Honoring the Christian Brothers for their dedicated service and commitment to the people of Philadelphia and throughout the world.

WHEREAS, The Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools (also known as the Christian Brothers, the Lasallian Brothers, the French Christian Brothers, or the De La Salle Brothers) is a Roman Catholic religious teaching order, founded by French Priest Saint Jean-Baptist de La Salle at Reims, France, in 1684 for the education of boys; and

WHEREAS, John Baptist de La Salle, as he became aware, by God’s grace, of the human and spiritual distress of “the children of the artisans and the poor” devoted himself to forming schoolmasters totally dedicated to teaching and to Christian education. John Baptist de La Salle, gave new meaning to education by making it accessible to the poor and offering it to all as a sign of the Kingdom and a means of salvation; and

WHEREAS, The congregation is now established on all continents. Besides teaching in elementary and secondary schools, the Brothers also have adapted to the needs of time and place and carry out a variety of ministries including social work, medicine, law and other fields, including socially responsible investments. In 1981, the order started a socially responsible investment service for Roman Catholic organizations. The service attempts to use its shareholdings to influence the way the companies in which it has invested operate; and

WHEREAS, The Lasallian Mission of the 21st Century is being and will continue to be carried forward by the Lasallian Family, individuals who “together and by association make the Gospel a living reality in the lives of young people and their families, especially the poor”; and

WHEREAS, For over 160 years, the Brothers have conducted the Lasallian educational ministry to the benefit of people living in Philadelphia, particularly at LaSalle University, a nationally recognized institution of higher learning. In November 2006, the Brothers, their friends and supporters gathered at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia to celebrate the story of St. La Salle and the lives of their Jubilarians who had a combined 1,000 years of service to the Philadelphia region and missions around the world. The celebration also served as a fundraiser for the Brothers’ newest initiative, the San Miguel School in Camden, New Jersey for at-risk urban youth; now therefore

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we honor the Christian Brothers for their dedicated service and commitment to the people of Philadelphia and throughout the world.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to the Christian Brothers in Philadelphia as evidence of the sincere sentiments of this legislative body.

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