District Mission Assembly Media Pack

The La Salle District of Ireland, Great Britain and Malta, will hold their Second District Mission Assembly in the San Antonio Hotel, Bugibba, from February 6th to 8th.

This is a hugely significant event as part of the 120th anniversary of Lasallian Education in Malta.

Please see below a press release, further information on Lasallian Education in Malta and across the globe, along with details of how to access images from the Assembly and logos.

If you require any further assistance or would like to arrange an interview please contact eunanwhyte@lasalleigbm.org

Press Release (General)

Significant gathering of La Salle District

Lasallian education across three islands will embark on a signifcant event when the District of Ireland, Great Britain and Malta. The District Mission Assembly, which is held every four years, will take place in the San Antonio Hotel, Bugibba, from February 6th to 8th.

Over 50 delegates will travel to Malta from the District’s 36 Lasallian ministries, schools and retreat centres, to evaluate the last four years and reflect on the hopes and opportunities for the years ahead.

The District incorporates 35 schools, both primary and second level, catering for 21,000 students

Lasallian education has contributed much to life in Irelamnd, Great Britain and Malta over the years with many students inspired to return to their schools as teachers, and many others live and share those values in other walks of life.

The origins of the De La Salle Brothers goes back to Reims, France in the late 17th Century when St John Baptist de La Salle was moved to create schools that would help the children of the poor and artisans in French cities receive a Christian and human education that would allow them to escape from poverty and be examplenary members of society and the Church.

The network of schools grew rapidly in France and began over the years to spread across the world, including Malta at the beginning of the 20th Century.

The methods used in terms of classroom teaching and free access for all were revolutionary at the time but established a systematised approach to simultaneous teaching which still dominates pedagogical methods in use in all schools today. Such was the impact of De La Salle’s vision that he was proclaimed Patron Saint of all Teachers of Youth in 1950.

De La Salle’s approach was based on his desire to touch hearts and transform the lives of students, and this has been the cornerstone of the Lasallian approach for over 300 years.

Lasallian education in schools today is based on the 5 Core Principles: Concern for the Poor and Social Justice; Quality Education; Faith in the Presence of God; Respect for All Persons; Inclusive Community.

Press Release (Malta)

Celebrations to mark significant milestone in history of education in Malta

Education in Malta will mark a significant milestone this year when one of its most respected Religious Congregations celebrates 120 years of provision on the island.

The Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, known locally as the Freres or the De La Salle Brothers, opened its first school in Malta in 1903 and over the course of 12 decades has been a cornerstone of educational innovation and excellence on the island.

Over the year, a number of events will be organised to mark the occasion. The first of which is hosting one of the most important events on the calendar of the Lasallian Province of Ireland, Great Britain and Malta. The District Mission Assembly, which is held every four years, will take place in the San Antonio Hotel, Bugibba, from February 6th to 8th.

Over 50 delegates will travel to Malta from the District’s 36 Lasallian ministries, schools and retreat centres, to evaluate the last four years and reflect on the hopes and opportunities for the years ahead.

De La Salle College, Birgu and Stella Maris College, Gizira, incorporate five schools in total and cater for 2,349 students and will be prominent in the discussions at the conference.

Lasallian education has contributed much to life in Malta over the years with many students inspired to return to their schools as teachers, and many others live and share those values in other walks of life. There are many well-known Maltese who have been inspired by the De La Salle schools, including the current President of the Republic, Dr. George Vella.

The origins of the De La Salle Brothers goes back to Reims, France in the late 17th Century when St John Baptist de La Salle was moved to create schools that would help the children of the poor and artisans in French cities receive a Christian and human education that would allow them to escape from poverty and be examplenary members of society and the Church.

The network of schools grew rapidly in France and began over the years to spread across the world, including Malta at the beginning of the 20th Century.

The methods used in terms of classroom teaching and free access for all were revolutionary at the time but established a systematised approach to simultaneous teaching which still dominates pedagogical methods in use in all schools today. Such was the impact of De La Salle’s vision that he was proclaimed Patron Saint of all Teachers of Youth in 1950.

