Lay Partners from Lasallian Higher Education of Europe discovering the Lasallian Family
For the eighth time, a seminar on the Lasallian vision of education in higher education was held in Rome. 35 people were present from Lasallian universities in Barcelona, Madrid, Beauvais, Rouen, Rennes, Amiens, Aix-en-Provence and Saint-Etienne.
They were two intense days of meetings, conviviality, reflections and discoveries. Brother Carlos Gómez presented the Institute’s expectations of higher education, the roles it can play in our societies, and the current challenges it faces. The Secretary General of IALU informed the participants about the role of the association, its achievements and projects. Reflection then focused on the theme of fraternity: how was the first fraternity built around John Baptist de La Salle? Can our institutions be “laboratories of fraternity” and under what conditions? Finally, one morning was devoted to sharing, from interviews conducted with the students by the participants, how, in our centres, young people perceive or not their Lasallian belonging and how they position themselves in relation to today’s world.
A visit to the Generalate made it possible to see emblematic places (the sanctuary, the museum, the General Chapter Hall), to learn about its history and to meet those responsible for certain services: the La Salle Foundation, the Archives. The participants, many of whom were new to their institutions, thus became aware of their belonging to a family and a network of universities of worldwide dimensions.
These days allowed them to step out of the usual context of life and work and open up unexpected horizons on the meaning, challenges and scope of their work. This is how one moves from craft to mission.
FOR A FASTER READING
OF THE TEXT
The seminar focused on the
Lasallian vision of
education in higher education
Participants discussed the expectations
of the Institute, the roles of higher
education and current challenges
The seminar provided participants
with the opportunity to reflect on the meaning,
challenges and scope of their work
Participants shared their experiences
and discussed students’ perceptions
of their Lasallian affiliation
The theme of fraternity
and its role in Lasallian institutions
was reflected upon
A visit to the Generalate allowed
participants to learn about the history
and the Lasallian Family
Ref. Thanks to Br. Jacques D’Huiteau for the kind cooperation
