Following the first Plenary Assembly which brought together a group of Brothers of the Christian Schools and lay Lasallians at the Generalate last July, some participants shared their insights, by way of testimony, of this experience of gathering, discernment and the search for consensus from a Lasallian synodal perspective.
Brother Ambrose Payne, President of the International Economic Council, underlined that “the Plenary Assembly has given us the opportunity to experience synodality in the sense that, although there are levels of governance present here in the Institute, everyone’s opinion is treated as equal. It has been wonderful to see how people’s ideas and attitudes have changed as a result of the exchanges.
Similarly, Brother Francisco Flores, Visitor of the District of Antilles – Mexico South, emphasised that the Assembly has been “an experience of fraternity, of synodality, but also of learning. Surely, after this Assembly we will be able to evaluate what is working well and what is not working so well, and we will have to rethink it as an Institute“.
For his part, the Visitor of the District of Lwanga, Brother Betre Fisseha, emphasised that “the most important thing in this Assembly was the reunion, meeting new people, new Visitors, new Commissions, new Offices. That is the key part, when we are together in person, to journey together, and to advocate that ‘One La Salle‘ together”
In the same perspective, Brother Benedict Hanlon, Visitor of the District of Ireland-Great Britain-Malta is optimistic, noting that “it was a really good experience that has moved us on significantly in terms of the new experiences ahead of us, particularly where we are in association with a much wider group of people than just simply the Brothers, when there are more people willing to take on the mission, willing to work for it, willing to be guided by God in this wonderful task. So, I thank God for this Assembly that we have had.
Likewise, from the perspective of Jean-Marie Ballenghien, a Lay Lasallian who is part of the International Council for Association and the Lasallian Educational Mission (CIAMEL), “the most important thing for me in this kind of assembly is to experience the diversity of people, the cultural, linguistic diversity, and also diversity of commitments. In particular, I think the notion of the charismatic family interested me a lot: how lay people can deepen their vocation as lay people, women or men, baptised, committed to the mission and how the Brothers themselves can deepen their vocation as religious consecrated to education. And so, this type of meeting, well, I think that everyone is invited to take another step in their own commitment, whatever it may be, to serve the Lasallian mission”.
Finally, Brother Eduardo Rivera, a member of the Standing Committee of Young Brothers, concluded that “the most important thing about this Assembly has been to recognise the mission that we Lasallians have in different parts of the world, and to realise that we are like leaven: small actions, different projects that are building the Reign of God. And from this diversity, a single mission which inspires us all“.
These and other testimonies, as well as news summaries of each day of the Plenary Assembly, are available on our Youtube channel.