Imagine, spending Founder's Day at the Center of the Institute! The day began with a joyous morning prayer prepared by the Lasallian Region of Latin America (RELAL). All day, there was an underlying sense of excitement to be together as we celebrated St. John Baptist de La Salle, and I was very conscious that this Founder's Day was being spent in prayer with Brother and lay Lasallians from around the world, united by the Lasallian mission.
After prayer and announcements, we went back to our thematic groups to rewrite, if necessary, our responses based on the feedback we received from the previous day's process. When you are charged with developing challenges and responses across languages, cultures, and continents, you have an obligation to listen well to questions, concerns and suggestions from the entire group. After the group input, our thematic groups created our third and final round of refinement to the responses and presented these to the entire group at an afternoon session.
Midday, the work was halted for a few hours so that we could celebrate mass and a meal together. The delegates to the International Assembly were joined by the entire staff from the Generalate for mass and lunch. It was good to have such a diverse group celebrating being Lasallian. After mass we were treated to a very special luncheon, including antipasto, pasta, meat, vegetables, and dessert—topped off with a proseco (sparkling wine) toast to the Founder. It was a wonderful gathering. But all too soon, the festivities were over and it was time to go to the afternoon session where the third and final drafts of the challenges and responses were being presented to the International Assembly delegates. The delegates broke into applause as we finished the afternoon's task. Tomorrow we will enter into a prioritization process.
After 10 days of being with this worldwide community, and only one more full day left of the agenda, the joy of coming to the end of such an important task is tempered with the knowledge that by Friday we will be saying goodbye to people who have been our workmates and companions for nearly two weeks. John Baptist de La Salle said to the earliest Brothers, "To touch the hearts of your students is the greatest miracle you can perform." (Meditations 139.3). Surely the Founder must have also known how the companions that share this mission touch and transform each other's hearts as well.
Tonight, the Lasallian Region of North America (RELAN) went out to eat at Joseph's, a wonderful restaurant near the Generalate. It was a great time to relax, tell stories of our time together, and remember our favorite moments of the Assembly. For some it was the rich and meaningful prayer, for others it was meeting Lasallians from all over the world, for others it was getting to know better the people from our own Region. Each of the 20 delegates shared their favorite memories of the International Assembly. If there is one thing that will characterize our delegates from RELAN, it has been our ability to laugh with one another. The laughter flowed easily tonight, as it has throughout the International Assembly.
I end my reflections of the day with a profound sense of humbleness and pride. Humbled by being chosen to represent the Region to this International Assembly, and incredibly proud of our Region and the leadership roles that our delegates have undertaken with the Assembly. Also proud of the challenges and responses which have been deliberated and refined for the good of the worldwide Lasallian educational mission.
Live Jesus in our Hearts, Forever!
Dr. Maggie McCarty
Executive Director
Office of Lasallian Education
Washington, DC
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