Transcript No Slide Title

As he became aware, by God’s grace, of
the human and spiritual distress of the
children of the artisans and the poor, John
Baptist de La Salle 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 the Institute of the Brothers of the
Christian Schools. . . . 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
entrusted to it.
- The Rule of the Brothers of the Christian Schools 1,3
To give a human and Christian education
especially in schools,
with the service of the poor as a priority
in order to evangelize and catechize,
to promote peace and justice,
accomplished together as
a “shared mission”.
From their beginnings, the Brothers of the Christian
Schools have regarded their work as a collaborative
ministry. Their vow of association binds them to God
and to one another for the educational service of youth
and the poor. In the Lasallian experience, mission
generates bonds of mutuality and interdependence.
Mission leads to communion and communion is for
mission.
What has changed is the ever-increasing role played
by lay partners in the mission of the Institute.
In the face of the many
challenges in today’s world, it
is no longer conceivable that
the Brothers can guarantee by
themselves the continuation
and vitality of the Lasallian
mission. Thus, the worldwide
Institute today often speaks of
Lasallian mission as a
“shared mission.”
From the late 70’s to the late 90’s, there arose
groups and individuals hungry for a deeper sharing
in the spirituality and mission of De La Salle.
• General Chapter of 1976 speaks of the “Lasallian Family.”
• Signum Fidei and SHARE begin in 1981.
• The new emphasis on Lasallian formation.
• General Chapter of 1986 speaks of “shared
mission.”
• Initiatives like LASSA, youth & educator’s
congresses, etc.
• Letter to the Lasallian Family (1989).
• Lasallian mission redefined in “A Shared
Mission” (1997).
The first Lasallian District Synod in 1999
effectively marked a paradigm shift in
the way of thinking about shared mission
in the Philippines. . .
. . . from sharing in the
Brothers’ mission to the
one mission in which
faculty, staff, alumni,
parents and young
people and Brothers all
share.
“Lay people take their place as ‘full
partners’ – and we Brothers gladly
associate with them in our mission.
We accept that from now on our
schools will not be ‘Brothers’ schools’,
animated by the Brothers’ community
with the secondary collaboration of lay
teachers, parents, students. They will
be instead, ‘Lasallian schools’ ,
animated by Lasallian educative
communities of faith, within which the
apostolic activity of the Brothers’
community takes place.”
- Quoted in The Lasallian Mission of Human and
Christian Education: A Shared Mission 3.1.1
For the Brothers: this change in
mentality implies that they will no
longer consider themselves the
only trustees or proprietors of the
Lasallian charism in education.
It is their duty to believe in the
vocation of lay people, to support
it and encourage it . . .”
For lay people: the change in mentality allows them to consider the
Lasallian task in which they work as something which is proper to
them and not something for which the Brothers alone are
responsible. It means they should accept their place and
responsibilities in the Lasallian educational plan and feel that they
are co-responsible in the common mission.”
- The Lasallian Mission of Human and
Christian Education: A Shared Mission 3.1.2
The ideal of shared mission
would be. . . the formation of a
ministerial community among
those who share the Lasallian
mission. This new ministerial
community has to be for the
Lasallian school the sign that
the Kingdom of God is present
and grows in this place.
- The Lasallian Mission of Human and
Christian Education: A Shared Mission
3.3.3
Aladdin Antiqueňo
The Brothers, original
“owners” of the mission . . .
HOW DO WE
UNDERSTAND
SHARED MISSION
TODAY ?
. . . share their mission with
the lay faculty and staff.
This is a
paternalistic
understanding of
shared mission.
Everyone actively
committed to the
Lasallian vision and
mission.
CO - RESPONSIBLE
“Shared mission. . . demands a
process of growth in unity, in
communion between persons who
share the same mission. This
process of communion requires
the development of links of unity,
of communication, unified
objectives, common actions, and
good personal relationships in the
same Lasallian tradition which
brought the Brothers to make a
vow of association among
themselves. . .”
- The Lasallian Mission of Human and
Christian Education: A Shared Mission 3.3.1
* MISSION
* LASALLIAN
SPIRITUALITY
Different degrees and
levels of commitment and
sharing.
RELATIONSHIP OF COLLEAGUES AND
BROTHERS IN THE SHARED MISSION
Something new is
being born . . .
Lay partners enabled to exercise
a more deliberative role in
determining the directions and
conduct of the Lasallian mission.
Increased opportunities for
new and creative types of
apostolates.
Evolve new structures and
learn skills to facilitate layFSC collaboration.
Greater collaboration, sharing
and interdependence among
institutions.
Need to guarantee the
dynamic vitality and
continuity of the Lasallian
heritage in all institutions.
Creation of structures that
facilitate a more concerted
and unified approach to the
Lasallian mission.
Evolve new forms of association
geared to a deeper sharing in the
Lasallian mission.
Develop a new, richer
understanding of the Lasallian
charism.
Develop a more “lay-centered”
Lasallian spirituality.
Dissemination of Lasallian
spirituality/ charism beyond
the Lasallian Family.
STRUCTURES
OF
GOVERNANCE
The Lasallian
Family
Convocation is the
new forum for
legislating
directions for the
Lasallian mission
in the Philippines.
SCHOOLS AND
INSTITUTIONS
EMPLOYEE
WELLBEING
PROGRAMS
NEW FORMS OF
ASSOCIATION
COMMON
FRAMEWORK
FOR LASALLIAN
FORMATION
SPIRITUAL
ACCOMPANIMENT
IN SCHOOLS
COMMON SOCIAL
INCREASING
STUDY GRANTS DEV’T. FRAMEWORK
CENTERS FOR
LIVELIHOOD
PROMOTION & DEV’T.
Partnership in mission involves not just a
consultative role for lay Lasallians in
determining apostolic directions but a
deliberative one. The Holy Spirit works and
speaks through men and women of faith who
gather to discern God’s will for the shared
mission. This holds true for the laity as much
as the religious.
•FAITH
• REVITALIZATION
•ASSOCIATION
•TRUST IN PROVIDENCE
• belief in a loving God who wants to bring
the means of integral human and Christian
development within reach of youth and the
poor
•belief that we are called and gifted by God
to help realize this goal
• belief that we are called to realize this
through the ministry of Christian
education
• generate creative ways of serving youth- at-risk
• attend to the promotion of justice, peace and
integrity of creation
• attend to evangelization/pastoral action in and out of
our institutions
• educational innovation in the service of the integral
human/Christian development of students
• formation of Lasallian educators who share in the
spirituality and mission of the Founder
• internalize the same vision, values and spirit
• explore new forms and structures of
collaboration
• realize all involved in this ministry are gifted and
that we need to identify, release and utilize their
gifts
• need to create genuine ministerial communities
where gifts can be affirmed, released and utilized
for the sake of the mission
• realize that we cannot accomplish
this mission alone
• realize that we must place our trust
in God through prayer
• take risks, act boldly; if it is God’s
work, it will bear fruit in its own time