2003 News Archive

The San Francisco District of the De La Salle Christian Brothers has opened up two of its summer programs to participants from around the U.S./Toronto Region.

Vandu Paaru (“Come and See”)—International Immersion Programs for Brothers and Lasallian Partners to India, Sri Lanka or Thailand—June 14–July 11, 2003

This four-week immersion experience, taking place from June 14–July 11, offers one of the most profound means of Lasallian formation available, through direct work with the poor in the spirit of the Lasallian tradition. This summer four sites will welcome up to six participants from the United States.

Site 1: St. Joseph’s Boys Village—Batlagunda, South India

Provides residential facilities for parentless youth ages 6–14. Project: Painting and roofing, providing recreation opportunities for the youth and some teaching of English

Site 2: St. Joseph’s-La Salle—Keezhamudiman, South India

Provides traditional education to village children ages 12–18. Project: The continued construction of a new classroom building began by volunteers in the summer of 2002. In addition, providing recreation opportunities to students and some teaching of English.

Site 3: St. Xavier’s School–Mannar, Sri Lanka

Village School for grades 1–12 in addition to a bordering school and welding training center. Project: Refurbishing of classrooms and training center and teaching of English.

Site 4: La Salle Scholasticate—Sampran, Thailand

De La Salle Christian Brothers Community that houses Postulants (those considering the Brothers as a vocation). Project: Teaching English to the Postulants to prepare them for their teaching assignments.

The registration deadline is March 1, 2003. For more information, contact Robert Jordan at the San Francisco District Education Office (rjordan@dlsi.org). Additional details are available at here or by contacting Nicholas Coggins (Coggins@FSCbaltimore.org) at the Baltimore District Education Office.

The Religious Studies Institute at St. Mary’s College of CA—June 15–20, 2003

The Religious Studies Institute, a program co-sponsored by St. Mary’s College of California and the Office of Education of the District of San Francisco, is designed to support the work of religious education in Lasallian secondary schools by providing academic preparation and updating pedagogical training for experienced, novice and prospective teachers of religious studies and faith development experiences.

The third annual Religious Studies Institute will take place from June 15–20, 2003 at St. Mary’s College in Moraga, CA. The course offered will be Building Your Own Conscience: Teaching Morality in the Catholic Secondary School. Fr. William O’Malley, SJ, noted author, presenter and teacher, will teach the course. Graduate credits and continuing education units have been approved from St. Mary’s College.

For more information, contact Greg Kopra at the San Francisco District Education Office (gkopra@dlsi.org) or Nicholas Coggins (Coggins@FSCbaltimore.org) at the Baltimore District Education Office.

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Surrounded by the snow and a peaceful panorama of the Watchung Mountains, the staff of Hudson Catholic High School gathered for their annual Day of Reflection on February 14th at the Shrine of St. Joseph in Stirling, New Jersey. As Campus Minister, I realized that the topic I chose, “The Role of Teacher as a Peacemaker,” begins with each of us as faithful individuals, and how well we can create a place for peace for our students and each other. Since we are a multicultural high school, some of our students’ families still live in countries around the world where nonviolence and peace are not a daily reality. Even in our own Hudson County, peace is sometimes elusive.

Our day together began with prayer. The opening prayer service focused on our role as peacemakers and also on the powerful example of peacemakers. These inspirational leaders ranged from Confucius, St. Francis, St. John Baptist de La Salle, Bishop Raymond Lucker, St. Elizabeth Seton, Oscar Romero, Dorothy Day, Martin Luther King, Jr., Gandhi, and Frederic Ozanam. We looked to them for inspiration to be better peacemakers and kingdom builders.

Our speaker was Sister Patricia Wormann, OP, a pastoral associate from SS. Peter & Paul Parish and Campus Minister at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey. (Sr. Patricia is shown in the photo above catting with Br. Patrick Cassidy, Joan Serafin and Chinedu Okoye in the first row and Br. Michael Tidd and Br. Charles Huber in the seond row.) She spoke on our role as peacemakers and how we can better create a place for peace at Hudson Catholic. Sr. Pat observed that “to be a peacemaker we need to first keep turning ourselves to God, second, see life differently than before, and third recognize that all life is a gift from God. We need to realize that to be a gift to our students, we need to treasure who we are as a people so we can be aware of the presence of God. To be a person of peace, we need to keep in mind these basics: my ability to love, to forgive, and not to need to strike back. Take the time to listen and be faithful to what you hear.”

