Participants shared their thoughts and reactions to the Called to Be Brothers Regional assembly that took place July 15-19 at Lewis University in Romeoville, IL.
ON THE GATHERING:
Brother Álvaro Rodríguez Echeverría
Superior General
“It has been a wonderful experience especially to realize the diversity and the unity of those Brothers present here and the Lasallian lay people come from many different backgrounds, different Districts.”
Brother Kenneth Arnold
Christian Brothers University, Memphis, TN
Associate Dean of Information Technology Services
“It reminds me that we’re a group of people much larger than the people I normally associate with in Memphis.”
Brother Colman Coogan
La Salle Hall Community
“I find in what I hear and what I see here a confirmation of where I am myself at this point in life.”
Brother Joel McGraw
Christian Brothers High School, Memphis, TN
Assistant Principal
“I’ve enjoyed every minute.”
Brother David Sinitiere
New Orleans-Santa Fe District
Auxiliary Visitor
“I thought it was a tremendously exhilarating experience.”
Nick Coggins
La Salle College High School, Wyndmoor, PA
Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment
“Very honored to be here. Feel really privileged to be a part of this assembly. It’s been inspirational to see all of these Brothers collected together under one roof. To see them is a really powerful testament to their lives as Brothers and their spiritual lives and the dedication and the variety of the work that they do. It’s been really inspirational.”
WHAT THEY TAKE HOME:
Brother Marvin Becker
La Salle Retreat Center, Wildwood, MO
Staff Member
“That there are many Brothers that I don’t know who are doing a lot of things that I really respect.”
Brother Gale Condit
Archbishop Rummel High School, Metairie, LA
President
“I think without question when you talk to your fellow Brothers, when you listen to people address you as a group, as individuals, you pick up a lot of sense of creativity and desire to want to move forward, and it’s not without hope. That’s the great thing coming out of this, have hope even though things may seem challenging at times, don’t let that hold you down.”
Brother Jack Henderson
La Salle High School of Yakima, Union Gap, WA
Science Teacher
“I’m going to go back with a renewed spirit. I’ve got ideas that I’m going to go back with and knowing that Brothers all over are all doing the same thing. We’re all educating and we’ll keep touching hearts.”
Brother Michael McGinniss
La Salle University, Philadelphia, PA
President
“What I would take back is that our efforts at the University to broaden and deepen the Lasallian association of members of our community is matched everywhere in the country, all things being equal, and that we are in the thick of things in the Lasallian movement. We are right where we should be trying to broaden Lasallian association to more and more members of the university community, trying to deeper their association with it.”
Ann Merchlewitz
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, Winona, MN
Executive Vice President and General Counsel
“It’s a real opportunity for me to go back and interact with my colleagues and talk with them about here’s what happening in the Institute. We know what’s happening with the Brothers at our institution. Sometimes we lose sight of the larger body. So, it’s exciting to be able to go back and talk to them about what’s happening with the Institute, with the District, with the Region and let’s not forget about that because we are one small Lasallian cog in this larger network and we have to remember the network.”