I'm a bad, bad blogger.

Yes. I am in Rome. Yes. I've been here two weeks without a single blog post. I have a laundry list of reasons, but I won't bore you with them. The main reason is that I left my camera home. But thanks to Sue Hines, it is now here and getting a work out.

It's been a whirl wind two weeks. The first week was absorbed with doing advanced work. Meeting with the hotel, meeting with presenters, setting up the meeting room, setting up the lounge, setting up the chapel. All that with jet lag. Which means everything took twice as long as it should have.

The program began on Sunday night. The group is 50 people from 23 Universities in 8 countries. They are a very dynamic group.

Below are some pictures from the Papal audience. We were on the dais with the Pope. When we were introduced to him, our group gave a very loud cheer. He smiled and waved at us. And I think he actually chuckled a little bit. Maybe the idea of college professors being so loud made him laugh. In his remarks he mentioned our group by name. All in all a great audience.

 In the past I've always had Joan take care of "the Ticket". This year, for what ever reason, I had possession of the ticket. So, I was the one who lead the group to the gates and handed it to the various officials. The closer you get to the "good seats" the more formal the officials get. This is the last official I had to present the ticket to before we were lead to our seats. When I handed him the ticket, he smiled broadly and with a beautiful Italian accent said "Welcome madame. We are most happy to have you here."  My cold little heart went pitter patter. I like to think of him as my Vatican boy friend. In the future, Joan will have to pry the ticket out of my cold dead hands. There is no way I will pass up that opportunity again.

The weather was perfect. Partly cloudy, reasonably cool and breezy. 

This is Sue Hines standing behind where we were seated.  

The Vatican guard who was stationed behind our seats. He looked like he was 16. 

Other pilgrims.

And there's the Pope.

People are always shocked by how small he is. He's really tiny.

On Thursday night the Latinos hosted the social. It was fun and the food was fabulous. They had gotten organized in advance and brought all kinds of ingredients from Mexico to make the food.

JBDL overseeing the preparations.

 Sangria being made by members from Mexico, Spain and Brazil.

 I was designated the official taster of the Sangria. It's a very important job. After each ingredient is added, you take a taste and decide if it's on the right track.

 Eventually, it doesn't matter if it's on the right track or not.

On this day, I had dropped a drawer on my toe. At first I was sure I had broken it. The woman in the middle of this picture was my personal physician. She's a professor at the medical school at Lasalle Mexico City. She's a wonderful doctor!!!! 

 Br. Michael and the participants from Lewis University enjoying the food.

 Dancing, dancing, dancing.

Eating, eating, eating.

 More Dancing.

 And more dancing.

Br. Aramand in his party pants.

And speaking of dancing.
Those of you who know the people in this House will recognize many of the  Brothers in this video. 

One last comment.

On our final day, the lay partners created a statement to give to the Brothers. We all contributed to the document but the final write up was beautifully done by Kane from New Zealand.  When he read this out loud to the Brothers, I think everyone in the room needed a tissue. I know I did.  I think it should be shared beyond the participants of CIL. So, here it is:

A Message from the English Speaking Lay Partners on the Occasion of CIL 2010


How do you express in mere words such an overwhelming appreciation for your continued caring, generosity,  openness, and love?


Together, as one voice, we making the following testimony of our feelings to you, our Brothers.


We are so thankful for the gift of you.
We give thanks for your prophetic vision, unique commitment and openness.
We give thanks for your passion and continued sacrifice toward our shared mission.
We give thanks for your hospitality and your faithfulness in the face of a new dawn.
We give thanks for your humor, accepting us as family and treating us as a real brother would.


We are so inspired by the miracle of you.
We are inspired by your dedication and spirit despite difficulties and hardship.
We are inspired by your willingness to climb every mountain, regardless of terrain or weather.
We are inspired by your humble manner and obedience, body and soul, to your vocation.
We are inspired by your ability to face change and accept new realities.
We are inspired by your love of mission, your care for those in need and the desire to be there.


We promise from the depths of our hearts to continue this journey with you.
We promise to maintain formation and grow strong in faith and mission.
We promise you that every step of the way in the years to come, we will share these new realities together and by association.
We solemnly promise you, with heads held high, we will keep the "lights on" with you, and for our dear founder and for mission.


You have looked after us so well for so long.


We, countless thousands, past and present, children, the poor and the needy, owe you a debt that can never be repaid.


It is our time now to accompany you more closely and care as you have done for so long.


We are one in the same. We are one Lasalle.


With love and joy, your brothers and sisters in unity, family and mission.


Live Jesus in our Hearts


FOREVER!

Welcome home.

So what really happened at CIL?

I have seemed to avoid writing about what is really happening at CIL. It's a daunting task. So much of what has happened these past three weeks is impossible to put into words. I've studied, laughed, prayed, sang and danced with a group of incredible people. There are seventy-seven of us. We represent the Lasallian world. We come from Africa, Asia, Europe, America and South America. We speak different languages, but share one heart.

