On the afternoons of September 21st and 22nd, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., the five Brothers of the community of the Brothers of the Hôtel de La Salle in Reims, assisted by six members of the museum team – who help to run the tours throughout the year – guided the 700 or so people who came to discover the Hôtel de La Salle on a 20-minute tour.
The tour began with the façade of the Hôtel de La Salle, the only example of a Renaissance-style house in Reims. At the same time, it was an opportunity to talk about Saint John-Baptist de La Salle, pointing out the 19th-century statue that adorns the façade and the plaque commemorating the tercentenary of his birth.
Secondly, visitors entered the inner courtyard to discover the famous staircase, as well as the various representations of Saint John Baptist de La Salle and the logo of the Brothers of the District of France and French-speaking Europe: an opportunity to talk about the expansion of the Brothers throughout the world.
Finally, visitors moved on to the last room of the museum, where they could discover the different locations of Lasallian ministries and communities on the five continents: an opportunity to talk about the variety of ministries and to give some statistics. All in all, it was a great couple of days, which gave rise to some interesting questions and brief discussions.
The whole team emphasised the care and pleasure visitors took in discovering the house where our Founder was born. The smiles and expressions of thanks at the end of the visits by the various groups over the two days bear witness to this.
Text: Brother Antoine Salinas
