The Lasallian Region of North America (RELAN) includes Lasallian ministries in the United States and Canada. It is one of five Regions of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools (De La Salle Christian Brothers), which Saint John Baptist de La Salle, the patron saint of teachers, founded in 17th-century France as a unique group of lay religious men dedicated exclusively to education.
The five Regions of the Institute are:
Lasallian Region of North America (Région Lasallienne de l’Amérique du Nord)
Lasallian Region of Latin America (Región Latinoamericana Lasallista)
Lasallian Region of Europe and the Mediterranean (Région Lasallienne Europe Méditerranée)
Lasallian Region of Africa (Région Lasallienne d’Afrique)
Lasallian Region of Asia and Oceania (Pacific-Asia Regional Conference)
The Lasallian Region of North America (RELAN) includes three Districts. The first Brothers arrived in North America in the early 1800s and established the first permanent Lasallian school in Montreal, Canada, in 1837. In 1842, John McMullin became the first American Brother. He founded Calvert Hall in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1845, which became the first permanent Lasallian school in the United States and continues to be administered by the Brothers today as Calvert Hall College High School.
The three Districts in RELAN are:
The District of Eastern North America (DENA) includes ministries in Florida, Washington D.C., Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Quebec, Rhode Island, and Toronto. DENA has integrated ministries from the former District of Francophone Canada in the new Quebec Sector.
The Midwest District includes ministries in Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Ohio, Oklahoma and Tennessee.
The District of San Francisco New Orleans (SFNO) includes ministries in Arizona, California, Colorado, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, and Washington.
The Regional Conference of Christian Brothers (RCCB) is a canonical body within the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. It is comprised of the Brother Visitors of the Lasallian Region of North America, their Auxiliary Visitors, and selected District leaders focused on the Lasallian educational mission. The RCCB establishes and maintains communication, active sharing and willing cooperation among the Visitors to enhance the vitality of the Lasallian mission and the life of the Brothers in the Region, and encourages collaboration.
The RCCB committees include:
The Lasallian Education Council (LEC) is a collaborative body that shares responsibility for advancing the Lasallian mission across the Lasallian Region of North America. It brings together the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools and Lasallian Partners, serving on behalf of all who participate in the mission. The Council reflects the rich diversity of the Region, with a membership of 12–15 individuals, including both Brothers and Partners.
Established in 2011 by the Regional Conference of Christian Brothers (RCCB), the LEC provides oversight for mission formation and educational programs, while also promoting the growth of mission-related initiatives and ministries. It serves as a vital forum for collaboration among the Districts and fosters partnerships both within and beyond the Lasallian family, strengthening the enduring legacy of Saint John Baptist de La Salle.
