The LASSCA Conference concluded on Wednesday, February 26 after a morning of prayer, breakfast, and a panel discussion with representatives from each District. The panel was comprised of Alan Weyland, Executive Director for Mission and Ministry, District of Eastern North America; Charles Legendre, AFSC, Director of Lasallian Mission, District of New Orleans – Santa Fe; Dr. Scott Kier, Superintendent of Lasallian Education, Midwest District; and Gery Short, Director, Office of Education, District of San Francisco. The discussion was centered on this important question: What are the challenges being faced by Lasallian schools in your District from the context of: Catholic identity, transferring of the Mission, balancing financial viability and serving the poor, and succession planning?
“The challenge simply is time,” said Charles Legendre, AFSC. “If Lasallian community is going to happen, it has to be very intentional. You have to carve out time to make it happen,” he said while discussing building religious community.
Chief administrators are heading back to their schools with renewed zeal for the mission and an abundance of new ideas on how to provide transformative education to young people.