Lasallians from across the Region gathered and attended the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress from March 13 – 17, 2014, in Anaheim, CA, which also served as an opportunity for some current Lasallian Volunteers and alumni to come together. Fifteen Brothers in various stages of initial formation attended the LA Congress for the Brothers in Initial Formation Spring Workshop, where the De La Salle Brothers had a vocations exhibit booth at the event that promoted the Brothers, Lasallian education, and the LVs.
Current and Former LVs at the 2014 LA Congress
The full Lasallian group also included lay Lasallians and 12 members of the Regional Vocation Formation Committee (RVFC), who also held a meeting March 16 – 17. This combination of Lasallian presence at the LA Congress was a chance to promote vocations and highlight the Lasallian world, including distribution of posters of St. John Baptist de La Salle, the patron saint of teachers.
Shannon Guscetti, first-year LV at San Miguel High School in Tucson, AZ, realizes the importance of sharing the idea with others that doing a year of service and being Catholic is a good thing that can present interesting opportunities. “I feel the LVs are showing people what it means to be a Lasallian, and we are spreading the beliefs of De La Salle in a fun and exciting way to everyone,” she wrote.
With a theme of Hope: A World Afire!, the more than 40,000 total LA Congress participants attended various sessions and listened to national and international speakers address topics related to religious education and the Church at large. Sponsored by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles Office of Religious Education, the workshops and masses were held in multiple languages and included numerous cultural influences. The exhibit area hosted hundreds of exhibit booths, each showcasing resources available for the attendees and their ministries.