Lasallian Youth Link
An Official OSA publication
Volume 1
Issue 16
NOVEMBER 2003


THIS MONTH
WORLD HUNGER
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
A REUNION
PRAYER
A THOUGHT
SONG
TALK TO US


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---  THIS MONTH
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100 years of sterling service

On Monday, St John's Co-Cathedral was packed to capacity. The hundreds
who attended the Pontifical Mass by Archbishop Mercieca wanted to join
the De La Salle Brothers in their celebrations marking the centenary of
their arrival in Malta after they were expelled from France, the country
of their founder's origin.

The De La Salle order is synonymous with education and the formation of
youths, which was and still is, the principal mission of the society
founded by St John Baptist de La Salle in the 17th century.

On their arrival among us in 1903 the Freres, as they are more commonly
known, opened a school in Cospicua and, a few months later, another in
Sliema. The Cottonera school was attended mostly by boys from the Three
Cities and from towns in the Harbour area who were preparing to sit for
the highly competitive Dockyard apprentices' examination.

The Brothers enjoyed an excellent reputation for their ability not only
to provide a wholesome formation but also to prepare students
academically. Today the Brothers run three schools which are attended by
some 3,000 pupils and students: St Benild's in Sliema and two colleges,
one in Cottonera and the other in Gzira. They also have a "house of
formation" at Mellieha, used mainly for spiritual retreats.

For many years the Christian Brothers were also closely associated with
teacher training. Just after the war, in 1947, the De La Salle Brothers
were entrusted by the government with the important task of training
prospective male teachers. They opened the first training college in St
George's Bay, St Julian's, later moving to the newly built premises at
Ta' Giorni.

During the 25 years or so they were in charge, the Brothers led by the
formidable Br Leo Barrington, gave excellent service to the community by
preparing hundreds of would-be teachers academically and at the same
time instilling in them a love for moral principles.

No doubt they would have continued to do so had the Mintoff-led Labour
government in the mid-Seventies not decided to close down St Michael's
Teacher Training College as well as Mater Admirabilis Teacher Training
College for Women, run by the Sisters of the Sacred Heart; a decision
which, many argue, has had an adverse effect at least on one aspect of
the teachers' formation and, indirectly, on that of the children.

The people of these Islands owe the De La Salle Brothers a debt of
gratitude. The good that they have done during the past 100 years just
cannot be measured. In these difficult times for clergy and religious
here as elsewhere, while thanking the De La Salle members for their
sterling service to the community, one augurs that the Brothers will
continue to dedicate their lives to the well being of our children,
inspired by their great founder who, in a Papal Bull dated May 15, 1950,
was proclaimed by Pius XII "heavenly patron of all teachers of both
sexes, clerical and lay, whether actually engaged in teaching or
preparing for the profession".

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--- WORLD HUNGER
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World growing hungrier, says UN

Nearly 800 million malnourished people live in the developing world

The United Nations food agency has warned that world hunger is rising
again, despite international efforts to reduce poverty.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) annual report says nearly
850 million people go to bed hungry every night, mainly in Africa and Asia.

The number of undernourished people is climbing by 5 million a year, it
says.

The agency warns that the UN goal of halving world hunger by 2015 is
looking increasingly remote.

The FAO report, entitled The State Of Food Insecurity In The World 2003,
calls the latest figures a "setback in the war against hunger".

It says that according to the most recent available figures from 1999 to
2001, there are 842 million chronically hungry people in the world.

The overwhelming majority of them, 798 million, are in the developing
world.

Political will

While the numbers of undernourished people went down in Latin America,
the Caribbean, and Asia and the Pacific region, they continue to
increase in sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and North Africa.


UN report on world hunger 2003
The agency said it was time for nations to ask themselves why millions
of people went hungry in a world that produces more than enough food.

"Bluntly stated, the problem is not so much a lack of food as a lack of
political will," said the report.

FAO director-general Jacques Diouf said in the report's foreword that
countries that succeeded in reducing hunger were characterised by faster
economic growth, especially in the agricultural sector.

The report pointed to some encouraging signs, such as Brazilian
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's Zero Hunger project, which aims to
eliminate hunger in Brazil by 2007.

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---Papua New Guinea
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Bro. Marc Hofer recently shared the following experience with us.  We
are sure you will learn something new from it!!