Sr. Pat also emphasized that we become signs of peace and hope when we honor the fact that differences don’t have to divide. She explained, “I change because I am loved, which then invites us to a new place of being. For a school community to continue to be a place of peace, we have to continually create an atmosphere where speaking the truth (is possible) without the fear that someone else will strike back. To create a place that is safe spiritually and emotionally. This will create for us the opportunity to be empowered individually, then in turn this atmosphere will empower our students who could then pass it on to their own people. Teach your students that they are worth it, and it will invite them to the possibilities for peaceful, positive change.”

The success of any Day of Reflection is always best measured by what lessons we learn to take home and live out better ourselves. Brother Timothy Ahern, FSC, Principal, reflected on the importance of this topic at a school like Hudson Catholic: “Our differences at Hudson Catholic can unite us, not divide us. Hudson Catholic, as a school of peace, is a great opportunity because of our diversity.”

After a fabulous lunch, the day ended with liturgy to pray for world peace. At the end of the liturgy, we as a faculty stood and prayed an inspiring prayer for world peace.

Submitted by Dennis M. Gallagher, Hudson Catholic High School

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Young men in the vocation programs and various levels of formation gathered over the weekend of January 3-6 for the annual Regional FSC Vocation Retreat at Mt. Alvernia Retreat House in Wappingers Falls, NY. A major snowstorm kept some registered participants from attending, but others were able to make the journey from California, Minnesota and Louisiana to be a part of this yearly gathering. A total of 10 people participated from the Baltimore District, including aspirants, young Brothers in formation and those Brothers working in the formation programs for the District.

As an important part of the process for young men discerning the possibility of a vocation to the Brothers, the weekend was designed to help the retreatants deepen their understanding of God’s call to religious brotherhood within the context of our Catholic faith. The weekend included small group discussions, private and communal prayer, and one-on-one dialogues.

A large accumulation of snow, seen for the first time by some from the warmer climes, allowed for some pretty fierce sledding races down the large hills on the retreat grounds! In the photo to the right, Br. Peter Nguyen (Baltimore District) gives a helpful shove to Br. Kevin Strong (Baltimore District) and Br. Peter Iorlano (LI-NE District).

All the evaluations spoke of the experience as being very beneficial in helping the young men grow in the discernment of their vocations.

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As part of a five-year strategic plan, Central Catholic High School has established an interdisciplinary program that provides an exciting opportunity for highly motivated and independent students to do critical inquiry and discovery in the social sciences, the humanities, and the sciences. The program is named for Brother David S. Baginski, FSC, who was a teacher and an administrator at Central for several years. He died in 1996 while serving as principal of Hudson Catholic High School in Jersey City, NJ.

One of the essential goals of the new Baginski Scholars Program is to create opportunities for the students in the program to pursue a deeper understanding of the perennial issues that preoccupy humanity including the composition of an ethical society, and to notice what has been valued and what has been neglected. To this end, 27 sophomore students participated in an insight-filled educational journey to the nation’s capital, 23-24 January 2003. The theme of the trip was “Peace and Conflict Resolution: Its Relevance in These Days.”

In this extraordinary time of world history, we witness new ways of waging war and wanton disregard for human dignity and human rights. We also need new ways to solve old problems resulting from hatred, pride, and misunderstandings. Indeed, with conflicts burning on every permanently inhabited continent, and with the Permanent Members of the United Nations Security Council divided over making war with Iraq, education about peace and conflict resolution-an interdisciplinary endeavor, a Christian mission-is relevant in these days.

The students participated in three colloquium sessions centered on important topics related to peace and conflict resolution. Among the venues visited were the Embassy of the Holy See (Vatican), the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops, the U.S. Institute of Peace (shown in photo to right), and the Federation of American Scientists. Br. John Johnston, FSC, director of Lasallian educational programs for the USA/Toronto Region, joined the group during the session at the Bishops Conference. In addition to the serious dimension of the trip, the group enjoyed a fun-filled time at the new International Spy Museum and dinner at the beautiful Lauriol Plaza, a Spanish/Mexican restaurant.

