Over a Lifetime
God’s Dream for Our Lasallian Family Developing in My Imagination.
Ed Phelan, FSC | March 2026
For years, I have had a dream for the Lasallian future that has been taking root in me and in seed communities across the world.
It is mirrored in my 25+ year experience at the Bedford Park Lasallian Community in the Bronx, NY. Superior General Brother Armin Luistro at the Lasallian Center in Rome calls a similar dream the One La Salle Movement. We are all a modest light in the shadow of a big, dark, seemingly unchangeable bridge.
Kieanna Rebers 2024
One day, I woke from a most important dream in which I was…pregnant.
Very fascinating. In the dream, I had a sense of glee and pride as I told friends I was expecting. They seemed excited as well. I felt my abdomen and could detect a slight bulge. I had no concern in the dream about whether this was appropriate — I had only excitement. And it didn’t take long for something to became clear to me — this was my deepest self expressing its burning desire.
I needed to birth something in order to:
1) Utilize feminine strengths of love, care, concern, and compassion
2) Bring a new vision from within me to life
3) Improve the world around me
I must always remember, as in the dream, I was not alone but surrounded by family, friends, and coworkers. It was the Lasallian Family. That dream occurred on the morning of April 18, 2009, while attending a yoga retreat in Goshen, NY. In the years that followed, I came to understand that God resides in my deepest self as She does in all of us and that my excitement in that dream was meeting the Spirit of God. God speaks through us to our world. God’s dream for our Lasallian Family was and is developing in my imagination. Imagine that!
I recently realized that almost everything I have written since 2009 is in a particular direction or a dream I have for the future of our Lasallian Family. These pieces can be:
- one or two page thoughts
- reflections on notable individuals in the Lasallian Family
- assignments for international gatherings
- speeches at workshops
- reflections at seminars
- my self-published book My Third Half
- homilies at friends’ funerals
I never seem to tire of this dream or be discouraged at its delay in fully showing itself to me. There are always signs of progress. Patience and surrender are important.
So I am forever pregnant with a vision of what our Lasallian Family is called to by God. Many details or facets of that vision are below via links to my writings in connection to this dream. They have emerged from within me where my god dwells, and therefore it is God’s dream also.
But I am not alone.
A small model of our Bedford Park Lasallian Community featuring pine cones for shingles.
The essence of my dream for the Lasallian future…
…to help new life flourish.
It involves change on many levels, affecting all of us as individuals and families.
- Why should we change?
- Who should be involved?
- Does it involve spirituality?
- Who has been left out or minimized in the process over the years?
- What is our theory of change, and what holds us back?
- Is the family moving together toward change as a group?
- Are we not all change agents?
- Could it be our “call” in today’s world?
- Who will carry on the change into the future?
A Critical Question
To what extent has the universe, that surrounds and calls us, changed dramatically, making it difficult for us to keep up with it, to engage it, and to use it to benefit our mission?
As we face this new universe, we must remember:
We Are God’s Family in Service to Her People.
Building strong and connected families among our neighbors is the passion of women and men who share their lives in the extensive Bedford Park Community here in the Bronx. We are young college graduates, partners in the Lasallian mission, De La Salle Christian Brothers, and at times refugees and more.
We are far from perfect, but we have proven that this model of the Lasallian community works in these times and has promise for the future. There is a Presence beyond each of us that has inspired this community to prosper. We have discerned a style of community oriented to the future — one that places us close to the peripheries where the South Bronx’s vulnerable, struggling, and blessed families live. (Our Intentional Community 10/20/22)
Lasallian Vocation
The vocation of a Lasallian (someone dedicated to the mission set forth by Saint John Baptist de La Salle) is a heartfelt response. It is in response to the needs of vulnerable families and individuals. And in response to the God who calls through them. Initially felt within us, this vocational calling links us with many others as this one family. Originally limited to the Catholic order of the De La Salle Christian Brothers, since Vatican II (1962-1965) the global members have grown to include women and men of all ages, customs, and religions in a diverse expression of one call. Each vocational response is woven into a seamless garment of association for the Lasallian mission, characterized by human development and education. Meeting human needs is a Lasallian’s Gospel call.
