In His 2023 Montini Lecture, Brother Robert Schieler, FSC Calls for Reinvention in Community
A "change of era": Drawing on decades of Lasallian documents, the former Superior General of the Brothers of the Christian Schools suggests that the future of Lasallian education lies in collaboration between "laity and Brothers."
Several years ago, Brother Robert Schieler FSC had an epiphany in the desert.
While visiting College Saint Marc’s in Alexandria, one of six Lasallian schools in Egypt, Brother Robert expected to first meet other Lasallian Brothers like himself. To his surprise, the first people he was introduced to were maintenance workers and bus drivers, followed by the educators. In fact, at that time, there were no Brothers on staff or faculty in any capacity.
A Lasallian school without any Brothers: for Brother Robert, it represented a profound “change of era,” one that required considerable attention. “Ours is a time for re-reading our Lasallian story,” he shared during his recent Montini Lecture, presented on March 23, 2023. “The teachers at Saint Marc’s are an example of the space and time we Lasallians have been offered… to know our deep story and re-read it for the vitality of the charism today.”
Brother Robert’s insights carry particular weight for the Lasallian community. He was elected Superior General of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, serving from 2014-2022, and served as General Councilor for the Lasallian Region of North America (RELAN) in the seven years prior. Drawing on extensive documents from recent General Chapters—the gathering of Lasallian leaders that occurs every seven years, where they evaluate their Institute and elect the next Superior Genera— Brother Robert’s lecture explored the Lasallian global educational mission since Vatican II.
"Renewal, refoundation, transformation, whatever label we choose, it has to happen in community."
More and more, he argued, the work envisioned by John De La Salle is happening in partnership with laypeople, not just by Brothers. “The location of a vibrant charism is not in Rome or in a District but in the heart of each person and at the heart of each community,” Brother Robert contended. “Renewal, refoundation, transformation, whatever label we choose, it has to happen in community, whether communities of Brothers or communities of laity and Brothers.”
The Montini Fellowship was established in 2008 by The Bishop John S. Cummins Institute for Catholic Thought, Culture, and Action. It spotlights individuals who have contributed significantly to Catholic higher education and the Catholic intellectual tradition.
To hear Brother Schieler’s lecture in full, be sure to watch the video below.
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