As part of the International Lasallian Days of Peace, Lasallians sport white, support peace

10/19/1012 – Brooklyn, NY / Eatontown, NJ / Providence & Pawtucket, RI – As part of the International Lasallian Days for Peace (Sept. 21 – Oct. 21), hosted by Young Lasallian throughout the worldwide Institute, students and faculty have been involved in different activities to raise awarness for peace.

In the District of Eastern North America, entire school communities wore white to bring visual awarness to the peace initiative, engaged in activities to educate and promote social justice and civic engagement, and joined in a unifying, reflective moment of silence on Friday, October 19th.

Throughout the month long initiative, the District Office staff, and the District’s Mission Executive Council took time to pray for and advocate for peace. At Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School, Brooklyn, Loughlinites took some time to learn about Catholic Social Teaching and the Promotion of Peace as part of the ILDP. A video prayer made by Lasallian students in Britain was used as a closing prayer for the class. Lasallian Youth students at St. Raphael Academy, Pawtucket, read a prayer for peace each morning during morning announcements from September 21st to October 19th. On October 19 each student received a card with the Lasallian Peace Prayer and was invited to pray together as a student body, during Homeroom. The theme of the bi-weekly Lasallian Youth prayer meeting before school was Peace. All students wore a white peace ribbon.

At La Salle Academy, Providence, in connection with the Month of Peace, on Thursday, October 18th, La Salle Campus Minister Margaret Naughton shared an experience with her colleagues and students to reflect upon ahead of the.

“Over the summer, I was lucky enough to travel to Buttimer (Institute of Lasallian Studies) to study. One of my classmates works at De Marillac Academy (a Lasallian school) in San Francisco. She took me on a tour (of the school) located in the Tenderloin district in the city. It was amazing to me to encounter the level of poverty in that area and I was stunned to think about elementary school children making their way to school there every day. It reminded me that many of our colleagues and students who go to our schools and work in our agencies do so in really tough areas and live really hard lives because of violence and poverty. I hope that when you put on your white shirt … you will think of our fellow Lasallians in South Providence, Philly, San Francisco, Palestine, Kenya, El Paso, and all over our vast Lasallian world.”

Also, in Providence, San Miguel School students created a “Peace Chain,” each link designed with symbols of peace. The chain itself symbolized students’ connection to one another and their solidarity in working toward a more peaceful world. The entire school community prayed for peace in the world, families, communities, within themselves.

 

Have photos and story of your ILDP activities? E-mail them to the District Office, and we’ll post them here. Thinking about, reflecting on, and working for peace never stops!