Before going to the Philippines I had the wonderful opportunity to
discover a little bit the reality of the Institute in Papua New Guinea:

- the Youth Development Center for "dropouts" where they learn a trade,
- the Teaching Training College for young people who prepare themselves
to serve the youth mostly in very remote villages,
- the Jubilee High School where I met a group of students who are willed
to build a more just and human and less "corrupt" society,
- the Secondary School in the village "Mun" where I participated in a
recollection day that was very well organized and animated by the
Postulant Johnson and his formator,
- the La Salle High School in Bomana where the Brothers are still
members of the Administration Board, etc.

Unfortunately, a privileged social class benefits mostly from the
exploitation of the natural wealth and resources of this "Paradise".
Many youngsters leave the countryside in order to make a better living
in towns. Sometimes they do not have jobs and get involved in
"robberies" in order to survive in one way or another.

During my stay in the Philippines I had the opportunity to participate
in the well organized encounter of Bro. Superior General and his Council
with all the religious Superiors of the PARC-Region. Two key words
underlined our reflections and discussions:
- "viability"  of communities, of Delegations, of Sub-Districts, and of
Districts and
- "vitality" of the Lasallian Educational Mission throughout the
PARC-Region.

After this important meeting, I enjoyed very much my stay in the
international novitiate of the PARC-Region where I animated meetings for
the first year group and the second year group. I had the opportunity to
meet personally most of the staff members and of the novices who are
coming from Papa New Guinea, Singapore, Thailand, Myanmar, Philippines,
Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka. The District of Vietnam has its own
Novitiate.

During the next few days I shall attend the Assembly of the "Unione
Superiori Generali" with Bro. Alvaro, Superior General. During this
Assembly we shall deepen mainly the issue of inter-religious dialogue in
today's world.



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--- A REUNION
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Dockyard workers' reunion

In October, 1953, a group of 65 boys, aged between 14 and 16, entered
the Admiralty Dockyard as fitter's apprentices.

Fifty years later last month, 35 of these boys, now senior citizens aged
between 64 and 65, on the initiative of Emmanuel Attard of Vittoriosa,
met again in a memorabke reunion to celebrate this event.

They gathered from every town and village at Buskett Gardens; one of
them even came from Gozo. Since the majority of the group were ex-De La
Salle students, the invitation and acceptance of the then rector of the
college, Br Dominic Rosso, was much welcomed.

After exchanging greetings over a cup of coffeee, a thanksgiving Mass St
Agatha's in Rabat was held, followed by dinner.

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--- PRAYER
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Prayer to Saint Matthew
(Patron of Accountants, bankers, money managers)
Dear Levi, now known as Matthew, you were first a publican, a
taxcollector, and then a gatherer of souls for Christ after immediately
following his call. Later you wrote worderful accounts for your Jewish
brethren of what Jesus, descendant of David, said and did as Teacher and
Savior.

Make all accountants imitate your example in giving careful and honest
accounts.


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--- THOUGHT
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How good it can feel
Pause for a moment and just think one thought. Think of how good it can
feel to be alive.

Yes, you can argue that life is ripe with pain, with discomfort and
dismay. Yet the only reason you even notice those things is because they
are exceptions to the rule.

In fact, when the skies turn gray and the world seems so cold, pause for
a moment and consider one thing. Consider how good it can feel to be alive.

Even on the down days, there is a goodness to life that cannot be
denied. Even on the down days, there is a part of you that knows the
troubles won't last forever.

Think of the people you love, the beauty you've seen, the faith and hope
that truly keep you going. And remember how incredibly good it can feel
to be alive.

Pause for a moment and put things in perspective. You have life, and it
can be so very good.


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--- SONG
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Shepherd Of My Soul

O thou in whose presence delighteth my soul    
 And whom in my distress I call
My comfort by day and my refuge by night      
          My stronghold whenever I fall


Shepherd of my soul I beg thee to tell        
  Where thou keepest thy sheep to rest
For why should I roam in the valley of tears        
    And wander as one who is lost


I ask thee to tell me daughters of Zion       
  Have ye seen the one I adore
I seek him in vain in the night of my soul           
   But how I can find him no more


Shepherd of my soul I shall follow thee       
  O how sweet thy voice is to me
So guide me and lead me and show me the way    
 My only desire is thee


I am my beloved's and He is mine                        
He calleth me sister and spouse
O how do I long for the day we shall wed                
In heaven in His father's house

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--- TALK TO US!
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We would like to take this opportunity to wish you all and your
families a very a happy and peaceful Christmas.

The next Youth Link will be sent between Christmas and New Year.



Peace

Ivan , Mark and David.