We journey as a family on a pilgrimage. It is a movement, not an acquired status. All Lasallians realize that change is a constant on this journey — a sign of God alive within us. We welcome God’s dream for us as it develops within each of us and in our family around the world. (Lasallian Vocation 11/14/18)
With heartfelt reflection and years of experience, we grow to understand that our call is first and foremost from the God who loves us unreservedly. We are in love with God and driven to bring about the reign of God in our world. The traditional distinctions in our family will be blurred for the sake of family unity and to achieve more in the mission. Constant dual references “Brothers and partners” will grow non-dually into oneness as a family.
The migration of the Brothers’ historic role in the halls of the schools has become more affirming, supportive, and spiritual, and less that of a front-office leader, head of department, full-time classroom teacher, and coach. (Lasallian Planning Retreat 2014)
Our Vocation is in Service…
With the Poor
For many years, the Lasallian mission proclaimed “in service to the poor,” but was changed in the early 2000s to the more apt “in service with the poor.” In February 2014, the International Symposium of Young Lasallians, a subset within the Lasallian family, met in Rome to discuss their mission in the world today. Sarah Laitinen, a teacher from Rhode Island, suggested the “with.”
“We at San Miguel are always asking parents what they think is needed for their children,” Sarah said. “They are invited to tutor or coach, or just spend quality time with our boys.” She described the San Miguel mission as serving “with” the families instead of “to” the families, and repeated Pope Francis’ call for authentic collaboration with the poor. See: Lessons from the Street 9/30/2015
It’s a Great Alliance
The Lasallian Star Alliance
When an advertisement in the late 1990s for United Airlines proclaimed they were part of a “Star Alliance,” it hit me like a bolt. My whole life has been spent in the Lasallian Star Alliance: the one formed in the 1690s, that is, long before United Airlines and the possibility of human flight was ever heard of. (Lasallian Star Alliance 4/7/2014)
Our Lasallian Star Alliance:
- reaches every corner of the world through human and Christian education
- has doubled in breadth and depth since I was born in 1940
- has seen over a thousand locations across the world
- at one point reached 80,000 Lasallian women and men serving a million students and adults every day of the year
A group like ours, who have run schools and organizations, are called to love, embrace, and make our “new normal.” The “old normal” is gone forever. It’s been an earthquake in slow motion, and without any warning or preparation. We were like the crowd in the desert for 40 years, watching their members die and wishing they could go back to Egypt. There is no going back — think Jung’s regressive restoration of persona, which refers to a psychological and spiritual temptation to return to a false, immature sense of self rather than embracing the transformation required for spiritual growth.
It seems that endarkenment (a descent into ignorance, chaos, or pathological disorientation in society) is here rather than enlightenment.
We Are God’s Lovers
When Lasallians from all over the world gathered in Rome for six weeks in 2011, Charlie was in their midst. One writing activity involved each participant anonymously answering the question. This was his response.
The responses were put in a hat and later pulled randomly. Heather Ruple Gilson picked Charlie’s from the hat and soon realized the author. She kept the memento on her desk where the ink gradually faded in the California sun.
We lean on Her advice, enjoy Her gifts, live in the dark, and befriend the dragons.
Charlie Kitson came to me in a dream:
“Step back and get the big picture. See the direction God wants. Don’t be thrown off or distracted. Review, refresh, and be courageous in the face of the odds. Remember not to fall into the trap of any negativity. Our very weaknesses are our strengths.”
(Association A Feminine Incarnation 8/8/2019)
It’s not all up to us. Gifts and grace are given to us by the One who loves us and invites us to be our best. (The Spirit at Work 1/23/2015)
From the first moment God declared “Let there be light,” scripture christened light as holy and condemned the darkness. The message seems to be: “If you are in the dark, you are not with God.” But darkness was often the setting for humanity’s best encounters with the divine: God appeared to Abraham in the night and promised him descendents to be more numerous that the stars; the exodus from Egypt happened at night; God met Moses in the thick darkness atop Mount Sinai to hand down the Ten Commandments; and Jesus resurrected in the darkness of a cave. .
(Dark is Not Dark to You 7/14/2016)
The dragons in our lives are not out to destroy us but rather to inspire us to be our true selves. They are our constant companions.
You
accept me
as an equal
in love.
Nothing I can do
will make you love me more,
and nothing I can do
will make you love me less.
Wow.
I am one with you,
and your Christ lives in me as me.
You are the energy of every cell of my being.
And even more,
you are the flow of energy
willingly allowed and exchanged
without requiring payment in return.
You are the Source of me and in me.
I am
because
we are.
Help me be that source each day for this world.
It’s the divine flow.
I am you here,
and both of us are delighted.