We entered into a process of discernment about Association. Each small language group - nine in total- created a statement that reflected their group discussions. Those individual statements were then merged into three language statements, one in French, one in Spanish and one in English. Those three statements were then merged into one statement to represent the participants of CIL 2010. The process of taking the thoughts of seventy-seven people writing in three different languages and creating a document that represented one voice should have been a nightmare. It wasn't. The final document represents the community and our shared voice.

Our Message of Hope

CIL 2010:  Understanding and Living Association for Lasallian Mission Today

Dear Lasallians: Brothers and all who serve the Lasallian Mission,

Grateful and Challenged by a New Frontier

In a spirit of gratitude to our Lasallian ancestors and pride for our Lasallian Heritage, we Lasallians together (locally) and by association (globally) are called to see, to listen, to feel, and to proclaim.  When we are true to the Lasallian educational mission to the poor, we are communities of prophetic witnesses and transformation agents.

The CIL program, “Understanding and Living Association for Lasallian Mission Today”, gathered seventy-seven Brother and Lay participants from 8 to 26 November 2010 and exposed us to the richness of Association in Lasallian history.  We have shared our experiences of Association and reflected upon Circular 461 “Associated for the Lasallian Mission… an act of HOPE.” 

We came together with anxiety, doubt, and fear about the future.  But we began to see ourselves not at a crossroads but at a new frontier.  We do not have a single choice to make, but a great unknown full of possibility which is both fearful and awesome. 

Two key ideas greatly influenced us.  First, our Founder, Saint John Baptist de La Salle, and the first Brothers considered the moment of entry into the community as the moment of consecration.  Second, Association finds its meaning in the “for”, i.e.  Association is for the educational service to the poor and disadvantaged. 

After these days of reflection about our call "together and by association" we want to share with you the richness of what we have lived and prayed, to encourage you to dig a little deeper into the rich personality of the Founder, his work, his writings, and how they are a call by God to live the Mission.

Through our Vocation

We are a gathering of people who have come from diverse faith and community experiences.  We are people on a journey in response to a call by God, in search of a better world just as La Salle was.  We realize that through education we can participate in creating the kingdom of God on earth.  To this call, we respond by associating for mission.  We want our communities to respond creatively to the realities and needs of our different environments.

A Welcoming Diversity

Two symbols spoke to us:  God’s ever expanding tent which has room for all and the promise of the rainbow which intimates that all are one in a beautiful diverse world.  These symbols evoked in us a sense of hope, a confidence that this is God’s work, and a commitment to act together and by association to build the kingdom.

Essential for New Life:  Tradition, Transition, and Transformation

Our discussion led us to identify three components to our current experience of Lasallian Association:  Tradition, Transition, and Transformation.  In a work of art, we represent our experience as tradition (our roots), transition (the seed ready to sprout), and transformation (a new plant with branches reaching for the sky which will eventually bear great fruit).  It may serve as an “icon” to aid us in reflecting about our personal experience of being associated for mission as well as the experience of association in our regions, districts, cities, and individual ministries.

In our tradition, we understand that the first Lasallian community composed of Saint John Baptist de La Salle and the early Brothers, “together and by association”, are our main point of reference and inspiration because based on their faith and their radical commitment the mission was born: to give a Human and Christian education to young people, especially the poor.

We draw upon our past in which three heroic generations of Brothers first, simply worked together, second, created a fragile community which was supportive and formative and, third, developed the necessary structures to sustain the mission for over 300 years.

Transition has been an ever present characteristic of our history.  De La Salle and the early Brothers responded creatively to crisis after crisis.  The Institute has responded similarly to the crises of history.  During times of crisis, we need community discernment: “We must see with eyes wide open and feet firmly set on the ground, but with the heart also full of the Gospel and full of God.” (Monsignor Oscar Romero, 27 August 1978) 

Today we are experiencing another momentous challenge which calls for another transformation.  We, as Lasallians, are in a moment of grace in which we are challenged to transform our traditions through great personal and communal effort under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and our Lasallian history.  Each of us must let go of something and contribute something to the transformation.  We discover those things through observation, reflection, and action.  We affirm the vision of De La Salle and the founding Brothers; the need for the Lasallian mission of education, especially of the poor, is very great.  Thus the need for every Lasallian is great.

We Look to the Future with Hope

We are keenly aware that certain parts of the Lasallian World are in need of particular support.  This includes areas where governments, cultures, gender roles, and religious traditions do not provide a supportive environment for Lasallian Association.  Association is for the entire Lasallian World, and so, we invite all to participate and support one another.  As we experienced in these three weeks, our international association can provide the support needed to overcome these challenges.

We must be prophets who transform the present, who "together and by association" see with imagination and creativity a future that has never existed before.  Our way of being knows no limits except those of the Lasallian charism, a charism that drives us to transform the world through various Lasallian educational works.  These works respond creatively to our reality. We must be faithful to Gospel values, true to human relationships, see the world through the eyes of young people today, and take advantage of the technological advances which promote the exchange of experiences and knowledge in order to improve society.

