LEAD Story 383

THAILAND – On March 19, on the feast of St. Joseph, Br. Johnny Perapong Kaewkanha FSC professed his final vows as a De La Salle Brother at La Salle Chapel, Bangna, Bangkok. The celebration of the Holy Eucharist was presided by Fr. Chanchai Tewphaingam, a Diocesan priest together with the other eight priests who joined the morning mass.

The event was also livestreamed through the De La Salle Brothers of Thailand Facebook page. Br. Joseph Klong FSC, Chair of the Directors’ Association on behalf of Br. Armin, Visitor, accepted Br. Johnny Perapong’s final vows and was witnessed by his religious sponsor, Brother Eugene Prapas.

Br. Johnny Perapong has many experiences in many schools such as the Bamboo school, La Salle Bangkok and La Salle Nakhonsawan. His new assignment after his final vows is the Bamboo school.

At the end of the mass, Br. Joseph Klong said a word of thanks to the mother of Br. Johnny Perapong for the generosity of the family. A special prayer and a souvenir of appreciation were offered to his mother. The celebrant was also thankful to the administration of La Salle Bangkok school, especially to Br. Matthew Thawatchai for overseeing the preparations for the event. (Text: Br. Joseph Klong Chaiphuak FSC; Photos: Br. Benedict Chaiwat Phanomworachai FSC)

With over 130 attendees, there’s no doubt the spirit of Lasallian mission worldwide was alive and well during the joint virtual meeting of International Young Brothers Assembly (IYBA) delegates and International Symposium of Young Lasallians (IYSL) members last March 12th . Central to the meeting were each group’s proposals for the 46th General Chapter.

The assembly was suitably begun with an opening prayer service which was led by Br. Brinesh Rayen FSC (India) and Br. Pierre Aymard Bako FSC (Burikina Faso). After that, the Superior General Br. Bob Schieler exhorted the youth, commended them, and thanked them for their vibrant and positive presence in the institute. He emphasized that the institute specifically needs their passion and vision. Likewise, he encouraged them to be specific and creative with their Chapter proposals.

Before the reports started, a brief introduction to the process of documentation, deliberation, and finalization of proposals was provided by Br. Dylan Perry FSC (USA) and Ms. Sarah Laitinen.

Reported by Br. Miguel Marcos FSC (Spain), the discernment of the IYBA delegates navigated five key areas and culminated in the formulation of the following calls to action:

1. Cultivating missionary spirit
2. Formation of dynamic communities
3. Development of the Brothers’ spiritual life
4. Promotion of vocational culture
5. Cultivating creative fidelity

On the other hand, the ISYL members’ proposals were outlined by Keane Palatino. Among the areas covered were:

1. Culture of vocations
2. Service with the poor
3. Communications and networking
4. Sustainable organizational growth

A panel discussion moderated by Damian Khouri was held to synthesize the reports. Br. Fady Salama FSC (Egypt), Br. Carlos Pinto (Colombia), Nadège, and Ms. Regina Bettag were the panelists. In the said segment, the panelists shared with the rest of the participants their hopes and dreams for the future of the institute.

Those present in the meeting also took part in a breakout session which sort of concluded the said gathering.

Br. Aikee Esmeli FSC (Philippines) and Ms. Alice Gravelle Vieira were the masters of ceremony. (Text & Photo: Br. Emong Viroomal FSC)

MALAYSIA - In the midst of Malaysia’s Movement Control Order or “Lockdown” in 2020, a box was found in the Archive Room. It was not labelled. It was hidden. It was nearly marked for disposal. It turned out to be a copy of the lost Original Text...

Find out more by watching this video:

MALAYSIA – Brother Felipe’s visit served to further develop trust and hope in the St. Joseph’s Institution International Malaysia (SJIIM) community. The ongoing commitment and presence of the Brothers in SJIIM have helped to settle a challenging situation. When having lunch with Brother Felipe before he left, he said that part of the Brothers’ role is a ‘mission of presence’. The presence of the Brothers truly has been a gift for us at SJIIM and has further developed our community.

Brother Felipe was the inaugural speaker in the Parents’ Support Group’s (PSG) breakfast speaker series, C.A.R.E. He led a very heartfelt talk titled, ‘Change and Parenting.’ He shared expert professional advice with parents, but most importantly, he facilitated sharing and discussion among the parent community. Due to the impact of Covid-19, the parents have had little opportunity to visit the school so Brother Felipe’s talk provided the perfect occasion for them to reconnect and discuss some important issues.

Whilst Brother Felipe was at SJIIM, he was also able to learn about and provide support to both students and parents leading some important service projects. A key parent-led service initiative over the last couple of years has been the KitaKitar group. So far, KitaKitar has led some incredible service projects such as the ‘Walk in their Shoes’ and ‘Plant Joy’ which has supported the Orang Asli tribe and a local boys home respectively. For Founder’s Day this year, KitaKitar will be designing and selling a sustainability themed SJIIM calendar to support the National Stroke Association of Malaysia. Brother Felipe attended a presentation by this parents group to learn more about their project. Additionally, a group of Year 11 students introduced a ‘Hunger Knows No Barriers’ project which involved raising money and collecting food parcels for a local soup kitchen. This project was part of their Lasallian Education curriculum and Brother Felipe got a chance to work first-hand with our students in class and in their Lasallian Youth Movement after school programme.

