A Meeting with Sister Graziella Lalande, CSC

in FORMATION
The Holy Cross Institute AT S T. E D WA R D ’ S U N I V E R S I T Y
S P R I N G 2 0 11
Forming a community of learning and practice for Holy Cross educators
IN MEMORIAM
Dear Friends,
We were all saddened at our loss of Brother Stephen Walsh, who
was called Home in January. I had the honor of working closely with
Brother Stephen Walsh on various projects of the Institute over the past
two years, and the privilege of meeting many of you either when Brother
Stephen and I visited various schools or when I offered retreats and
days of reflection for faculty and staff. On Feb. 1, the Holy Cross Institute
board of governors invited me to accept the position of interim executive
director of the HCI. Our hope is to continue the strong legacy that Brother
Stephen established in the priorities and works of the institute. Because
this newsletter was planned by him before his death, we decided to
publish it as he envisioned. Thank you for your continuing support and
involvement in the Holy Cross Institute.
– Brother Joel Giallanza, CSC
YOU MUST TAKE UP THIS WORK:
A Meeting with
Sister Graziella Lalande, CSC
n By Brother Joel Giallanza, CSC
While in Montréal, attending the celebration for
Brother André’s recent canonization, Brother Stephen
Walsh, CSC, and I had the privilege of spending
several hours and sharing a meal with Sister Graziella
Lalande, CSC. Graziella, a Sister of Holy Cross,
recently celebrated her 98th birthday; she is sharp,
energetic and witty. Sister Graziella entered Holy Cross
in 1940. For many years she was a professor of French
Literature at Collège Basile Moreau in Montréal, which
had been sponsored and administered by the Sisters.
Her ministries in Holy Cross have also included many
years in formation and administration.
Even with her professional accomplishments,
when Graziella’s name is mentioned in Holy Cross, it
is most associated with her study of and writings on Basil Moreau. She is the premier Moreau scholar in Holy Cross
today. Distinctive in her scholarship is that she is the first to explore Moreau’s spirituality and teaching through the
lens of education. As a professional educator herself, she recognized the significance of what Father Moreau had to
say about the type of pedagogy necessary for Holy Cross to have an impact on the complexities of providing a quality
education in 19th-century France. She has authored many booklets on various Moreau themes. Her book, Like a
Mighty Tree, is well known; her newest work (currently in French only), Who Are You, Basile Moreau?, was recently
published, expanding and bringing together revised editions of some earlier works.
(Continued on page 10)
ABOVE: An image of Sorin Oak was presented to Sister Graziella as gift of acknowledgment from the St. Edward’s community.
The Holy Cross Institute AT S T. E D W A R D ’ S U N I V E R S I T Y
EXCERPTS FROM AN ADDRESS TO
ST. EDWARD’S UNIVERSITY FACULTY BY
Brother Stephen Walsh, CSC
August 17, 2010
Last summer, I left for Rome where I was one of 55
delegates elected to the Congregation’s General Chapter,
a three-week policy meeting that defines the direction
of Holy Cross for the coming six years. At the General
Chapter, there was a concern for specific issues such as the
needs of the Haitian province whose residences, houses of
study and schools (the source of their income) were lost in
the 2010 earthquake. As a result, there emerged a profound
commitment to restructuring the Congregation worldwide
for more effective distribution of resources, to better realize
our congregational mission to renew the Christian faith,
to regenerate society, and, as Moreau said, to prepare the
world for “better times than ours” by a constant response
to the most pressing needs of the Church and society.
We know the story of Basil Moreau, the zealous priest
of post-revolutionary France who founded a religious
congregation of educators to restore faith and educational
opportunities in rural France. Within the first decade he
sent his best-qualified to the wilds of northern Indiana and
within another 10 years to the Bengal district of India,
now Bangladesh.
Though halfway round the world, the Bengal mission
can serve as a distant mirror in whose reflection we might
see ourselves more clearly and find insight into the global
perspective of Holy Cross. The early missionaries went to
Bengal more than 150 years ago, in the words of Moreau, to
“make God known, loved and served” by sharing the gospel
of Jesus, a challenging mission in a multicultural society
characterized by complex religious plurality. Today Bengal
is 89 percent Muslim and 9 percent Hindu, with less than
three-tenths of one percent of the population Catholic.
BELOW: Fishing boats in Shibsha River, Bangladesh.
When asked to whom preference should be shown,
Moreau specifically included those “who are not Catholic
or Christian … seeing in all only the image of God imprinted
within them like a sacred seal…” From the beginning, the
Holy Cross sense of evangelization was one of dialogue
and proclamation. Dialogue approached with an openness
to this new culture, a willingness to adapt and to allow
oneself to be transformed by mutual understanding — to
adapt but nevertheless to proclaim the values of the gospel
of Jesus through thought, word and deed.
In the early years, so many Holy Cross religious died
either in transit or within their first years that the Bengal
mission was known as the “Cemetery of Holy Cross.”
Consistent with the Congregation’s motto “crux spes
unica” (the cross our hope), Moreau believed that because
it was a place of great suffering, Bengal would be a place
of great blessing.
Today in Bangladesh, there are 20 Holy Cross schools
and colleges enrolling over 30,000 students — 98 percent
of whom are Muslim. Among these students are several
thousand Muslim women receiving a formal education,
thereby becoming aware of their rights and empowered
to fight discrimination and injustice. Every year 300
students are enrolled in Holy Cross trade schools, learning
skills that make them employable. There are a number of
free literacy schools for the poor and marginalized. Holy
Cross actively participates in the bishop’s Inter-Religious
Dialogue Commission.
