Empowering Young Leaders: Young Lasallians Journey in 2024

At the beginning of 2024 we, the Lasallian Mission Services team, set out on the journey to empower young people to live as Disciples of Jesus Christ in today’s world through the unique and wholesome experience of retreats and formation events. Starting the year off with our annual Lasallian Student Leadership Seminar (LSLS) where student leaders from all across our Lasallian District of ANZPPNG gathered together in preparation for the year ahead. LSLS provided student leaders with a place where they could connect and form friendships with other Lasallian students, as well as learn from each other through their own individual experiences, perspectives, and communities, further providing these young students with the opportunity to grow in Service, Faith and Community. One of the fundamental aims of LSLS is to equip young leaders with the skills and tools necessary to develop their leadership capacity in order to lead in their school communities throughout the year. During LSLS the LMS team as well as our Lasallian Youth Ministers conducted workshops that focused on training up the young leaders in public speaking and communication. 

Towards the middle of the term, the Young Lasallian Youth Ministers gathered online for their first Campfire of 2024 to touch base with each other. Campfire gatherings are an opportunity for our Youth Ministers to come together to reflect on their own work in their schools as well as an opportunity to offer each other words of encouragement, advice and wisdom. Likewise, our young Lasallian school leaders from across our district gathered online for Checkpoint 1 to discuss how they have implemented the skills and tools gained at LSLS into their roles as leaders in their schools. Both Lasallian Checkpoints and Campfires are often thought provoking and faith enriching, enabling ongoing connection and dialogue within our interconnected Lasallian community. 

Throughout the Term 1 calendar, the team was also fortunate to be involved in different school communities to run a variety of themed retreats for Stage 4-6 students. All of our retreats are designed to be a guide for our Lasallian students to strengthen their Spirituality and live out the Gospel in their own lives. Here is a list of where the team have been sent:

De La Salle College, Malvern
De La Salle College, Revesby
Holy Trinity School, Inverell
James Sheahan Catholic High School, Orange
La Salle Catholic College, Bankstown
La Salle College, Middle Swan
O’Connor Catholic College, Armidale
Southern Cross Catholic College, Scarborough
St Aloysius College, Cronulla
St John’s Regional College, Dandenong
St Philomena’s Catholic School, Moree

Source: Oliver Bautista and Emilia Nicholas