Inclusive Community: The Global Lasallian Community
How it Started
The Living Lasallian website is a project started by a group of Saint Mary’s faculty who participated in the first two International Leadership Programs for Lasallian Universities, hosted by the Christian Brothers at their Generalate in Rome, Italy. Sponsored by the International Association for Lasallian Universities (IALU), these conferences brought together representatives from around the world, including Central and South America, the Philippines, Australia, France, Spain, Africa, Jerusalem and the United States to participate in workshops, discussions and activities. The participants shared their unique stories, successes and concerns, fostered a deeper awareness of what it means to be a Lasallian, grew in their commitment to their own institution’s Lasallian mission, and forged bonds with colleagues across national and international borders.
The 2007 participants from Saint Mary’s College included professors Dana Herrera (Anthropology), Phylis Martinelli (Sociology), Jeff Sigman (Chemistry), and Sally Stampp (Psychology). The 2008 representatives from Saint Mary’s included professors Rebecca Proehl (Education), Christi Scott (Psychology), Virginia Smith (Accounting) and Ed Tywoniak (Communication). The theme for each of the conferences was Partners in Catholic Lasallian Higher Education: Enhancing Understanding, Eliciting Commitment, and we returned with a strong commitment to foster our new understanding and commitment, and share them with our friends and colleagues at the College.
Of course, being in Rome also afforded ample opportunities to sample the architectural, cultural and culinary delights of one of the world’s great cities, as well as surrounding areas such as Florence and Pompeii. Walking through the cobblestone streets of Rome in search of the perfect pizza, marveling at the splendor of the Vatican, admiring the many civic sculptures of Bernini, and standing in awe before the power and majesty of the Coliseum are but a few of the shared memories we brought back. But equally important were the intimate prayer services, the musical serenades, the informal conversations and late night runs for gelato – examples of the spontaneous joy that comes from wonderful people being in an incredible place with a singular purpose of heart. It was truly magical!
Our Gift to You
We’re grateful for the personal and professional opportunities we experienced at the two Rome conferences, and our sincerest thanks go out to the Christian Brothers for this gift. In return, we offer this website to our friends and colleagues, both at Saint Mary’s College and in Lasallian communities around the world. We’ll enhance our understanding of and commitment to the Lasallian charism that lies at the heart of our daily work. We’ll share stories of how we live Lasallian. Most importantly, we’ll forge collective and collaborative bonds of association, regardless of our locations on the map or our roles in the global Lasallian mission.
What to Expect
The Living Lasallian website is a dynamic, living place to share our stories and experiences. Expect features every two weeks about regular people doing incredible things, both from our campus and around the world. Pictures and photo essays will show Lasallian partners in action. You’ll also have easier access to news, information about activities and opportunities in our community and region, and other Lasallian web resources.
We’ll also have a Question of the Week inviting you to post your reflections on how you live Lasallian, offered in both English and Spanish, with discussion threads in both languages. We welcome your feedback, and will strive to make the site relevant your life and as broadly inclusive as possible.
Thank you for visiting and watch for email announcements about upcoming feature stories.