John Baptist de La Salle: The Spirituality of Christian Education
A solid introduction to how De La Salle integrated the Christian vocation of education of the poor into a coherent spirituality, highlighting sections of his various works.
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.
www.lasallian.info
The website for the Brothers of the Christian Schools (AKA De La Salle Christian Brothers) in the United States and Canada.
www.lasalle.org
The international website for the Brothers of the Christian Schools (AKA De La Salle Christian Brothers).
Circular 461 – Associated for the Lasallian Mission …an act of HOPE
This Circular is a foundational document on the key dimension of “association” and its central place in Lasallian life and mission.
Study Guide for Circular 461
This is a reflections and discussion guide for reading Circular 461. Each section of the Circular is addressed with three questions that elicit the reader’s personal response, and a series of additional questions that examine specific points in the document. Designed for group use.
The Twelve Virtues of a Good Teacher
This is a small booklet providing a classic reflection on 12 Virtues for a Good Teacher that St. John Baptist de La Salle listed in one of his texts. Brother Agathon’s exposition on each virtue has endures through the centuries and remains very relevant even today.
Note: A PDF version is also available online at THIS LINK.
12 Virtues of a Good Teacher
A video that covers the 12 Virtues of a Good Teacher that John Baptist de La Salle listed in one of his books.
(The “Show the VIDEO” tab below lets you run the video from here.)
Stories of Hope. . . Associated for Our Lasallian Mission
This Bulletin (Nº 254) is based on testimonies from Lasallians around the world. It is a compendium to Circular 461 and should be read in conjunction with it.
Introduction – Meditations for the Time of Retreat
This is a short overview of the 16 meditations that De La Salle wrote for the Brothers during their annual retreat. These meditations provide a concise synthesis of De La Salle’s spirituality – the priorities, themes, approaches, and perspectives that characterize the Lasallian educational context. They are meant to be read and considered in a retreat-like setting and are worth careful reading and ongoing reflection.
The video is one of a series of videos introducing major Lasallian resources available in print. (In process)
(7.5 Minutes)
Film Maker: Br. George Van Grieken, FSC
(The “Show the VIDEO” tab below lets you run the video from here.)
The Story of De La Salle
This children’s book, created by the ARLEP District (Spain & Portugal), tells the story of St. John Baptist de La Salle, using his own voice. The artwork and the text are designed for use with young children. It was produced for the 300th anniversary of De La Salle’s passing into eternal life and has been translated into English in order to reach a larger audience.
A Library Guide Celebrating De La Salle
Intended as a resource for an introductory set of lessons about St. John Baptist de La Salle, this library guide collects online resources from various parts of the internet.
It was put together as a commemoration of the life and legacy of De La Salle and the tricentenary of his death in 2019.
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
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)
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.
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.
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
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.
Spirituality in the Time of John Baptist de La Salle
This is a series of eight essays by various Lasallian scholars that describe the context within which St. John Baptist de La Salle lived, wrote, and founded the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools.
Editor: Br. Robert C. Berger, FSC
Published: Christian Brothers Conference – 1999
This Is Our Lasallian Story
This video shares a series of short vignettes about various Lasallian educational ministries around the world, many of them working the marginalized and needy. It is a wonderful, professionally created compendium of the range of Lasallian ministries. Both teachers, Brothers, students, and others involved in this mission contribute to a reflective narrative that highlights the unique loving approach of Lasallian ministry, supremely sensitive to others and eminently practical in addressing real needs.
Produced by The Lasallian East Asia District (LEAD), Go Motion and Playhouse Studio – Philippines, Manhattan College – New York
Length: 47 min.
The “Show the VIDEO” tab below lets you run the video from here.