De La Salle’s approach was based on his desire to touch hearts and transform the lives of students, and this has been the cornerstone of the Lasallian approach for over 300 years.

Lasallian education in schools today is based on the 5 Core Principles: Concern for the Poor and Social Justice; Quality Education; Faith in the Presence of God; Respect for All Persons; Inclusive Community.

What is the District Mission Assembly?

The second District Lasallian Educational Mission (MEL) Assembly for Ireland, Great Britain and Malta will take place in the San Antonio Hotel, Bugibba, Malta from Monday February 6th to Wednesday February 8th, 2023. The theme of the Assembly will be, “One La Salle: Transforming the World Through Education”.

The District Mission Assembly is a vitally important event in the District of Ireland, Great Britain and Malta. It is held every four years with the aim of reflecting on and assessing the work of the past four years, while reflecting on ongoing work and making strategic plans for the future. This will involve in the region of 60 delegates engaging in a decision-making process over three days.

This important gathering brings Brothers and Lasallian Partners together from Lasallian schools and five Pastoral Centres to evaluate the last four years and reflect on the hopes and opportunities for the years ahead.

This is part of the longstanding tradition of consultation and collective reflection, allowing delegates to contribute to the growth and development of the Lasallian international network in the Province.

The Mission Assembly will focus on three key areas under the following thematic groups:

Creating a Sustainable Organisation: This group will delve into the resources and structures required to ensure the long-term sustainability of the District’s current ministries - and, in creative fidelity to the Lasallian Charism and Founding Story, put forward recommendations on how the Lasallian Family in Ireland, Great Britain and Malta could continue to respond to the needs of the young, especially those most vulnerable and those living in poverty.
Sharing the Lasallian Legacy and Ethos: This group will look at updating/reviewing of the Lasallian Identity Framework, its use and promotion; a focus on how to unpack the 5 Core Principles for student bodies, parents and all educators. This group will also follow up on the Ethos Strategy Plans which all schools and centres have worked on this year.
Accompany Lasallians in our Communities: This group will focus on the promotion, support and development of Animators and Animation Teams across the District; increasing awareness, understanding and commitment to the fostering of intentional Lasallian communities at local, national and District level. This group will also consider how to strategise and resource the process of accompaniment, belonging and Association in the District.

What is the District of Ireland, Great Britain and Malta?

The global Lasallian Family is divided into regions, with the District of Ireland, Great Britain and Malta, coming under the umbrella of RELEM (Lasallian Region of Europe and the Mediterranean).

The District came into existence in September 2015 following the amalgamation of the Districts of Ireland and the District of Great Britain and Malta.

The District is led by Brother Visitor (Provicinal) Ben Hanlon and includes:

In the District of Ireland, Great Britain and Malta there are:

35 Schools
5 Pastoral Centres
81 Brothers in 11 Communities
3,534 Lasallian Partners
21,212 students

What is the Lasallian Educational Mission?

The Lasallian Educational Mission embodies the vision and innovative spirit of St. John Baptist de La Salle, Patron Saint of all Teachers of Youth and founder of the De La Salle Brothers (Brothers of the Christian Schools - FSC). The Lasallian mission provides a human and Christian education to the young, especially the poor.

Core Principles of a Lasallian School

The use of the Five Core Principles of a Lasallian School is a principle way to express the lived reality of Lasallian Education. They are used extensively around the world due to their simplicity and effectiveness in capturing the essence of Lasallian Schools.

The 5 Core Principles are:

Concern for the Poor and Social Justice
Quality Education
Faith in the Presence of God
Respect for All Persons
Inclusive Community

The Lasallian Educational Mission began in the streets of Reims in 1680 with a small group of teachers which developed into a community of Brothers and, over the years, an enormous group of dedicated Lasallian educators.

