Together, we make our world a better place

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 of the Bronx. We are young college graduates, partners in the Lasallian mission, De La Salle Christian Brothers, and (from time to time) refugees.

Some live together under one roof, and more live in surrounding neighborhoods. Some identify as Christians, and others practice a wide variety of religions; some practice no religion. Some remain for a limited time, and others are here for life. Some leave to become Lasallian educational partners across the US, and others go on to teach or meet other human needs. Some meet lifelong partners, marry, and raise a family here.

Change is everywhere, yet our community continues to thrive year after year.

We call it fixed unfolding.

We use our God-given energy to make our world a better place for those in need. We meet our neighborhood families ‘ Christian and human needs through our work in schools, colleges, or community agencies. Old-fashioned neighborliness also means a lot to us. We help families transform their lives and are transformed by them.

“I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be, and you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be…”
Martin Luther King, Jr.

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.

Our Center House on Marion Ave. is the gathering place or hub for other Lasallians near and far – the extended community. All are welcome to our table, chapel, and living room for prayer, food, talk, and encouragement. We hope to become a vibrant center house for these women and men – a place of refreshment and vocational nourishment. In this way, we are a community of communities in our area of New York City – one for many.

We have discerned a style of community orientated to the future—one that places us close to the peripheries where the South Bronx’s vulnerable, struggling, and blessed families live.

Brothers of our area of the United States are passing from what once was numerical visibility to the visibility of yeast. It is a profound honor for today’s Brothers to live and work with many Lasallians to realize the reign of God in today’s world and thus continue the work first begun by De La Salle.

In the months ahead, we will seek to determine the extent of intentional communities in our region’s Lasallian family. We expect to find many related non-residential groups organized for similar purposes in this family.