‘How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” (Ps 133:1). These words of the psalmist took on their full meaning in Antananarivo (Madagascar), where some twenty Young Brothers from the Lasallian Region of Africa (RELAF) gathered from 25 to 31 July 2026 for the RELAF Regional Assembly of Young Brothers, the first of its kind. It was a week of prayer, formation, discernment and fraternity, centred on the theme ‘All is connected’, inspired by Lasallian Reflection No. 11.
The gathering was preceded by the first in-person meeting of the Standing Regional Committee of Young Brothers and Young Lasallians, established in 2024. Following several months of online meetings, this gathering provided an opportunity to evaluate the progress made, strengthen collaboration amongst its members and prepare for the Assembly’s proceedings.
Opened by Brother Pie Nsukula, Visitor of the Congo-Kinshasa District, following a welcome address by the representative of the Brother Visitor of Madagascar and an orientation address by Brother Anatole Diretenadji, General Councillor, the Assembly invited participants to reflect on the challenges of integral ecology, fraternity and mission.
Three convictions
The presentations by Brothers Joël Palud, Mamy Olivier Rabarone Zo Michel Tolojanahary drove discussions centred on three key convictions: caring for our common home, building fraternal communities and making the peripheries a priority of the Lasallian Mission.
Beyond the talks, the young Brothers experienced an authentic sense of communion through celebrations, group work, shared meals and fraternal gatherings. Highlights of the week included a visit to the elderly Brothers in Ambohimangakely, a pilgrimage to the shrine of Blessed Brother Raphaël Louis Rafiringa, and a meeting with the Guadalupana Sisters of La Salle – all opportunities to renew their commitment to the service of the Gospel and education.
Regional Action Plan
The Assembly’s deliberations culminated in the drafting of a Regional action plan, the resolutions of which will be forwarded to the Conference of Brother Visitors of RELAF. In it, the participants reaffirm their commitment to promoting integral ecology, strengthening fraternity and responding creatively to the needs of young people, particularly those living on the margins of society.
The Assembly concluded with a day spent exploring Madagascar’s cultural and natural heritage, followed by a thanksgiving celebration. As the Assembly drew to a close, Brother Julien Ratsimbazafy, Visitor of the District of Madagascar, and Brother Pie Nsukula invited the Young Brothers to look beyond the boundaries of their Districts to embrace an ever-greater missionary spirit, in the service of young people and the poorest.
More than just a time of formation, this Regional Assembly was a genuine experience of fraternity, communion and hope. The Young Brothers leave with a renewed commitment to make their lives and their mission a concrete witness that, for Lasallians, ‘All is connected’.
* Article written by Brother Anatole Diretenadji, General Councillor.
