The day began with prayer in our general meeting room, the Aula Magna. After the necessary announcements inherent in any such gathering, we moved into the morning's program. Dr. Francesc Torralba of Barcelona used his philosophical studies and research to share with us his perspective on education. He posed this question to us--What kind of an education in a plural context should we give, especially for the most vulnerable groups of young people? From there he explored the challenges and opportunities of working in a pluralistic and diverse setting. He postulated that teachers and thus education had two specific ends—to "build" persons and to transform the world, realizing you can only undertake the latter if you accomplish the former. He stressed that more than anything that we must be a welcoming community for all if we are going to successfully "build" the person physically, psychologically, socially, and spiritually. In "building" this person through education we recognize that education is the primary factor that allows us to change the world and maybe the only factor.
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| Maryann Donohue-Lynch (DENA) talks with a delegate from Spain. |
After lunch (yes—they serve pasta at every lunch and dinner) and a break we returned for the afternoon program. Our speaker was Tracy Adams, the Director of Boys Town and all its associated programs in Australia. Boys Town is a Lasallian program that addresses the needs of youth and advocates for them. Her talk focused on the importance of advocacy and how they approach it in Australia. They have been quite successful in their advocacy efforts, particularly because of the extensive research they conduct and use to support their positions. It reminded me that we must continue to advocate for young people in our own respective settings, especially in those areas that are central to the Lasallian Mission and the causes of the Institute. Following Tracy's talk we again had the opportunity to share in a small group and return to the full assembly for comment and questions.
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The small group sharing today reinforced the international dimension of our Mission. In the morning I shared thoughts with another RELAN delegate as well as one from Thailand and Vietnam. In my afternoon group I tested my Spanish skills with four delegates from Colombia, Mexico, Haiti, and Puerto Rico. Both groups provided important insights into the challenges they face in their respective countries/cultures.
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| Alisa Macksey, Janet Ruggiero and Alan Weyland participate in evening prayer. |
After prayer we moved to dinner. Arriving a few minutes late (I know that's hard to believe for those who know me) I found a table with only five people sitting at it (from Lebanon, Egypt, and Jerusalem) along with the Superior General, Brother Álvaro. Sitting next to Br. Álvaro, I had an enjoyable time sharing with him and asking his hopes for the assembly as well as his plans when he leaves office in a year. He plans to return to Costa Rica and work with the Brothers and Mission there. He left Costa Rica at the age of 15 and will for the first time, after 55 years in other countries and his time at the Generalate, serve as a Brother in his home country. It was a dinner conversation both simple and profoundly moving for me.
The day concluded with the second of our Regional socials, hosted this time by RELEM. Delicious chocolate, Belgian beer, Italian Prosecco as well as other tasty offerings from Europe and the Middle East were accompanied by singing and dancing to music from various countries. It was a wonderful conclusion to a full day of activities!
Live Jesus in Our Hearts...Forever!
Alan Weyland
DENA
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