LEAD Story 399

PHILIPPINES - De La Salle University opens its doors to the faithful with the Consecration of Santuario de La Salle last November 21 at its Laguna Campus in the City of Biñan.

Conceptualized in 2011, constructed during the tercentenary celebration of the death of St. John Baptist de La Salle in 2019, and consecrated this year, the sanctuary serves as a repository of the Founder’s relic and opens its doors as a pilgrimage site for educators.

A spiritual beacon for the people, the Santuario de La Salle invites us to celebrate God’s presence in our lives, so that we may continue to honor and love Him through our works and in the silence of our hearts. (De La Salle University Official Facebook Page)

View the Consecration and Enshrinement event video on Facebook.

PHILIPPINES - On 8 December, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, Mr. Mike & Mrs. Chary José received the Indivisa Manent Award at the Brothers’ Community chapel in De La Salle University - Manila. “Indivisa Manent” is the Latin phrase found in the family crest of St. John Baptist de la Salle which best translates into English as “Forever United”. In granting this award, the Lasallian East Asia District wishes to recognize and celebrate the recipient’s perseverance, genuine spirit of association, and generous commitment to the mission of the Lasallian Family to offer a human and faith-based education to as many young people as possible.

Whereas, Mr. Philip Michael Jose and Mrs. Ma. Rosario F. Jose have been faithful witnesses to the Lasallian core values of Spirit of Faith, Zeal for Service and Communion in mission through their years of sincere, dedicated, committed, and earnest concern and service for the Brothers of the 1911 Community by participation in the Lasallian Mission, as evidenced by:

• their commitment to the well-being of the Brothers throughout the years since 2006, especially during the most difficult time brought about by the pandemic;
• their efforts to effectively provide the major services for the Brothers, Scholastics, and guests: finances and accounting, purchasing, meals, maintenance, laundry, janitorial, etc. and all other services that exceeds all other expectations.
• their ensuring the smooth functioning and repair of the community’s facilities, vehicles, and equipment.
• their faithfulness in giving attention to the needs of the lay staff of the 1911 community and keeping the Brothers informed of these concerns.

It is hereby resolved, that Mr. Philip Michael Jose and Mrs. Ma. Rosario F. Jose. be granted the Indivisa Manent Award for their and their family’s continuing generous support for and friendship with many Brothers who had been assigned at De La Salle 1911 Brothers Community.

Our heartfelt congratulations, Mr. Mike José and Mrs. Chary José! (De La Salle Brothers - Manila Official Facebook Page)

“The vocation of the Brother is part of the answer God gives to the absence of Brotherhood which is wounding our world.”

In our first meeting in April, Br. Bob Schaefer FSC, then Coordinator of the Secretariat for Formation, shared this insight from the document, “Identity and Mission of the Religious Brother in the Church”. These words provided inspiration and context for Young Brothers all over the world to join the Lasallian Family in prayer and discernment as the Institute prepared for the 46th General Chapter.

God’s call for more passionate witnesses of fraternity has never been stronger in these past few years given the challenges of the pandemic and its adverse impact to the lives of people. Despite the hindrances, the Young Brothers proved their passion and hope as they whole-heartedly participated in the online and on-site halves of the 2nd International Young Brothers Assembly.

After 5 online meetings since April 2021, the 36 delegates have finally met in Casa Generalizia from November 7 to 21. The PARC delegates were as follows: Lewis Harwood, Moon Atif, Roshan Dias, Aikee Esmeli, Edmon Viroomal, Vince Paildan, Justine Nge Bo, Arul Panneer and Brinesh Villavar. The first week was dedicated to reflecting on the 46th General Chapter documents and Fratelli Tutti and getting to know our fellow Young Brothers. Through our language groups and discernment groups, we were able to begin our process in crafting responses and initiatives. The second week was dedicated to interaction and working together with the delegates of the International Symposium of Young Lasallians and finalizing our proposals. In between weeks, we were able to visit the town of Assisi and prayerfully retrace the steps of Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi. We were also able to see a bit of Rome with our small groups and participate in the General Audience of Pope Francis.

