In their final session, nearly 50 Lasallians presented capstone projects before graduating from the program and concluding their two-year formation journey in the Brother John Johnston Institute of Contemporary Lasallian Practice.
Beginning in summer 2024, the Regional formation program covered topics such as the founding story; Lasallian pedagogy; evangelization; Lasallian vocation, spirituality and association; promotion of justice; and educational service with the poor.
Julian Elorduy, religious studies teacher at Justin-Siena High School in Napa, California, said that his understanding of Lasallian spirituality deepened through the Johnston Institute. During the program, “I have been grateful for moments of genuine encounter and intellectual insight. These moments have helped me reflect more deeply on the foundations of Lasallian spirituality and its relevance in the contemporary educational environment,” he said.
The program welcomed participants spanning different ministries, roles and prior Lasallian formation backgrounds.
Anna O’Neill came to the program from Catalyst Circle Rock, a public K-8 charter school in Chicago, that holistically focuses on both rigorous academic curriculum and social-emotional development. The school is secular, yet the mission of “teaching minds and touching hearts” is Lasallian.
O’Neill felt welcome at Johnston, stating, “the ethos and heart of the Catalyst schools continue to keep us tethered to the rich Lasallian history. This awareness and connection to the greater community supports my role at my ministry by constantly reflecting upon my ‘why,’ grounding myself in my ministry.”
She found wisdom in the collaborative community of Lasallians throughout her time in the program. Particularly through the “Parmenie walks” — where participants walked and reflected in pairs in the style of the early Christian Brothers — she was reaffirmed that the work of an educator is not “to be conducted in isolation, but in partnership to hold the space and problem solve the challenges that impact our ministries.”
These final March gatherings met by District and included presentations from Dr. Jan Mines, AFSC, and Dr. Sue Skinner. Participants also presented their capstone projects.
For her capstone project, Anna Capizzi, director of communications at Christian Brothers Conference, led a communications preconference held prior to the Huether 2025 conference. She hoped the project would “inspire others to pursue and lead career-specific formation efforts in their own ministries.”
Each gathering concluded with a commissioning service that included reflections from their respective District accompaniers, time for prayer and a certificate of completion. Graduates were also gifted a copy of “Meditations for the Time of Retreat: A Lasallian Home Retreat” by Brother Vincent Pelletier, FSC.
After receiving their certificates, the graduates recited: “As a graduate of the Johnston Institute, we commit to exercising mission influence in our ministries. Through our continued prayer, study, reflection and dialogue, we strive to deeply animate our shared mission on the local level and within the broader Lasallian family.”
O’Neill said this program has reminded her to pour into herself “to continue carrying out my mission and purpose as an educator.”
“It was an honor to meet such dedicated educators committed to living out the Lasallian mission creatively and faithfully across the Region,” Capizzi said, and added that she found the program experience moving and enriching both personally and professionally.
Elorduy said, “The connections formed through this program will lead to lifelong friendships and continued collaboration with fellow Lasallians who share a common commitment to the mission.”
Registration is open now for the newest cohort of the Johnston Institute through May 8. The sixth cohort will begin with a Regional gathering at Lewis University July 13-16, 2026.
Learn more about the Brother John Johnston Institute and register here
Select capstone projects will soon be posted on the Lasallian Resource Center’s website.