Karin starts it off. Over 20 LVs and Alums participated at the Lasallian Huether Conference in San Francisco (Nov. 30-Dec. 2) with the theme this year, Deepening Mission: Roles and Movements in the Lasallian Educational Mission. One session to which other LVs and Alums from the Bay Area were invited focused on the LV call and on the future needs of community. Discussion Participants Jolleen Wagner, Erica Bettwy, Jillian Szczepaniak-Gillece, Kelly Botto, Alberto Guerrero, Casey Wilson, Meghan Sullivan, Katie Jann, Beth Fineran, Heather Ruple, Karin Anderer-McClelland, Ross Nodurft, Sarah Witt, Erica Sage, Nicole Atilano, Natalia Chiapa, Marilyn Paquette, Chris Swain, Ramon Rivera, Paul Roberts, Ernest Fernandez, Chris Giangregorio, Carrie Kiskila, Dave Kasievich, Seth Whetzel, Jim Ruck (7 LVs; 18 Alums; 2 staff) Bro. Ed Phelan, Brother Tom Johnson, Maureen Maroney, Brother Brian Henderson, Brother Charles Kitson, Brother Camillus Chavez, Tina Bonacci, Annie Hughes-Gallagher, Pat Bonacci, Mike Foley, Gayle McMenemy, Dr. John Wilcox, Paulette Chobot, Marie Lawler, (5 Brothers and 9 other friends—41 TOTAL)

Witness

There were only 12 people in the [Jan. term] program then. But I loved what that community embodied. I looked at these men and women and said, “Wow, they’ve got something and I want a piece of it and I don’t know what it is.” It was the last place I expected to be. It was a nice thing to do for Jan term and move right along.” What you described (feeling called), it turned into that for me. But these people were walking the walk then.

Karin McClelland-Anderer, ‘90-92

Recognition

I had a sense of being called but without realizing it at first. I knew I wanted to do something but I didn’t know what. I had a sense of falling into it but it is by grace. I wouldn’t have said “called” when I first entered. But the relationships you build and the people you see and the things you learn make you recognize your calling.

Jill Szczemapiak-Gillece, ‘03-05

Urgency of One Moment

I can point to the exact moment where I decided I need to be doing LV. When I was a senior saying I don’t know why, it was sort of a leap of faith because I didn’t want to teach and most LVs teach. I need to be there and that is what I was supposed to do, knowing I was called to do that. And I am still figuring that out. But definitely called!

Beth Fineran, ’06-07

Called

When I started, I felt called to Volunteer. Once I really got involved, experienced the Brothers, and started to realized the charism and how they lived it out in Faith, Service and Community, I realized that I was called to the Lasallian Mission.

Erica Bettwy, ’03-05

Leap of Faith

I did a lot of Volunteer work. I wanted to do more but couldn’t find exactly what I wanted. It was when Brother Ed Siderewicz spoke at our school. I knew that I wanted that –to be with people like that. This is where I need to be. It was a leap of faith because I wanted to go into teaching but my site wasn’t teaching. I love it. I think it was definitely a calling and that is where I needed to be and it has worked out.

Casey Wilson, ’06-07

Part of the Circle.

More Than Coincidence

I didn’t know what I was going to do after graduation. In January, Matt Palkert came up to me and asked: “What are you doing next year?” “I don’t know.” You need to check this out.” Then a week later Alisa came. There were too many coincidences going on in my life, saying this is where you need to be. Then when I signed up, I said, “Send me to whatever sited you need help.” I wasn’t picky on a certain site because I hadn’t been to any. They sent me to Oakland. At the time there were a lot of signs that God was sending in my life that said this is where you need to be. I thought it was going to be for a year but now it seems a lifetime commitment in the Lasallian world.

Kelly Botto, ’05-07

Where I Need to Be

I also remember the moment I was called. I was at St. Mary’s College my sophomore year. I read an article in the Collegian written by a guy who Volunteering. I had known him at St. Mary’s and had a lot of respect for him. The article shared about his experiences, how hard they were and how they were tapping into his faith life and touching his heart. That’s where I need to be too! I didn’t realize that it would lead to this life journey. After a few years I realized that this is the world I want to be a part of and these are the people I want to surround myself with.

Carrie Kiskila, ‘96-00

A Pretty Good Ride

In my senior year of college after a lot of discerning, I decided not to go on with the Brothers. While I was in the Aspirancy Program, the Vocation Director told me about the Volunteers. I was always interested in teaching and counseling. Being an LV for two years and still Volunteering now has given me a taste of both. I still feel called to something new each year. I don’t know what it is eventually going to turn out to be, but it has been a pretty good ride.

