Appointments of Brother Auxiliary Visitors for the District of France and French-speaking Europe

Brother Armin Luistro, Superior General of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, has appointed Brothers Jean Drouard and Jacques D’Huiteau as Auxiliary Visitors for the District of France and French-speaking Europe. The appointment will be for a term of four years, working alongside Brother Claude Reinhardt, Visitor of the District from 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2030.

Brother Jean Drouard is a testimony to dedication, combining technical training, pastoral commitment and senior school leadership.

Born on 30 October 1949 in Le Plessis-Robinson, on the outskirts of Paris, Jean Drouard first came into contact with the Lasallian world during his teenage years as a student at Saint-Nicolas d’Igny. This early connection with the Institute would shape his future, leading him to forge close ties with charismatic figures such as Jean Paul Aleth. His academic formation followed a technical path: after obtaining a diploma in Electrical Engineering from the Raspail secondary school in Paris, he went on to earn a BTS (Brevet de Technicien Supérieur).

The 1970s marked the key stages of his vocation. Whilst working as a supervisor at the boarding school in Issy-les-Moulineaux, he began his novitiate in Saint-Denis (1972–1974), combining his studies with teaching. His mission soon took on an international dimension: for two years he worked in Diébougou, in what is now Burkina Faso (then Upper Volta), where he put his skills at the service of national cooperation at the Brothers’ College.

On his return to France, his career progressed towards roles of increasing responsibility. From 1979 to 1983, he oversaw the opening of the technical and vocational college at Passy Saint-Nicolas de Buzenval. However, Brother Jean’s commitment also led him to engage with marginalised communities. 

It was against this backdrop that Brother Jean pronounced his final vows in 1988. During his time in Roubaix, he devoted himself to social voluntary work and the mission among the working class alongside the Brothers already active in this field, whilst continuing his theological studies in Lille.

This dual focus – technical and pastoral – also characterised his subsequent leadership roles, first back in Passy (1985-1991) and then at the Sainte-Anne à La Motte Servolex High School in Savoie (1991-2000), where he began to take on strategic roles within the Lasallian Network and the District Council.

The new millennium also brought a variety of coordination roles. After leading l’Avenir Jeunes Reims (AJR), in 2002 he was appointed Auxiliary Visitor for the Lyon region and the Island of Réunion. In the latter territory, his role became central to the local Church, where he served as Head and Diocesan Director of Catholic Education until 2011.

In recent years, Brother Jean has devoted his energies to developing key centres for the Institute, such as the La Ruche La Salle Centre and the development project for Parménie. Prior to his current appointment as Auxiliary Visitor, he continued to offer his technical and managerial expertise as Deputy to the Delegate for Tutelage and as a member of the Board of Directors and member of the Economic Council of the Institute. Today, with the appointment received from the Superior General, Brother Jean Drouard brings to the service of the District of France a unique wealth of experience, where the practicality of educational action and the depth of theological vision merge into a single mission. His profile perfectly embodies the Lasallian ideal of a leader capable of responding with pragmatism and faith to the pastoral challenges of our time.

Along with the appointment of Brother Jean Drouard, the Superior General has also formalised that of Brother Jacques D’Huiteau.

Born on 12 December 1947 in Bayonne, in the Basque Country, Brother Jacques has linked the most significant moments of his religious life to his homeland, where he professed his final vows on 8 December 1979. His formation began in 1965 with his novitiate at Le Rancher, continuing with academic studies in Angers and Bordeaux.

Following his early experiences as a teacher in Bordeaux, his vocation led him to missionary work ad gentes: from 1973 to 1975 he was in Yaoundé, Cameroon, where he worked as a youth leader at the Centre for Education in Community Development, an experience that would shape his view of education as a means of social emancipation.

On his return to France, after five years of teaching in his home town, Brother Jacques furthered his studies in Theology at the Catholic Institute of Paris and then in Lyon, a field that would become central to his life. In the 1980s and 1990s, in Lyon, he held various roles in education: he was assistant to the Novice Master and, at the same time, a teacher of literature and pastoral leader, as well as a professor of Theology at the Catholic University of Lyon. This combination of academic teaching and pastoral leadership at the Lasallian Institute ‘Aux Lazaristes’ made him a leading figure in the formation of future Lasallian educators.

His leadership career was significant. Already an Auxiliary Visitor for the North-East Sector in 1994, he was appointed Visitor of the District of France in 1997.

His expertise subsequently led him to take on institutional roles such as Secretary General of the URCEC (Union des Réseaux Congrégationnels de l’Enseignement Catholique), a member of the Theological Commission of the Conference of Religious of France, and, above all, that of General Councillor for RELEM (Lasallian Region of Europe and the Mediterranean). In this role, from 2007 to 2014, he coordinated Lasallian activities across the Region of Europe and the Mediterranean. 

In recent years, Brother Jacques has put his extensive experience to good use in higher education, serving as the liaison officer for Engineering Schools. Since 2021, he has been working within the Paris Domrémy community, continuing to