It is My Lifelong Dreams
I am reminded of the love affair between Rick and Lisa in the 1942 film Casablanca. They are physically separated by the events of war, but will never be so in their hearts. Similarly, Anima — my lifelong dream friend seen above as a pencil sketch I created at a retreat — and I will never be separated by anything because she is my dream. She visits me at night from the deepest recesses of my unconscious. She is as real as those angels who visited Joseph and Mary to advise their “Yes.” See: Falling in Love in the Third Half of Life 5/20/20
There is also a statue called Adsum (which means “I am here”) that is close to me every day. It has reminded me of Mary’s response to the Angel’s invitation in her dream. With time and the thought of Mary’s deep love for her God (and vice versa), it became for me the feminine face of God—that is, the open, unlimited, unrestricted love that God has for me. See: Association: A Feminine Incarnation 2019
The Lasallian Volunteers Program
By 1990, a new movement emerged across the United States composed of young women and men who traditionally might be considered members of non-residential communities, yet now requested to live in the intentional communities of the De La Salle Christian Brothers. See: Our Nets Wide and Deep 8/2013
They Are Daring Women
After graduation from college, these Lasallians — like Heather Ruple — left their home, their friends, and their familiar surroundings to go to faraway places. They lived in Christian Brothers’ communities, survived on a small stipend, and worked with families and children who had been ignored by society. Through this, they found real community, warm camaraderie, a sense of adventure. See: The Ruple Effect 3/4/2016
Heather has become a go-to example of how Lasallian women are daring greatly today.
As an early volunteer for the Christian Brothers, this one courageous woman, Betsy, worked with boys at La Salle Academy on the Lower East Side of Manhattan from 1983 to 1985. See: Women: Getting and Giving More and More 2014
Co-members of the Lasallian mission are similar to the young men De La Salle accepted into his house and later into the first Brothers’ (aka Lasallian) communities. They first commit to teaching and, over time, begin to sense that God is involved in this interest.
Later, they come to understand they have a vocational calling to do this work. These co-members do not desire religious life and are not attracted to it. What they seek is to live in community and communion for the mission. That’s quite a different reality than religious life. These shared communities, the seed of new life, the hope of refoundation, the fragile new alternative, the new Phoenix — they all need a great deal of attention to survive and to reverse the decline in Lasallian vocation since the 1950s. See: For Now and Forever 9/2012
To give these shared communities such attention, we the Lasallian Family must:
- listen to their needs and dreams
- make a plan
- make it easy for groups to form and flourish
- get the larger Lasallian community to support with assets and resources
- form a structure to link the smaller communities together to create critical mass and share common learning
See: Imagine the Future 1/8/08
Imperceptibly, God, their brothers, and their students affect them so deeply that they begin to regard their life and work as a vocation. Those affiliated with the Lasallian Volunteers make an annual promise or commitment to associate with one another to accomplish the mission.
As their numbers increase, their training expands, their enthusiasm for mission and communion grows. They are fast becoming co-members of the De La Salle Christian Brothers and should be counted as such. At a time when they are treated as equals and counted as members, the mission will benefit, community life will prosper, and the downward trend in numbers will flatten.
We Can Change.
Continue to broaden our understanding of mission beyond the traditional roles in schools and institutions; that is, commitment to people with low incomes and disenfranchised wherever they are via ministry of presence; spiritual caring for adults, etc. “Broaden” is not “replace”; it’s a bigger picture. The charism remains, but the apostolic works may change according to needs. An institute should be creative and always seek new paths (from Brother Álvaro Rodrígues Echeverría, FSC, 2022 Christmas letter).
I learned that customers or community residents should be involved in all planning, serve on the board, and evaluate all programs. Creativity, risk, flexibility, and “go with the flow” are the secrets to success. Results and outcomes are the keys to being a high-performing organization and to earning the trust of foundations, states, and individual donors. And in the words of this university, “never stop exploring.”
See: To Change the World, speech for honorary doctorate at La Salle University 10/5/2008
Welcome, recognize, and affirm a process for members of our district to generate creative ideas to improve how we advance our mission, DENA services, relationships with other districts, and our public image, etc.
This might be achieved by inviting willing members to meet in small groups to generate one idea they think would improve our district.