The Young Brothers and the Young Lasallians ended in deep prayer and hope for the future of the Institute. We came home with new Brothers and new young partners ready to be passionate witnesses of fraternity and cooperate in building new pathways for transformation. (Text & Photos: Br. Aikee Esmeli FSC)

MALAYSIA - After two years of muted celebrations due to Covid-19, the annual Butitin Family Day has returned along with several activities. This year the simple celebration was held on 29th October 2022. De La Salle Butitin (DLSB) is a students hostel and accommodates students from surrounding remote localities. Aside from thanksgiving, the celebration was also to foster cooperation and collaboration between, DLSB and the Lasallian family which includes the parents, alumni and our benefactors.

Recognizing the importance of collaboration with parents in improving learning outcomes for the boarders, the programme started with a two-hour session with parents. Inputs were given by Brother Egbertus, Mr. Francis Vincent Tahip and Mr. Richie Japar on Lasallian education and the importance of a healthy and strong partnership between parents and the hostel staff. It continued with a dialogue between DLSB staff and the parents.

In the opening speech the chairman of the Butitin’s Board of Management, Datuk Johnny Kulai emphasized that collaboration between parents and the staff of DLSB becomes a catalyst to improve boarders’ academic achievement, work habits, social skills, and emotional well-being.

Singing the Alma Mater and cultural presentations from the boarders were very much appreciated by the guests. The boarders prepared some dishes while parents and alumni also brought different varieties of foods. The sharing of food has given opportunity for the guests and the boarders to experience a real-time conversation and bonding. (Text & Photo: Br. Egbertus Joikul FSC)

THAILAND - After two years of lockdown and online classes, La Salle schools in Thailand celebrate the Loy Krathong Festival. Loy Krathong Festival, also known as Thailand's Festival of Lights, is one of Thailand's largest annual traditional Siamese festivals, celebrated to pay respect to and thank the Goddess of Water (called Pra Mae Khongkha) for a year's worth of her abundant supply, request an apology for polluting the waters, and pay respects to the Buddha. Loy means 'to float in Thai, and Krathong means 'basket or boat,' so the literal translation of Loy Krathong is 'float a basket.’

This year's festival took place on November 8th, the evening of the 12th full moon of the Thai lunar calendar, just in time for the Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse.

Typically, the festival takes place in the evening, with everyone gathering at waterways or temples for religious rituals and releasing Krathongs, a small lotus-shaped boat traditionally made from banana leaves and decorated with flowers. However, for the students and the Lasallian families to enjoy and participate in the said festival, the schools provide inflatable pools for the communities to float their Krathong. Some of our students also participated in the Noppamas Queen Contests, a traditional beauty pageant during this festival. (Text: Br. Eugene de Luna FSC; Photos: La Salle Nakhon Sawan, Snagklaburiand Chantaburi Official Facebook Pages)

MALAYSIA - November 13th, 2022 was a historic day for St. Xavier's Institution. Our book, entitled “St. Xavier's Institution: A Documented History” and the SXI Heritage Centre were launched by Tuan Yang Terutama Tun Dato’ Seri Utama Ahmad Fuzi.

Find out more about SXI! The November Happenings video in SXI is now live on YouTube! (Just click on the image) Watch, comment, like and subscribe to our channel for updates and happenings at SXI. (St. Xavier's Boards of Governors Official Facebook Page)

PHILIPPINES - Benilde hits the mark!

De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde makes it to the Top 10 List of Philippines' Best Employers for 2023.

Several corporations in the Philippines topped the inaugural list of The Philippines’ Best Employers for 2023 which the Philippine Daily Inquirer accumulated in partnership with Statista, a data and business intelligence portal.

The ranking is the outcome of a comprehensive research project that included thousands of evaluations, the opinions of thousands of employees, and the scores for hundreds of companies.

Amongst the wide variety of companies from different fields such as automotive, telecommunications, information technology, health care, education, transportation, government services, and banking, DLS-CSB is the only college included in the list.

A corporation was deemed qualified for the ranking if it employed more than 250 people. There was no preselection other than that.

To learn more, head over to this link: bit.ly/3GsAq2z

#AnimoBenilde #BenildeOnTrack (Ad Astra: The Benildean Yearbook Official Facebook Page)