La Salle LSLC IT MEETING

MISSION STATEMENT

The purpose of this Institute is to give a human and Christian education to the young, especially the poor, according to the ministry which the Church has entrusted to it.

Our Founder, St. John Baptist de La Salle, gave a new meaning to the school by making it accessible to the poor and offering it to all as a sign of the Kingdom and as a means of salvation. The Christian school is the preferred field for the activity of us Brothers. But our Institute also explores other possibilities for teaching and education more adapted to the needs of time and place.

John Baptist de La Salle, as he became aware, by God's grace, of the human and spiritual distress of "the children of the artisans and the poor" devoted himself to forming schoolmasters totally dedicated to teaching and to Christian education. He brought these teachers together in a community and subsequently founded with them our Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools.

We Brothers, in fidelity to the call of the Spirit and the charism of our Founder, consecrate ourselves to God in order to exercise, by association, our apostolic ministry of education.

(Adapted from The Rule of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, Article 3)

Our 43rd General Chapter, held in Rome in the Spring of 2000, discussed the mission of our Institute today in terms of three major categories:

THE EDUCATIONAL SERVICE OF THE POOR

From its foundation, our Institute has defined itself as being called by God to the educational service of the poor. In the past as now, our Institute has always concerned itself and continues to concern itself with this service. It is closely tied to social, cultural and economic contexts, which vary greatly from country to country where our Institute is present.

We are aware that our educational service of the poor cannot presume to solve all the problems of poverty in the world, but only specifically those which are related to education. As a group we follow the path which leads to the poor, acknowledging that God calls us to bring creative and generous responses to the world of the poor today, through fidelity to our founding charism.

Our Institute does not presume that it alone has an effective educational approach and strategy to deal with present forms of poverty. For this reason we consider it important to maintain relations and collaborate with other organizations and other agencies (political, social, and religious) that work to resolve urgent problems regarding the poor at the local, regional, and international level.

"God is so good that having created us, he wishes all of us to come to the knowledge of the truth... and you are the ones whom God has chosen to help in this work by announcing to these children the Good News and the truths that are contained in it" (Meditation 193 of St. John Baptist de La Salle).

Some young people have difficulty in accepting the Good News that we announce. Their environment is characterized by a secularised "global youth culture", which is based upon questionable commercial and economic values, and which prevents long-term relationships and stable commitments. If true dialogue is to take place, we must know about these young people, and use language and forms of expression they understand.

While we are prepared to see what is good in other cultures, we nevertheless seek to introduce the values of the Good News into the social environment of young people, so that family life is strengthened and all the socially and economically disadvantaged are liberated -- the illiterate, the homeless, and those suffering from such new forms of poverty as lack of affection, hope, and meaning.

Teaching is becoming more difficult every day. Parents face the challenge posed by the great diversity and complexity of life today. The admirable commitment of numerous men and women, Brothers and Partners, old and young, working together in the Lasallian mission on behalf of the young and the poor, is more urgently needed than ever. We are glad to see that many women are involved in the Lasallian mission and are playing a significant part in it.

Good example given by credible, authentic, and coherent witnesses is the best means of sharing the Good News. This example is most effective when given by a team or by a community of persons, such as a community of Brothers, Sisters, Catechists or a community of lay persons. Besides the implicit proclamation of the Good News, we also make this proclamation explicit by such means as public expressions of faith, the catechesis and pastoral care of young people, and vocation ministry.

For Lasallian establishments to be the living expression of the Good News, they must be places for dialogue in truth, freedom, and hope. In this way, the Brothers and Lasallian Partners can enter into the culture of the young to announce the Good News, and feel the need themselves for continual conversion. Among Lasallian institutions, the school is an ideal place for an inter-religious and ecumenical dialogue which bears witness to the values of all forms of faith. Lasallians working in universities contribute to our mission, in a special way, by their commitment to research in the field of the faith development of young people, whatever their religion, and by the training and accompaniment of those persons entrusted with the difficult task of sharing the Good News in an increasingly secularized and multi-religious context.

Our Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, like many other people and organisations, is clearly and patently aware of the urgent need that children, young people and adults have for education, at the beginning of this new century. Given this educational need, we propose to strengthen the commitment of our Institute in the following four areas where the need is particularly urgent:

The Lasallian Mission is already being pursued in multi-cultural and multi-religious societies. In these societies, Brothers and Partners experience a wide range of reactions to their presence, ranging from intolerance to indifference on the one hand, to respect often, on the other. The work of the Institute in this multi-religious context is not well known in other parts of the Institute.

The presence of the Institute in multi-religious societies calls for inter-faith dialogue on four levels:

1. Life: Brothers, Partners and young people build up friendly relations with others and nurture a fraternity which transcends religious differences.
2. School: A place where the child is the focus of concern, whatever his religious beliefs. It is a place where human and religious education is given, and the educational service of the poor is a priority.
3. Service: Despite their religious differences, Brothers, partners and young people show solidarity in the service of the poor.
4. Institution: There is inter-faith dialogue at national and international gatherings.