete relationships between the various Lasallian realities that share the same charism, based on communion and complementarity, in order to continue developing structures of fraternal communion together. In this way, the shared charism will be both leaven and an opportunity to work together and by association in the same mission.

Br. Mario Chiarapini