Before his final day, the parents honoured him, and our out-going Head of School, by planting them a tree in the school grounds. We look forward to nurturing it and watching it grow. Brother Felipe will hopefully be back to visit it - and SJIIM - often. (Text & Photos: Mr. Tony Lai)

PHILIPPINES – On 01 April 2022, St. Joseph School La Salle (SJS-LS) united itself with educational institutions, parishes, and ecclesial communities in the Diocese of Bacolod and around the world by participating in the synodal process called by Pope Francis. Guided by the Diocese of Bacolod, the school held its synodal consultation meeting among its administrators, faculty and staff. The seventy-six participants reflected on and shared about their respective journeys in and aspirations for the Church as well as on suggestions on how the Church can live communion, achieve participation, and open Herself to mission.

The consultation meeting opened with a prayer service to invoke the Holy Spirit's presence and guidance. After the opening remarks of Ms. Analie Lomocso, Director and Principal, small group sharing on the reflection questions provided by the Diocese of Bacolod followed while conscientiously observing health protocols. The participants then collaborated on a digital word cloud of their personal dreams and hopes for the Church and their assessment of the consultation meeting. It was quite the spectacle to see the word cloud form on the big screen and highlight commonalities and unique impressions. Select groups were then requested to present to the wider audience a summary of their aspirations for the Church. After which, Br. Mico De Leon FSC summarized the takeaways from the event and its implications for the participants and St. Joseph School La Salle. The consultation meeting concluded with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist in thanksgiving. Truly, the experience of synodality was very much alive and palpable as the participants prayed together, empathically listened to one another, actively shared with each other, and celebrated together. (Text: Mr. Zennel Sy - Synodal Process Lead; Photos: SJS- LS Official Facebook Page)

SINGAPORE – More than 600 teachers from the six Lasallian schools and their school leaders gathered online for the annual Lasallian Formation Day on Friday, 11 March 2022. The theme was “To dream is our way forward.” After the Opening Prayer prepared by Br Carlo, Br Ricky Laguda gave an Opening Address inviting the participants to have a vision for the future, an imagined utopia that can further our Lasallian mission wherever we are. The participants were divided into groups according to the number of years that they have served in our schools. The first group were those who have been in our school for their first year and their topic is the life of the Founder; the second group consisted of those who were here for 2-5 years and they discussed the 3 of the 12 Virtues of a Lasallian teacher; the third group were those from 6-7 years and looked at the evolution of the Institute from the 18th -20 th centuries; the fourth group were those eight years and above and had conversations in preparation for LEAD’s 3rd Mission Assembly. There was a separate group for the school leaders, that is the principals and vice-principals, which discussed the need for more formation as to the identity and characteristics of a Lasallian school.

Each group had a separate topic for which resources were prepared and the facilitators from each school would deliver the content and facilitate the discussions for their respective schools. In this way, the teachers who were facilitators had to digest the topic and present the topics to their fellow teachers. This helps the teachers themselves know and reflect on the different topics. There is also a hope for 2 more meetings on a school level in the year to instill what had been discussed. The feedback thus far has been very positive from the data that was gathered. (Text & Photo: Br. Nicholas Seet FSC)

HONG KONG – ‘Go Faith!’ is a weekly extra- curricular activity in Chan Sui Ki (La Salle) Primary School (CSKPS) where a group of Primary 4-6 students learn about the Catholic faith and the Lasallian heritage. A big majority of the class are not Catholics, so most of the topics are new to them.

Aside from learning prayers and Bible stories, certain periods are dedicated to learning the Lasallian tradition and identity. Students are introduced to the life of the Founder, St. John Baptist de La Salle, as well as learning about the De La Salle Brothers, the Lasallian East Asia District (LEAD), and the 8 La Salle schools in Hong Kong. They carry out numerous activities, like playing an improvised board game with questions on the life of the Founder, matching pairs of school logos (also called Pelmanism game), and even crafting their own paper rabat*. They also learn that they are part of a worldwide network of Lasallian schools, present in 79 countries around the world.

It is hoped that through these activities, the students will learn to appreciate what it means to be a Lasallian. Each one of them plays a significant role in promoting the Lasallian mission, spreading the Lasallian values, and following the footsteps of St. John Baptist de La Salle. (Text & Photos: Br. Mikey Cua FSC)

*RABAT – Part of the official religious habit worn by Brothers together with the black or white robe. It looks like a white ‘bib’ which is similar to that worn by judges and barristers.

Archers Network, in collaboration with the Vocations Ministry Office of the De La Salle Brothers Philippines and the Student Media Office, present The Bro Diaries. Click on the images to view the episodes on YouTube.

EPISODE 2: We are always given the opportunity to cultivate our routines to be in service of God and other people.
In the second episode of ‘The Bro Diaries,’ catch a glimpse of how Br. Henry Gyi FSC from Myanmar utilizes his time productively to fulfill his duties both as a student and as a De La Salle Brother in the La Salle Academy - Iligan.

EPISODE 3: Are you ready to experience learning in another country?
In this episode of ‘The Bro Diaries,’ we follow Br. Eugene De Luna's daily routine at Mahidol University and see how he uncovers new knowledge on the cultures and traditions of Thailand.

EPISODE 4: Ever wondered what it’s like to be a BrOFW a.k.a. an Overseas Brother
In this episode of The Bro Diaries, Br. Arian shares what it’s like to continue the Lasallian Mission that he started in the Philippines to other countries around the world.

Archers Network is the premier online television organization of De La Salle University under the Student Media Office.