Lasallian educational institutions

Both the Congregation of Christian Brothers and the De La Salle Brothers run educational and other institutions with "Christian Brothers" in the title.
Saint Jean-Baptiste de La Salle, founder of the De La Salle Brothers and Patron Saint of all teachers

Lasallian educational institutions[1] are educational institutions affiliated with the De La Salle Brothers, a Catholic religious teaching order founded by French priest Saint Jean-Baptiste de La Salle, who was canonized in 1900 and proclaimed by Pope Pius XII as patron saint of all teachers of youth on May 15, 1950.[2] In regard to their educational activities, the Brothers have since 1680 also called themselves "Brothers of the Christian Schools", associated with the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools;[3] they are often referred to by themselves and others by the shorter term "Christian Brothers",[4][5] a name also applied to the unrelated Congregation of Christian Brothers or Irish Christian Brothers,[6][7] also providers of education, which commonly causes confusion.[8]

In 2021 the International Lasallian Mission Web site stated that the Lasallian order consists of about 3,000 Brothers, who help in running over 1,100 education centers in 80 countries with more than a million students, together with 90,000 teachers and lay associates.[9]

Short "one-line" prayers are recited in Lasallian educational institutions during the school day, Typical wordings of some are:[10]

Let us remember that we are in the holy presence of God.[note 1]
Live Jesus in our hearts! Forever!
Saint John Baptist de La Salle, pray for us.[10]

The US-based La Salle International Foundation, which supports global educational and other networks of the De La Salle Brothers, say on their Web site that they sponsor educational projects and support schools in 80 countries; and that they give special attention to youth at risk, including those "educationally excluded, street children, orphans, victims of child abuse, drug addicts, disabled youth, individuals with mental illness, migrant and refugee youth, HIV+ and AIDS children, child victims of war, juvenile offenders, child laborers, victims of child trafficking, ethnic minorities, disadvantaged girls, and impoverished children".[12]

Since the 1980s increasing numbers of cases of sexual and physical abuse of children, covered up by authorities, in institutions of the Catholic Church[13] and others[14] have been reported. Cases of physical and sexual abuse of children in Lasallian educational institutions, and failure to investigate, report, and subsequently protect children have been investigated, admitted,[15][14] and apologised for.

  1. ^ "Publications". La Salle Worldwide. Retrieved 16 July 2021. Many examples of the use of 'Lasallian' (not 'La Sallian') as an adjective.
  2. ^ "Saint Jean-Baptiste de La Salle", nominis.cef
  3. ^ "St. Jean-Baptiste de La Salle". La Salle Worldwide. Archived from the original on 12 March 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  4. ^ "Retreat and Conference Center / property". Christian Brothers. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
  5. ^ "About Christian Brothers Center". Christian Brothers Center. De La Salle Christian Brothers. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  6. ^ "Thousands raped in Ireland's Christian Brothers schools". Belfast Telegraph. 20 May 2009. Retrieved 7 October 2016. Typical article referring simply to "Christian Brothers", described in the text as "Ireland's Roman Catholic-run institutions", i.e., not La Salle
  7. ^ "Christian Brothers". Vocations Ireland. 12 May 2009. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
  8. ^ "Congregation of Christian Brothers". US Library of Congress. Retrieved 7 October 2016. "Christian Brothers ... the title is sometimes confusing as it identifies two distinct communities"
  9. ^ "The International Lasallian Mission". La Salle Worldwide. Archived from the original on 28 February 2021. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  10. ^ a b "Lasallian Prayer". Saint Mary's College High School. Archived from the original on 14 September 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2022. These short prayers are familiar to Lasallians throughout the world ... and are recited often during the school day.
  11. ^ Rummery, Gerard (2 February 2018). "Let Us Remember That We Are in the Holy Presence of God". AXIS: Journal of Lasallian Higher Education. PDF: vol 8, no. 3 (Institute for Lasallian Studies at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota, 2017)
  12. ^ "See "About Us", "What We Do", and their subpages". La Salle International Foundation. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  13. ^ "Hundreds of priests shuffled worldwide, despite abuse allegations". USA Today. Associated Press. 20 June 2004.
  14. ^ a b Hart, A. R.; Doherty, Geraldine; Lane, David (20 January 2017). Report Chapters. Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry. ISBN 978-1-908820-91-4.
  15. ^ Molly Eadie (21 July 2021). "Latham man says he was sexually abused by teacher". Troy Record. Archived from the original on 5 November 2018. Original date 23 September 2014, updated 21 July 2021.


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