SAMPLE LASALLIAN RESOURCES
Saint John Baptist de La Salle: His Life and Spirituality
Pamphlet introducing St. John Baptist de La Salle and his educational legacy.
MEL Publications
This collection of small format monographs published since 2001 by the MEL Secretariat in Rome addresses various topics connected with the Lasallian educational mission by a variety of authors. They are very much worth examining on an individual basis, especially those highlighted in the description below.
District Workshops and Retreats (SFNO)
Workshops, retreats, and meetings of common-interest groups within the San Francisco New Orleans (SFNO) District.
St. John Baptist De La Salle: Journey of a Man
This one-man show by Michael Cook, now-retired professor of drama at Saint Mary’s College of California, presents the life of St. John Baptist de La Salle in an engaging, dramatic, and comprehensive fashion. No one has ever done such a depiction of this Patron Saint of Teachers, and Michael does justice to all of the story’s drama, nuances, and sets of characters involved.
The production was written by Michael, his wife Jeffra, and Dan Cauthon, along with a host of other collaborators. It is a project that came about as a project taken on while he was part of the Buttimer Institute of Lasallian Studies.
Actor: Michael Cook
For further credits see the RESOURCE DESCRIPTION tab below.
Length: 1 hour
(The entire 3-hour production, it is available at THIS link.)
The “Show the VIDEO” tab below lets you run the video from here.
Touching the Hearts of Students: Characteristics of Lasallian Schools
A compact biography of John Baptist de La Salle is combined with an overview of the characteristics of his educational spirituality in modern contexts.
The History of the Institute
A five-volume, contemporary, well-written work that covers the history of the Institute from its foundations until the mid-20th century.
www.delasalle.org
The San Francisco New Orleans District website, of the Brothers of the Christian Schools (AKA De La Salle Christian Brothers), providing both information, resources, and an overview of its composition and activities.
The Chapel of Disclosure
This video celebrates a new way of experiencing transcendence in a secular context through the transformation of a church space at Centrum De La Salle in Groot-Bijgaarden, Belgium.
Based on the work of Br. Herman Lombaerts, FSC
Length: 5 min.
(There is also a French version at THIS link.)
The “Show the VIDEO” tab below lets you run the video from here.
La Salle University Magazine (Special Issue)
This special issue from La Salle University, provided via PDF, is a fine compilation of articles and perspectives on Lasallian education and spirituality.
The Pastoral Letters of Br. John Johnson, FSC
This is a collection of the annual Pastoral Letters from Br. John Johnston, FSC, during his years as Superior General of the Brothers of the Christian Schools (1986-2000).
The book may be purchased via the link below. The PDF of the book may be downloaded HERE. (12 MB)
AXIS Website
An online journal of Lasallian Higher Education sharing original scholarly and creative works about Lasallian Catholic Higher Education. AXIS is a free, open-access, electronic, peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary periodical published twice per year. Lasallian bibliography links are in the description below.
The Life of De La Salle (& Manhattan College)
This is a video in commemoration of the tercentenary celebration of the death of St. John Baptist de La Salle in 1719. His life story is told via sections from interviews with individuals at Manhattan College. Along with the story of De La Salle, many students relate why they appreciate Lasallian education, and what they are doing to continue that inspiration into the future. See the fuller description below.
Produced by Manhattan College – New York
Length: 12 min.
The “Show the VIDEO” tab below lets you run the video from here.
The Work is Yours
An excellent biography of St. John Baptist de La Salle – his context, his life, and his enduring influence – by a major Lasallian scholar.
The Experience
A compact, 6-minute overview of Lasallian education from the perspective of those are actually involved in the daily realities of Lasallian schools.
(The “Show the VIDEO” tab below lets you run the video from here.)
Inspiration
A short, compact, and rich video that reflects the breadth and depth of the Lasallian mission, both in the United States and around the world.
(The “Show the VIDEO” tab below lets you run the video from here.)
Praying with John Baptist de La Salle
A Lasallian prayer resource with specifically themed meditations for use with groups or private prayer and reflection.
An Institute in Transition
This is the story of three General Chapters of the Brothers of the Christian Schools by someone who attended and participated in all of them (1966, 1976, 1986) and whose observations provide both the factual, contextual, and personal outlines of the experience.
Reflection on De La Salle
Excellent introduction to St. John Baptist de La Salle, his spiritual foundations, and his ongoing impact on the Institute he founded.
(The “Show the VIDEO” tab below lets you run the video from here.)
Lasallian Advent Calendar
Lasallian Reflection – December 2018 – The Gift of Silence
The Life of De La Salle (& Manhattan College)
This is a video in commemoration of the tercentenary celebration of the death of St. John Baptist de La Salle in 1719. His life story is told via sections from interviews with individuals at Manhattan College. Along with the story of De La Salle, many students relate why they appreciate Lasallian education, and what they are doing to continue that inspiration into the future. See the fuller description below.
Produced by Manhattan College – New York
Length: 12 min.
The “Show the VIDEO” tab below lets you run the video from here.
A Lasallian Solidarity Advent Calendar
This Advent calendar shares examples from around the Lasallian world of Lasallian educational projects that serve those most in need, and they illustrate how the Lasallian charism is inspiring ministries that address needs from diverse cultural contexts. Each day of Advent has a “window” that gives a short description of the ministry, along with a PDF from the booklet “One Year in Mission Together” that was produced by the Lasallian Foundation in Rome (www.lasallefoundation.org). The entire PDF booklet may be downloaded HERE.
