Two hundred and fifteen Lasallian educators traveled to St. Louis, Missouri, for the 2025 Huether Lasallian Conference, Nov. 20-22. Themed “Building Sacred Bridges: Igniting Our Vocation as Lasallian Educators,” the conference welcomed 73 first-time attendees.
Prior to the main conference, a communications preconference brought together 30 communications directors, advancement directors, heads of school and other Lasallians with communications roles, Nov. 19-20. The preconference included sessions on communicating the Lasallian mission in the modern day, crisis communications, marketing the Lasallian charism, artificial intelligence, as well as a panel discussion and opportunities for prayer and networking.
Commenting on the preconference, Andrea Williams, assistant development director at La Salle Institute, in Troy, New York, said, “I really appreciated the opportunity to come to the preconference because it’s always so wonderful to sit around the table with people who know exactly what you’re talking about and have the same struggles. It makes you feel less alone and more like, OK, we’re all in this together … (and) we can, bounce ideas and really learn from other people.”
The Huether conference began on Thursday evening with an Opening Mass celebrated by Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski at the Basilica of St. Louis. Following Mass, seven Distinguished Lasallian Educators – Jean Gould, Johnny Kue, Daniel Pier, Joe Miley, Susan Rackley, Tammy Christensen and Dr. Peter Imperial – were recognized during an awards ceremony. (See ceremony photos and read each of their remarks to receiving their awards here.) A small group ensemble from Christian Brothers College High School in St. Louis, played music during a lively opening reception.
On Friday morning, Dr. Jacyln Doherty and Dr. Nabil Tueme, of Springtime Research Institute, offered a keynote presentation on new research exploring how Gen Z and Gen Alpha understand and speak about vocation. Brother Larry Schatz, FSC, director of vocation ministry for the Midwest District, moderated the conversation following the keynote where participants were invited to discuss how insights from the study could translate into meaningful connections with their students.
Carolina Villa, high school bridge and graduate support coordinator at San Miguel School in Chicago, reflected on the keynote and said, “Our students right now are really going through hard times. And I think them being able to see all the different vocations that are available to them, but also transforming the word (vocation) to, ‘What can you be?’ and ‘What will you be?’ is something that I’m going to be able to take away and just keep reminding them every day that they’re going to go above and beyond whatever they’re even considering.”
Saturday morning’s keynote address featured Dr. Hosffman Ospino, professor of theology and religious education at Boston College’s Clough School of Theology and Ministry. Dr. Ospino spoke on how teaching is a participation in God’s transforming work in the world and suggested practical ways to nurture our teaching vocation as Lasallian educators.
Cheryl Flaherty, social studies teacher at Christian Brothers High School in Sacramento, California, said Saturday’s keynote emphasized the idea that “vocation is not just a job, but it’s multi-level. We have to continue to talk about that with (our students). We have to share our vocations in many areas and try to get them to do the same thing. … We all recognize the work that we do is important in the classroom and are models to (the students) so that they can figure out what they’re very good at (and what) they can share with the world.”
For the first time, the conference offered a New Educators Track with seven sessions geared to those new to the Lasallian charism and/or those in their first three years of teaching. The sessions considered topics such as De La Salle’s journey, the global Lasallian mission, the 12 Virtues of a Good Teacher, Lasallian spirituality, the Lasallian way of prayer, the professional identity and vocation of a Lasallian educator, and tools for new teachers.
Ten general track sessions unpacked areas like Lasallian pedagogy, understanding Gen Z’s struggles, responding to the use of generative artificial intelligence, living out a Lasallian vocation in a public school, and more.
Reflecting on the conference as a whole, Maile Shelley, campus minister for service and justice at De La Salle High School, Concord, California, said, “There’s something so special about getting to see everybody from across the entire Region that’s connected in one mission, and really living it out in very different ways.”
The conference concluded with the premiere of a biographical documentary, “The Life and Legacy of St. John Baptist de La Salle,” which will be available for a wider audience in January 2026.
Next year’s Huether conference will take place in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Nov. 19-21.