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| St. John Baptist de La Salle abandoned his family home,
moved in with his teachers, renounced his position as Canon and wealth,
and formed the community that became known as the Brothers of the
Christian Schools. One of the first to emphasize classroom teaching
over individual instruction, he was named Patron of Teachers in 1950. |
| The
Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools is a Church-approved
society of male religious who do not take Holy Orders. "The purpose of
the Institute is to give a human and Christian education to the young,
especially the poor, according to the ministry which the Church has
entrusted to it."
Today, assisted by some 73,000 lay
colleagues, the Brothers teach over 900,000 students in over 60
districts in 80 countries. The first three 'Founding Brothers' in the
Philippines - Blimond Pierre, Aloysius Gonzaga, and Augusto Correge -
arrived in the Philippines from Europe on March 10, 1911. Together with
an additional six who arrived on June 16, 1911, the Brothers opened the
first La Salle school in the country in Paco, Manila.
Until
the mid-sixties, the Brothers in the Philippines constituted a
sub-district of the San Francisco District and, thereafter, up to 1970,
the Baltimore District. On February 2, 1970, the Philippine Province
became an independent District to be officially known as the De La Salle
Brothers - Philippine District. Myanmar is its only sub-district.
Brother Visitor is the official title of the head of a District of the
De La Salle Brothers while Brother 'Provincial' is sometimes used to
refer to the head of a District particularly for communications with
non-members of the Lasallian Family as this is the more commonly used
title in other religious congregations. For members of the Lasallian
Family, the preferred and official title is Brother Visitor." The Rule
of the Brothers of the Christian Schools defines the Brother Visitor as
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"...the guarantor of the unity and vitality of the
District. He is the one primarily responsible for the District and is
its principal animator. He exercises his authority as a major superior
in accordance with the norms of canon law, the legislation of the
Institute and the directives given by the District Chapter. |
| Brother
Visitor is at the service of his Brothers, ready to listen to them and
remaining in contact with them. He is careful to help each Brother to
develop his vocation. He promotes close cooperation between the Brothers
in order to help them carry out their mission more effectively in all
its aspects.
The Brother Visitor assigns the Brothers to
their communities and provides for the different posts of responsibility
according to the norms established by the District Chapter. He visits
the communities and ensures that the District remains in contact with
the Region and the Center of the Institute.
He admits
candidates to the Novitiate and also to the making of vows. It falls
within his competence to grant the authorizations specified in canon law
including the publication of writings on matters of religion or
morality."
The Philippine District has had eight Brother
Visitors elected for three-year terms starting in 1970 with Br. Justin
Lucian FSC who was the last Auxiliary Visitor from the Baltimore
District and the first Brother Visitor of the Philippine District. The
incumbent is Br. Edmundo Fernandez FSC. The photo
gallery gives the images and tenures of the Brother Visitors. |
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