Author: De La Salle Onlus, Via Aurelia 476 00167 Roma, Italia. foundation@lasalle.org
100 Short Quotes by De La Salle
This is a set of 100 short quotations from St. John Baptist de La Salle, taken from various writings during his life, and arranged according to specific themes. It is a worthwhile resource for displays or for prayer or group reflection.
Author: St. John Baptist de La Salle, Patron of Teachers
Compilation: Nicholas Hutchinson, FSC
Catechesis and the Laity
Catechesis and the Laity: The Participation of the Laity in the Ministry of the Word and the Mission of the Teaching Brother in the Church
This is the translation in 358 pages of sections four and five of an important work published in France in 1962. The footnote references to the Meditations of De La Salle are particularly invaluable.
Author: Michel Sauvage, FSC. (1923 – 2001)
Translation by: Oswald Murdoch, FSC.
PDF of the original work is HERE.
The Chapel of Disclosure
This video celebrates a new way of experiencing transcendence in a secular context through the transformation of a church space at Centrum De La Salle in Groot-Bijgaarden, Belgium.
Based on the work of Br. Herman Lombaerts, FSC
Length: 5 min.
(There is also a French version at THIS link.)
The “Show the VIDEO” tab below lets you run the video from here.
Let Us Remember – Octavo for Choir
This is a setting of a popular invocation of the Lasallian prayer: “Let us remember that we are in the Holy Presence of God.” The setting is arranged for four voices (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass) and simple to learn. Nevertheless, the harmonies are rich and complex. It is a great piece for choirs in Lasallian schools to us at their liturgies, prayer services, or as a prayer for Lasallian events.
Arrangers: Otto Wild & Br. Martin Yribarren, FSC
Composer of original tune: Br. George Van Grieken, FSC
St. John Baptist De La Salle: Journey of a Man
This one-man show by Michael Cook, now-retired professor of drama at Saint Mary’s College of California, presents the life of St. John Baptist de La Salle in an engaging, dramatic, and comprehensive fashion. No one has ever done such a depiction of this Patron Saint of Teachers, and Michael does justice to all of the story’s drama, nuances, and sets of characters involved.
The production was written by Michael, his wife Jeffra, and Dan Cauthon, along with a host of other collaborators. It is a project that came about as a project taken on while he was part of the Buttimer Institute of Lasallian Studies.
Actor: Michael Cook
For further credits see the RESOURCE DESCRIPTION tab below.
Length: 1 hour
(The entire 3-hour production, it is available at THIS link.)
The “Show the VIDEO” tab below lets you run the video from here.
Lasallian Videos – by Ed Sirois
These videos were created by Mr. Ed Sirois, a religion teacher at La Salle Academy in Providence, RI. There were made for the morning prayer times for the school’s student-body, focusing attention on a specific person, event, or commemoration that was the subject of prayer that day.
Each video is short, poignant, and well-focused.
A full list of the videos, aligned with an academic-year calendar, is available HERE.
A YouTube channel with his videos is located HERE.
Lifting Students to God
This is a prayer resource for teachers that provides a format for personal prayer centered around specific students and their challenges, character, and/or specific concerns. Guiding questions, addressed in the presence of God, draw us into a deeper appreciation of their situation and focuses our prayer for that individual.
Author: Br. Michael Livaudais, FSC
Circulars – Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools
Here is a collection of the Circulars of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools that are available in English in PDF format. Some have come from other websites, and some have been scanned and turned into PDF format by the Lasallian Resource Center.
This collection will expand as more circulars become available in the PDF format. When possible, the PDF version is also an OCR version, so that you can search for key terms of phrases.
Lasallian Educational Service of the Poor – Selections from Recent Institute Documents
These are selections from recent documents from the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools that are related to Lasallian educational service of the poor.
The original documents that are cited in this overview are listed below. Each listing below is also a direct link to a PDF version of the entire document.
Collected and compiled by Dr. Greg Kopra – Director, Formation for Mission (District of San Francisco New Orleans)
Memento – 2018
A directory of information about all of the Lasallian schools and communities around the world.
Teaching Units for Lasallian Schools
These are complete Lasallian teaching units for high school students. Each level has a one-week set of all the resources needed to teach the classes. Created in 1998, they can be easily adapted and supplemented with videos and other more contemporary material. It’s a good place to start!
See the longer description below for a breakdown of the units.
Project Coordinator: Br. George Van Grieken, FSC
Editor: Greg Kopra
One Year In Mission Together
Produced for the tricentenary celebrations in 2019, this booklet highlights 52 ministries from across our Lasallian community and provides a brief explanation of their services, geographically maps their location. It’s a great resource for teachers, administrators, and all Lasallians.
Source: De La Salle International Solidarity Foundation (Rome)
Saint Mary’s College of California – Sharing the Mission VIDEOS
These interviews with 15 “Professors of the Year” (1992 – 2005) at Saint Mary’s College of California center around the descriptors that came from the college’s “New Century Committee” document, in which the college was described as a “Premier, Catholic, Lasallian, Liberal Arts Learning Community.”
Along with the short films on each topic – Liberal Arts, Catholic, Lasallian, Students, The Professor, Sharing the Mission – there is the longer compilation of all the interviews in a single 55-minute video (the last in the series below).
Year of Creation: 2005
Lasallian Communications Plan – 2018 (RELAN)
This 2018 communication plan published by the Lasallian Region of North America (RELAN) provides an excellent overview of how, when, and where to tell the Lasallian story, along with guidelines and resources that enable others to do so.