The Spirit of Association
Excerpts from a reflection on the Lasallian Women’s Symposium, April 2012-Thailand by Emily Vogel, De La Salle Institute, Chicago. It was March 26th and an unusually blah Monday-until I was stopped in my tracks with an invitation to go to Thailand. I practically said yes before even knowing what the trip was for, and after soaking in the words “Lasallian Women’s Symposium” I began to teem with excitement. The rush to finalize travelling plans haltered my ability to even imagine the impact this gathering might have on my personal life or the Lasallian Mission as a whole. As I took my steps on the plane to depart Chicago, I started to realize that something big was about to happen. On our way to Pattaya, we picked up a number of women from the airport. The two-hour ride was filled with typically first conversations about where we were from, our positions in our schools, and a lot of giggling-the kind that only women are able to share. We were also entertained by the enthusiasm of our driver, Br. Stephen, who was more than elated to have the honor of accompanying a vanload of women on our journey! We joined 48 women from around the Pacific-Area Region and five Christian Brothers. In Br. Alvaro’s opening address, his words sent goose bumps to my skin when he affirmed the role of women by speaking of the maternal behavior of God found in Scripture, noting that over 50% of the adults currently serving in the worldwide mission are women.
Trish Carroll, Director of Lasallian Educational Services for PARC, and the Foundress of the Symposium, gave a riveting presentation on the role women played in St. La Salle’s life. As she spoke of his grandmother, mother, sisters, the women of the Scripture, and the various religious women he befriended along the way. How was it that in my 20 years of Lasallian education (as student and professional) have I barely heard these profound stories of such wise, strong women?
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gathering with these Lasallian women and the support of the Brothers present gave me a much needed jolt of hope-for our Church, for our Lasallian Mission, and for society as a whole
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The women and Brothers were all smiles as we learned new songs and dances, and marveled at the beautiful and various traditional dress from Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Africa, and the Philippines-just to name a few. Alisa, Br. Charlie and I shared the American pastime of baseball and “Take Me out to the Ballgame” (legend attributes the “Seventh Inning Stretch” to Br. Jasper from Manhattan College). There are many reasons why I’ve allowed the Lasallian Mission to guide my life, and one of them is the innovation and the spirit of Association that is alive in the Lasallian family. Gathering with these Lasallian women and the support of the Brothers present gave me a much needed jolt of hope-for our Church, for our Lasallian Mission, and for society as a whole.
Emily Vogel at the Lasallian Women’s Symposium playing an icebreaker game with a Sri Lankan nun.
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There is much work to be done in our Church and in our Lasallian Mission, but the Spirit will no doubt continue to guide us in ways that we can’t even imagine right now. I’m eternally grateful for the open arms of the Christian Brothers who have truly become “Divine siblings” for me and I’m certain that our celebrated Association as Lasallians will continue to foster positive change and growth in our church and our world.