Ernest Fernandez, ‘04-06

Shared Community for the Mission —
Re-foundations

A Network Community — God Will Provide

We don’t live in a traditional community. It took a lot of accommodating that had to be done to get Casey and me to this site. We live with a Brother but we outnumber him. Across the street at La Salle Academy there are lots of Brothers. We sometimes hang out with Charlie and the San Miguel Community, and with Heather and other Alums. They don’t live in the house but they are part of the community.

When we had our CAP, we had “Caplets:” One day with the 3 of us and the next morning: us and brothers across the street; and the afternoon: us and Heather and others we hang out with. It is a Network community. I live in a house of 3 people, but my community is so much larger than that.
It is excellent for us. We still have this support and discipline. We have nightly prayer but you never know who will be there. Some nights you have just the 3 of us, but other nights it is much larger. But we have nightly prayer and our meals together. It works very well for us. It is so incredible because we are also connecting with LV Alums and getting that support. It is the ultimate network.

We say we are called by God to be part of this program. Should that call of God be extended to Lord knows how many people? If God calls them, he will also provide the routes to support them. He is not going to call them without some sort of path for us to follow.

Beth Fineran, ’06-07

Part of the group after Lunch:
Erica Sage, Casey Wilson, Marilyn Paquette, Chris Swain, Brother Ed Phelan, Seth Whetzel,
Carrie Kiskila, Beth Fineran, Nicole Atillano, Jim Ruck with Dave Kasievich kneeling.

Continued Formation

One of the strengths in continued association that we as Alums have is to stay engaged. Staying in touch with community is being in continuous formation. As Alums we have to really think about our vocations, our positions and about how we are continuing to rededicate ourselves to service to the poor.

Paul Roberts, ’04-05

Importance of the Brothers

As communities are being redefined and restructured, each area will be created according to what the need is. I don’t see San Miguel in Providence as ever not having LVs. They’ve been there from the start and they will probably be there to the end because that is what the community needs and how they do it.

They also have Brothers. I have a fear—I know that their numbers are dwindling. There is something different about our LV Program living in community with the Brothers, working with the Brothers and becoming family with the Brothers. That is different. That’s not living with 6 lay people, having your own budgets and maybe eating dinner together.

There is something different and really organic about that. There is reason why La Salle brought the Brothers into his home to do that. As much as we are going to create new communities, I don’t want us to lose sight of that. Chaz (Brother Charles Kitson) is my Brother and I don’t want us to loose sight of the importance and the uniqueness of that. This is the only program in the US that I know of where lay people, women, can live in community with religious men. It is extremely valuable. You can’t replicate that. You men know that!

Marilyn Paquette, ‘99-01

Alternative Community

I lived in an alternative community where there were no Brothers. There were former LVs, myself and Tiffany. We both worked at schools with Brothers. Part of the element that kept us connected was common faith, knowing that we were praying morning prayer and evening prayer. Even if we weren’t going to mass together, we knew we were all going. We shared that connection.

Common faith and how that connects the Volunteers—just knowing that on the other side of the country another community is praying for the same common Mission, of educating the poor, of educating those in need, to build up the Mission—to know that that support and foundation is there builds people up.

Ramon Rivera, ‘02-03

Responsibility of Alums in Future Communities

One day there will be Lasallian communities where there are no Brothers. But us Lasallian Volunteers have lived with Brothers, have participated in the community socials weekly and the daily prayers. It is our responsibility to stay connected with community and really push for that. It is easy to take the prayer and push it off to the side, or take social events and really get caught up in the intensity of life. But it is important to have a set daily community structure. You wake up, have prayer, go to school, come home, have dinner. You place importance on the community aspects. It is not certain people. It is: All the people in the community have gotten together and said this is what we want to do and come to it committed. We can do that. We have to get the ball going and keep it rolling.

Kelly Botto, ’05-07

Structure

The reality is that we can’t do the work without the community. Some days when I came home from work the last thing I wanted to do it was go say a prayer or sit for four hours at dinner . It was an expectation and you knew that you had to do it. But honestly, by the end of the night, my community members had lifted me up and helped my spirits. It was the discipline of the Brothers. Morning prayer, evening prayer and dinner are solid in the foundation for the Lasallian Mission. Even if a Brother is not present, pushing that discipline is a huge piece.

Erica Bettwy, ‘03-05