The women and men of the District of Ireland, Great Britain and Malta commit to advance horizons, touch hearts and inspire minds through an education that enables them to generate opportunities that promote the transformation of lives, persons and societies.

The Lasallian Educational Mission today, at both the national and international level, is expanding in secularised, pluri-religious, and multi-cultural contexts. In these contexts, Lasallian educators strive to enter into respectful dialogue with the persons they are called to serve. This attitude presupposes openness and a willingness to listen, to learn, to witness to Gospel values and, as far as possible, to announce the Word of God.

Today, the worldwide De La Salle family is made up of more than 3,000 Brothers, who together with the 90,000 educators and lay collaborators assist in more than 1,100 educational works, in 80 countries more than 1 million pupils, including children, young people and adults.

The educational centers of the Lasallian Institute include all grades: kindergarten, primary education, middle schools, high schools, non-formal educational centers, vocational training centers and universities.

Half of these Lasallian students are at risk of social and educational exclusion in the most fragile countries and/or contexts on our planet. The spirit of the Mission, in fact, is to offer an educational opportunity to those who otherwise would not have access to education and to foster the inclusion of the most marginalized social groups, women and girls, and students with special needs, throughout the world.

Through its educational centers, the La Salle Institute listens to the needs of the realities in which it operates and responds with integrated and sustainable programs so that its schools become a driver of development for the whole community.

To make this possible, the Institute can count on the Secretariat of Solidarity and Development and an international network of Lasallian Non-Profit Organizations, which, in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, carry out projects of solidarity, cooperation for development and volunteerism to build a more equitable world,

The educational activity of the Lasallian Mission is carried out in different social sectors. The Institute has always been committed to education for the rights of children. In the year of international literacy (1990), UNESCO awarded the NOMA prize to Lasallian institutions. There is a collaboration with the Intercongregational Project “Solidarity with South Sudan” of the Union of Superiors General; the Institute is also among the founding members of BICE (Bureau International Catholique de l’Enfance).

St. John Baptist de La Salle - 1651 - 1719

Founder of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, Patron of Christian Teachers

St. John Baptist de La Salle was born into a world very different from our own. He was the first son of wealthy parents living in France over 300 years ago. Born at Reims, John Baptist de La Salle received the tonsure at age 11 and was named Canon of the Reims Cathedral at 16.

Although he had to assume the administration of family affairs after his parents died, he completed his theological studies and was ordained a priest on April 9th, 1678. Two years later he received a doctorate in theology. Meanwhile he became tentatively involved with a group of rough and barely literate young men in order to establish schools for poor boys.

At that time a few people lived in luxury, but most of the people were extremely poor: peasants in the country, and slum dwellers in the towns. Only, a few could send their children to school; most children had little hope for the future. Moved by the plight of the poor who seemed so "far from salvation" either in this world or the next, he determined to put his own talents and advanced education at the service of the children "often left to themselves and badly brought up." To be more effective, he abandoned his family home, moved in with the teachers, renounced his position as Canon and his wealth, and so formed the community that became known as the Brothers of the Christian Schools.

His enterprise met opposition from the ecclesiastical authorities who resisted the creation of a new form of religious life, a community of consecrated laymen to conduct gratuitous schools "together and by association”. The educational establishment resented his innovative methods and his insistence on gratuity for all, regardless of whether they could afford to pay. Nevertheless De La Salle and his Brothers succeeded in creating a network of quality schools throughout France that featured instruction in the vernacular, students grouped according to ability and achievement, integration of religious instruction with secular subjects, well-prepared teachers with a sense of vocation and mission, and the involvement of parents.

In addition, De La Salle pioneered in programmes for training lay teachers, Sunday courses for working young men, and one of the first institutions in France for the care of delinquents. Worn out by austerities and exhausting labours, he died at Saint Yon near Rouen early in 1719 on Good Friday, only weeks before his 68th birthday.