We Commit to Associate for Mission

We commit to promote a Lasallian mission that addresses the needs of the poor and marginalized even beyond the school, to explore new understandings of vocation, and to take steps appropriate to our local circumstances.  We commit to formation, accompaniment, and association for the mission!

During this period of movement from transition to transformation, we associate for mission by gathering locally and with other ministries (physically or electronically) to:

·       Pray and share faith

·       Socialize

·       Celebrate

·       Grow in our commitment

·       Share our history, traditions, and cultural diversity

·       Study / Work to improve our ministries to better adapt to the needs of students

·       Tell the Lasallian story and our stories of being Lasallian

·       Accompany one another into the Lasallian tradition in open communities

·       Discuss, discern, and identify mission priorities

·       Develop creative initiatives of community life and ministries which respond to the new needs of the poor

These and other formation activities are ultimately in the service of the Lasallian Mission of Education of the young, especially the poor. 

Conclusion

We want to accompany those already journeying in the Mission, to fan the flickering flame of those who are questioning, and in every work, place, action and environment to be a sign of hope. We move forward, joining efforts, enthusiasm, and excitement.

We are aware of the great “co-responsibility” entrusted to us to be the “heart, memory and guarantor” of the Lasallian charism, but we have De La Salle’s assurance that as St. Paul says, "The Lord who has begun the work, will see it to its successful completion." (Philippians 1:6)

Live, Jesus, in our Hearts.  Forever!

Thanksgiving Eve

Br. Ray decided to throw a Thanksgiving bash for all the English speakers. He and Tina grocery shopped and stole a shopping cart from En Grande to bring everything back to the Mother House. Tina gave Br. Mark the job of returning it with the idea that if the polizia nabbed him, he acts innocent enough to convince them that he had no idea it was stolen. All went well and the cart was returned without incident.

Tina, Br. David and I acted as the Martha Society and prepared the food for the party while everyone else was at prayer. I have no pictures of the actual party. I was too busy partying. But here are some pictures of the set up.

The Den, cleaned and organized for a party.

Our appetizers.

The kitchen with lots of food prep under way.

Br. David was a huge help. He washed vegetables, dishes, kept the cooks in toddies and stood  by prepared to administer first aid if we managed to cut ourselves with the dull knives.

Tina made her famous stuffed mushrooms and meatballs. The aroma filled the entire basement. As soon as people stepped into the basement we could hear their excitement. Food that smelled like home. It was a wonderful surprise for them.

After 18 days of pasta twice a day...

a hamburger can make you weep.

Two Brothers and a Spinster walk into a bar...November 21, 2010

Today was Two Brothers and a Spinster day. Br. David, Br. Mark and I spent an afternoon walking in the rain and seeing the sights. While the weather was not so great, the company was delightful.

Our first stop was the  Trevi Fountain.

It rained most of our time there. The good part was that it was not so crowded so you get good pictures and toss your coin without elbowing someone.

I really like this picture now that I look at it. At the time, it seemed kinda dumb to be taking pictures of a fountain in the rain. The water falls lose their magic.

This is Br. Mark faking that he's throwing a coin in the fountain. He refused to actually throw money in.  

The rain made the streets glow.

We stopped into one of my favorite places to get out of the rain. Rebecca, Mary and Joan know it well.

The rain didn't stop, but we didn't mind it as much afterwards.

Next stop was the Pantheon. You can'[t exactly get out of the rain in the Pantheon given that big hole in the roof.

But we enjoyed it none the less.

Br. Mark left his camera at home. He finally figured out that he could take pictures with his phone and went crazy in the Pantheon. I think he took a picture of every stone in the place.

Our next stop was Piazza Navona. 

It was so beautiful in the rain.

We had dinner at Tre Scalini's. It's famous for the Tartufo. We didn't try it. 10 euros for a dish of ice cream seemed a little extravagant. We'd rather spend the money on wine.

This is Br. David anticipating yet another dish of carbonara. He's an aficionado.

Br. Mark looking at his photos.

This is my Little Match Girl photo. We were sitting outside in the rain (ok, under the tent) eating dinner while the other people were all cozy and warm in the restaurant.

I should add that all during dinner the rains was coming down in torrents. There was an actual river of water running past our feet. But, being the hardy midwesterners that we are we were determined to eat outside on the Piazza.

On our way back to the train, we walked past the Memphis Hotel. Br. Mark was suddenly possessed by Heidi Klum and wanted to pose for pictures in front of it. Lots and lots of pictures. I'm sparing you the multiple shots. You can thank me later.

A subway shot.

Br. Heidi posing for yet another picture. The best part of this picture is the lady to the right. She thought he was crazy.

Br. Heidi once again demanding his picture be taken. Yes, that's a McDonald's. But it's the De La Salle Mc Donalds, so that makes it photo worthy!

Sunday was wonderful! Back to work on Monday....