International Lasallian Formation Programme

District of Great Britain & Malta - August 2012

De La Salle Brothers (Dar Santa Marija) Retreat Centre -  Mellieha, Malta

“Once it ‘clicked’ I knew I belonged.” That’s how one of the participants attending the weeklong formation programme coordinated by the District Formation Team for the District of Great Britain and Malta, captured her experience and its transformative nature.

Between August 22nd and 29th, Br. Martin, the Sector Coordinator for Malta, welcomed young Lasallian practioners, as well as Administrators from Lasallian institutions from Malta, GB and Belgium to the De La Salle Brothers Retreat Centre (Dar Santa Marija) in Mellieha.  Br. Charles Kitson, Coordinating Secretary for the Lasallian Family and Association was present throughout and contributed greatly to the programme’s resounding success.  

The goal of this international formation programme was to systematically explore what it means to be Lasallian today.  Participants also had the opportunity to give names and faces to people who characterise the Lasallian Network in GB and Malta, as well as to create significant working relationships with colleagues from the District of Belgium North.

The programme was founded on two central pillars.  Firstly, that formation is never only information. It’s an experiential process heading towards transformation.  Secondly, quality relationships are at the heart of everything leading towards that transformative stage.  Hence, the programme combined formation and recreation in an integrated framework.

Participants were challenged with a number of issues shaping our current Lasallian Identity as highlighted in Circular 461 – Associated for the Mission: An Act of Hope - which was a significant reference point throughout the programme.  These ideas included the multi-religious nature of the Lasallian Network today, the inclusive nature of the Lasallian Mission, how to achieve that inclusiveness without diluting ‘who we are’ and ‘what we stand for’.  Other significant ideas included the fact that there is not only one way to be Lasallian, the realization that “those confided to our care” are not only our students but also all members of the educational community, along with the strategic importance of modern channels of communication and sharing of good practice within our global network.

This week was also an opportunity for our District administration to receive feedback about a key document, the Lasallian Identity Framework: A Self-Assessment Tool, which will be the basis for the District’s Mission Assembly in October 2012.  This was enthusiastically welcomed.

At the final liturgy of thanksgiving, I, as Brother Visitor, had the opportunity to publically acknowledge the quality of all presenters, and especially Br Charles Kitson from Rome and Leonard Griscti from De La Salle College, Malta.  I assured them that in the near future, such was the response of the participants from Great Britain, that I would look for an opportunity to invite them to present at one of the District’s Headmasters’ Conference that takes place annually in our centre at Kintbury.   In particular, I believe that Leonard’s presentation on the pastoral dynamics of a Lasallian school would be an inspiration for our pastoral leadership in the District.  I also expressed my sincere and grateful thanks to Brother Martin and the Maltese Brothers for all that they did to contribute to the success of this session.

To conclude, I’ll two hope-filled observations of the participants:

- “It’s not about teaching young people ABOUT God…we journey to the house of the Father and we take young people with us.”

- “I have been challenged, empowered, welcomed, encouraged, guided and loved through the whole week. I now feel excited and ready to help others in the same way”

Br. Aidan Kilty

Br. Visitor

District of Great Britain & Malta