Great sense of enthusiasm ahead of second District Mission Assembly
After months of meticulous preparation the District of Ireland, Great Britain and Malta is ready to embark on the second District Mission Assembly at the beginning of February.
After months of meticulous preparation the District of Ireland, Great Britain and Malta is ready to embark on the second District Mission Assembly at the beginning of February.
Upwards on 60 delegates will attend the Assembly, which is one of the most important events on the calendar, and already there is a huge sense of enthusiasm and positivity as we prepare for the next four years of our journey.
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”.
In setting the scene for the Mission Assembly, Brother Visitor, Ben Hanlon, has thanked all who have contributed to the preparations and looked forward to delegates taking on the challenges to ensure we sustain the Lasallian Mission into the future. Br Ben stated:
On behalf of all Lasallians in our District of Ireland, Great Britain and Malta, I am delighted to introduce our 2nd District Mission Assembly. The Mission Assembly takes place in Malta beginning on February 6th and ending on February 8th. The fifty plus delegates will gather at the San Antonio Hotel in Bugibba for what promises to be a very significant Assembly. Significant because it will chart the direction our mission will take for the next four years and beyond.
The forthcoming Assembly will celebrate all that is good in our mission: the educational service of the young and those in need, our pastoral ministries, the many groups and committees who support the educational mission across the District and of course our Mission Team who work tirelessly to ensure we move forward and that robust structures are put in place to guarantee the future of our mission. There is so much to thank God for and so much for which we should all be grateful. And it is this gratitude for our own gifts and talents and the blessings we have received through our Lasallian Family, that compels us to make ourselves available and to continue to contribute to the Lasallian educational vision as expressed by our father and founder St John Baptist de La Salle.
But we can never stand still and so we are mindful of the call of our recent General Chapter to walk new pathways, which challenge us to hear the cry of the poor and take steps to ensure a future world that is not only sustainable but that is more just for all. With these challenges in mind we ask ourselves; How will our Lasallian Mission express our unique ethos and identity in the years ahead?
We can take heart from the knowledge that excellent preparation has been done over the last eighteen months. In particular, since September 2022 the three themes for the Assembly have been agreed and the three working groups established. These groups chaired by Joe Gilson, Heather Ruple and Jo Millea have presided over an open debate on the key issues and challenges which will face our District as we continue to develop the Mission over the coming years. Each group is a microcosm of the District - comprising representatives from all ministries, all countries and all Lasallian vocations in a District that has a number of different educational systems. The wide-ranging discussions have been both rich and fruitful.
All of this has culminated in the creation of Horizon statements which were recently sent to the wider Lasallian family in the District for their reflection. These statements and feedback will form the basis of discussion at the Assembly and will lead to our plan for the future.