Submitted by Br. Ernest Miller, FSC, Director, David S. Baginski, FSC, Scholars Program

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(The article and photo below appeared in January 30, 2003 issue of The Catholic Standard & Times—The Archdiocese of Philadelphia and is reprinted with permission.)

He’s A Brother to Kids Who Need Him Most

By Lou Baldwin, CS&T Staff Writer

The first school opened by St. John Baptist De La Salle, founder of the Christian Brothers, was for very poor boys in 17th-century France. This initial charism continues down to the present day, and, in the Philadelphia Archdiocese, is very apparent at St. Gabriel’s Hall, Audubon.

Here, the Christian Brothers teach and minister to more than 200 court-adjudicated delinquent boys, most of whom come from deep poverty. “All of my experience has been with inner city kids, mostly of modest means,”said Br. Brian Henderson, the director of St. Gabriel’s Hall and “happily a Christian Brother for 22 years.”

The boys at St. Gabriel’s “have the added burden of having run afoul with the community,” he said. “But kids are kids, we try to help them rediscover their goodness, build upon that goodness.

Being in the classroom working with kids like ours is great, and somebody has got to do it. They are nice kids, and you try to give them a sense of God’s love. We try to tell them ‘You are worth caring for, you should be treated with respect and care.’”

Like generations of local Christian Brothers before him, Brother Brian, originally from St. Irenaeus Parish, is a graduate of West Catholic High School, where he was active with the community service program.

He owes all that he has been in life to his parents, Larry and Priscilla Henderson. “The older I get the more I appreciate what they gave to me, ” Brother Brian said.

Although he had also considered the priesthood, the strong sense of community and interdependence he saw among the brothers was what most attracted him to their vocation. “I liked the idea of a community with a particular focus on service, ” he said.

He began the discernment process while attending what was then La Salle College. After two years, he formally entered the Christian Brothers Scholasticate. His teaching career took him to St. Gabriel’s and his own West Catholic as a religion teacher, to Calvert Hall in Towson, Maryland, and St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, where he was dean of students and assistant principal. In 1999, he returned to St. Gabriel’s to serve as residential director and for the past two years, director.

The personal satisfaction is “living with great hope of discovering the goodness in young people,” Br. Brian said. “Of all the employees, I’m the least important, the line staff is most important because they work directly with the boys.

“St. La Salle wrote of the importance of faith and zeal,” the brother said. “He put a lot of focus on having faith, realizing we are doing God’s work. Zeal is important too, having enthusiasm and passion, knowing God will help us.”

Although the numbers of new brothers have dwindled for the Christian Brothers, Brother Brian does not fear for the future. “I think our charism is alive, relevant and inviting,” he said. “I don’t look at our aging with dread. Our life is evolving and there is that mystery of the future. It’s a wonderful life. As long as there are kids, there is a place for the heritage we have from St. La Salle.”

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Br. Ed Sheehy, a professor of History at La Salle University, prepared the following brief homily on St. Mutien-Marie Wiaux for the Mass at his Brothers’ community on St. Mutien’s feast day (January 30).

Martin Luther King once said that every man (person) can aspire to greatness, because each person has the opportunity to serve. Moreover, today’s reading focuses on the concept of service.

Appropriately, “service” was a hall-mark of St. Mutien’s life. Born in humble circumstances, he spent 58 years stationed at a boarding school at Malonne. At first, he faced problems in the classroom. He was not the most educated, most talented, individual, but though perseverance and persistence served the Church, his Brothers, and his students, both in religion and art/music.

His example reminds me of the words of a 20th century U.S. President:

“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘Press On’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”

Thus, he served his Brothers as an example by keeping the Rule in detail. He served his students through his constancy and effort. He served his Church through his special devotion to Mary, the Mother of God.

Mutien was a man of service, sanctity, and persistence. Thus, we can pray the 2nd antiphon for his feast day: “Servants of the Lord, bless the Lord forever.”

For a short biography of St. Mutien, go to the Institute’s website: http://www.lasalle.org/English/Heritage/mutien.html.

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