stilll a Proud Lasallian...

I’m Still Proud Being A Lasallian. I Truly Am.


It was inevitably. Everyone who walks to the lobby of our Campus could clearly see the big banner, congratulating the Campus’ delegates to International Lasallian Youth Gathering and World Youth Day in Australia. The greatest gathering of youth, it says. “Great, another clever way of saying ‘leisure trip’ of those who call themselves ‘Lasallian’,” some might probably commented to that. And I hate it when I have to argue that it wasn’t a leisure trip. Not at all.

I am not going to spell out every details of what we did during the 2 weeks time in Australia. (Those who desperately want to know can either ask around the delegates, waiting for the Lasallian Formation where delegates will share the experience, or surf immediately to www.lasalle2.org or to Brother George’s from USA blog at georgevangrieken.blogspot.com for even more giant details of those days.)

One even once questioned me, “Just how significant do you think of your presence to those gatherings?” I was struck. Right, I’m not really that significant, am I? I said to myself. But then I realized it wasn’t about me being significant to the gatherings. It was those gatherings…being necessary to me. And in fact, they were not just necessary. They were of great magnitude. I needed to participate in those gatherings to, in the end, finding my significance. And I feel proud of myself because of it.

How can one not be? Being surrounded by more than 500 friends – Lasallians, Lasallistas – from 30* different nations from around the world, you can’t help but feel thrilled. I envied Lasallians from Lebanon, since they speak English, Arabic and French at the same time(!). I admire the hardwork volunteers from England, Australia and New Zealand have been doing in schools and students in Papua New Guinea. I was ashamed of myself to hear the stories of my fellow Lasallians from Bethlehem, Palestine, where they are tormented between one’s claim of a Promised Land, and one’s need of a homeland. I was proud to hear the bravery of Brothers and students from Sri Lanka, who take courage in hearing shotguns everyday during school time. I found myself in such awe because of the Vietnamese Lasallians from USA: their parents took unwanted pilgrimage to the States as refugees, and they are now might be caught in between two homelands, but find their home in our own Lasallian family.

Yes, I was proud. I am still proud. And I believe I’m not the only one who wish that every single one of us in this Universitas Katolik De La Salle Manado should also feel the same. After all, it’s our identity. Lasallians.



* Yep, there were only delegates from 30 countries – from among 80+ countries where the Lasallian family serves – were present in ILYG. Can you possibly imagine if all 80+ countries sent their delegates?

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my article, to be issued on my Campus' "DLS Link" August 2008 edition