St. John Baptist de La Salle was a pioneer in founding training colleges for teachers, reform schools for delinquents, technical schools, and secondary schools for modern languages, arts, and sciences. His work quickly spread through France and, after his death, continued to spread across the globe. In 1900 John Baptist de La Salle was declared a Saint. In 1950, because of his life and inspirational writings, he was made Patron Saint of all those who work in the field of education. John Baptist de La Salle inspired others how to teach and care for young people, how to meet failure and frailty with compassion, how to affirm, strengthen and heal.

La Salle in Malta

Lasallian education has contributed much to life in Malta over the years with many students inspired to return to their schools as teachers, while many live and share those values in other walks of life. There are many well-known Maltese who have been inspired by the De La Salle schools, including current President, Dr. George Vella.

Although several attempts were made during the 19th Century to establish the Institute of the Christian Brothers in Malta, it was mainly as a result of the Cambes Law (on the separation of the Church and State) in France that the Brothers actually came to Malta. Sir Charles Mansfield Clarke, Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Malta (1903-1907), authorised Bro. Arbon François to open a Lasallian school on the island. In 1903, De La Salle College opened at Cospicua, and a second school was inaugurated in Sliema in 1904.

From 1915 to 1918, the first scholarships at De La Salle College were launched and successful candidates joined the Dockyard course. Several of these workmen became the backbone of the foremost industrial enterprise on the island. The need for new premises was soon felt and in March 29th, 1937, the foundation stone of the new De La Salle College was laid in Vittoriosa.

The Sliema school also grew in number and was transferred to Gzira in 1938 under the name Stella Maris College. A sixth form was opened in 1966 in a joint venture between the two colleges.

Until the Second World War the two Maltese Brothers’ communities and their schools formed part of the District of Algiers. However, because the Brothers’ International Headquarters were in Rome, the British government wanted the Brothers closer to Britain in their administrative affairs. Thus from August 1st 1945 the Brothers’ schools in Malta fell under the jurisdiction of Brother Visitor of the London District.

The Brothers were often at the forefront and played key roles in the history of education in Malta. They were entrusted with the teaching of male teachers-to-be in State schools (1947 – 1973) at St Michael’s Training College. They were also among the first schools to be inclusive and welcome children with special needs in the last decade of the 20th Century.

Today there are five Lasallian Schools in Malta catering for a total of 2,349 students:

De La Salle College Junior School, Cottonera

De La Salle College Senior School, Cottonera

De La Salle College Sixth Form, Cottonera

Stella Maris College, Gzira

Stella Maris Junior School and & St Benild School, Gzira

There are two Brothers’ Communities – Gzira Stella Maris Community and Cottonera De La Salle Community – with a total of 11 Brothers.

La Salle Retreat Centre Mellieħa, Malta

The La Salle Retreat Centre in Mellieha is also a vital part of the Lasallian network on Malta. has become a venue for many meetings, seminars, retreats and live-ins. The multi-purpose hall equipped with audio-visual equipment seats over 80 people.

There is also a Conference Room, Boardrooms, Prayer Room, and a large garden for moments of quiet reading and meditation. Most of the 22 bedrooms are ensuite, with windows overlooking the beautiful bay of Mellieħa. A well-equipped kitchen serves homely and healthy food.

It is a place of love, prayer, and welcome; the hospitality received here is second to none

Cause for Beatification for Maltese Brother

Br. Louis Camilleri, Servant of God

Br. Louis died aged 87 in 2011 having dedicated his life to Christian education as a De La Salle Brother in Malta. He hailed from a humble working-class family in Zurrieq, Malta and survived persecution in France while attending his novitiate during World War II, having joined the De La Salle brothers aged 14.

The Cause for the Beatification of Brother Louis Camilleri FSC was initiated March 31st 2019 during a ceremony held at St. John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta, by Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna who proclaimed, on behalf of the Catholic Church, Bro. Louis is a “Servant of God”.

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Further information

Further information is available from our District website and our dedicated Mission Assembly site

Mission Assembly Prayer

Click here to download the prayer for the District Mission Assembly.