PR Campaign to put forth the extraordinary stories of our members who have served in deeply troubled areas of the world and clear the way for those reading the stories to do similarly. What might be the role for Lasallian elders who have the age, insight, spirituality, wisdom, and gifts to assist us with directions in the dark? See: Lasallian Planning Retreat 2014
My Theory of Change
In the center of this chart are events, experiences, conversions, transitions, connections, and inspirations that happen to us individually and in circles after we join the Lasallian Family. Moving up the chart is a lifelong pursuit of learning and holiness for each of us. It is what happened to our Biblical ancestors in the desert. It is how we can change individually.
Along the left side, groups move from communion to solidarity and interdependence as they expand their membership and become more collaborative, creative, and committed. It is how we can change as small groups and teams.
Along the right side, groups affect Lasallian institutions. In “cooperation”, institutions exchange information and encourage each other. In “coordination”, institutions help one another achieve their respective objectives. A high school might distribute flyers in town regarding the new San Miguel School. In “collaboration”, institutions work together to create a new work or entity that complements both their missions. A high school might recruit teachers and fundraise for a special after-school tutoring program for their students who live in a poor section of town and who graduated from the San Miguel School there. It is how we can change as institutions.
Refoundation – Theory of Change 6/28/2000
We Embrace Our Shadow.
Organizational shadow is a term that describes aspects of an organization that it doesn’t admit to having.
These aspects are hidden and can prevent the organization from functioning in a healthy, productive way. But rather than hiding them, it’s important to bring them to light so that the organization can be more honest with itself and more functional.
Carl Jung used the term “shadow” in relation to individuals and describes all the aspects they can’t face. As a result, the person represses those traits and projects them onto others. Angry people see anger everywhere, while victims see injustice everywhere, for instance.
The same holds for organizations. Embracing and understanding this shadow can help them change for the better.
Some of our traditional Lasallian values can become part of the shadow, even though they are rich and powerful.
In some cases, the values are deeply held over many years, such as the dominant decision making role of religious men in the family. But holding those values too tightly — especially when the needs of youth and the membership of the family have changed — is not holding tradition. It is holding traditionalism — wanting to maintain tradition simply to resist change.
Embracing our organizational shadow can help us become a better family.
Shadow Thinking…
“Humility prevents us from sharing God talk, or God’s influence in our daily lives, except in special circumstances.”
Can Become…
“We can take pride in speaking honestly about God and ourselves. We are weak and vulnerable, and that may be our greatest strength. It takes courage, compassion, and connection to be vulnerable. This vulnerability is the door to innovation, creativity, and change.”
Shadow Thinking…
“Our identity is in what we do.”
Can Become…
“Our identity is in who we are.”
Shadow Thinking…
“If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing perfectly.”
Can Become…
“If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing poorly — a spirituality of imperfection. Waiting for ideal conditions is rarely an option.”
Shadow Thinking…
“We call good managers good leaders.”
Can Become…
“Potential leaders are everywhere in our organization.”
Shadow Thinking…
“Mission preservation in our Lasallian institutions today is principally in the hands of board members and presidents. Power and control are important.”
Can Become…
“Mission preservation is the responsibility of every Lasallian. With people with low incomes: trusting them, learning from them, and allowing them to be in charge. They are active participants in their own lives—not merely recipients of our largesse.”
See: In the Light of Our Shadow: Brothers Daring Greatly to Refound Themselves (7/2016)
We Are ALL
ONE LA SALLE.
In 2023, Superior General Br. Armin Luistro and his council announced the reorganization of the governance of the Lasallian family or institute, which they called the One La Salle Governance Model.
Their macro-level plan aligns with my micro-level vision.
God’s dream is rising at the center of the family and on the streets of the Bronx. Take, for example, the question “why change?”
One La Salle encourages our family to become:
A Thinking One, by…
Inviting every Lasallian to be an agent of transformation — a leaven for a fraternal world.
Creating a space for Lasallians to participate in building God’s reign of justice, peace, and integral ecology.
A Feeling One, by…
Overcoming fears and daring to go to the fringes.
Embracing the prospects of those in the minority groups and the periphery to stand in solidarity with them.
Stimulating a more soulful and purposeful approach in the ministry as opposed to just work or obligations that need to be done.
A Doing One, by…
Igniting creative and innovative initiatives that address society’s underserved, fragile, and vulnerable persons and communities.
Encouraging initiatives and projects that promote a faith that does justice in every way possible.
Promoting individuals and communities to live a prophetic lifestyle and witness to the gospel.
In The End . . .
We are all called to find God’s Dream for our Lasallian Family, developing in our personal and family imagination over a lifetime.
— Ed