Holy Cross in Bangladesh is synonymous with the
highest educational standards. In fact, another religious
community changed the name of its school to include
ABOVE (clockwise): Dhakeswari Temple in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Muslim woman praying in a mosque. Bengali mosque.
“Holy Cross” in an effort to enhance its enrollment.
Brother Prodip Rodriguez, in a paper delivered at a Holy
Cross Institute Convocation, remarked that while the
upper class Hindu and Muslim appreciate the advantages
“of the high standards in education imparted by [Holy
Cross] … they object to allowing students of all social
strata, especially the poor and lower caste, studying in
the same school as their children because it supposedly
hampers discipline and lowers standards not to mention
increasing their own discomfort.” He concluded that “by
educating the poor and the marginalized and affirming
their dignity, the real fear is that Holy Cross is empowering
these persons.”
The Bengal/Bangladesh mission would seem the most
unlikely setting for a successful mission. Wherever we work
we assist others not only in recognizing and developing their
own gifts but also in discovering the deepest longing in their
lives. Yet as in every work of our mission, we find that we
stand to learn much from those whom we are called to teach.
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A concern shared widely among Holy Cross educators
around the world is the rise of fundamentalism — be it
Christian, Islamic or Hindu — and its blatant refusal
to come to terms with the reality of the modern world.
Fundamentalism challenges pluralism, religious tolerance
and science education. I would suggest that now more than
ever, if we are to be true to the Holy Cross perspective,
student navigators must be skilled in the art of dialogue
with other cultures, with other religions and, most
importantly, with the poor.
The Holy Cross mission sends us across borders of
every sort. Often we must make ourselves at home among
more than one people or culture, reminding us that the
farther we go in giving the more we stand to receive. Our
broader experience allows the appreciation and the critique
of every culture and the disclosure that no culture of this
world can be our abiding home.
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The Holy Cross Institute AT S T. E D W A R D ’ S U N I V E R S I T Y
BROTHER JARLATH D’SOUZA, CSC:
Nostra Aetate Lecture Series
Last fall, Brother Jarlath D’Souza, CSC, addressed
attendees at the Nostra Aetate Lecture sponsored by the
Holy Cross Institute and St. Edward’s University. The Nostra
Aetate Lecture Series explores the interreligious values
reflected in the groundbreaking Vatican II document of the
same name, which expressed a commitment to dialogue and
understanding among diverse faith traditions. As secretary of
the Bangladesh Inter-Religious Council for Peace and Justice
(BICPAJ), Brother Jarlath writes and lectures on peace and
human rights and is active in interfaith dialogue.
Brother Jarlath D’Souza, CSC, with Ed Shirley, PhD, Religious
Studies professor at St. Edward’s University.
Brother Jarlath’s talk, “Toward a Theology of the
Indigenous Peoples in Bangladesh,” was based on his book,
Marang Baru, The Great God: An Exploratory Study of the
Theology and Spirituality of the Ethnic Tribals of Bangladesh. He
gave his audience insight into the ethnic tribes of Bangladesh,
their ideas of God and their moral code.
his school in Padrishibpur. He joined the Brothers in 1947
and spent 35 years as a teacher and headmaster in places
like Pradrishibpur, Chittagong and Dhaka. Forty years ago,
he helped found the organization now known as CARITAS
Bangladesh. In his current work for BICPAJ, Brother
Jarlath organizes training and outreach to bridge religious
differences, and is a strong advocate for adult literacy and
helping the poor. “We initiated a practice of engaging people
of different religions in discussions across the table so that
they can communicate with each other on various sensitive
issues,” he says. “We did this, say, following the attack on the
Twin Towers in the United States, the destruction of Babri
mosque, etc. We discussed the challenges such incidents
create for people and how those challenges can be overcome.”
Brother Jarlath was invited to visit several classes at
St. Edward’s including the Catholic Social Teaching course
taught by Brother Richard Daly, CSC, where he touched on a
variety of issues — his work with street kids, the interreligious
dialogues in which he is involved, his work with the “Tribals”
in his country, and his relationship to Buddhism. “During
our brief tour of Austin, he marveled at our sense of history,
something missing in his country,” said Brother Daly. Professor
Kelly Norene Coblentz-Bautch encouraged her students to
attend the lecture and welcomed Brother Jarlath to her class on
archaeology and the early Church. While there, he recounted
his observations on the catacombs in Rome and shared a
poem inspired by the visit. “Brother Jarlath’s reflections on
the catacombs were powerful and transformative and enriched
our thinking on Christianity past and present,” said Professor
Coblentz-Bautch. He was similarly inspired to write a poem
about his time in Austin (see sidebar).
A POEM BY BROTHER JARLATH:
“Austin at Night”
no noise
not even the smothered buzz
of the night insects
and the birds of the dark
silence
so jarring to my ear
accustomed to the noises
of the speeding dhaka nights
noises or silence
what does it matter
you are present
always
in both the themes
of my near wasted days!!
Though Christians only comprise around .025 percent
of the population in Bangladesh, they make up 10 percent
of ethnic tribes. Animists, Buddhists and Hindus account
for the majority. Tribal rituals and moral codes are varied:
the Murungs live in the nude and maintain that everyone is
equally male and female; the Khasis may marry two sisters
at a time; and the Santals institute pre-marriage dormitories.
There is a widespread belief in evil spirits that prompts
sacrificial offerings to ward off those influences. To many
tribes, death is but a temporary departure.
The lecture resounded with students, faculty and
religious. Says Dr. Steve Rodenborn, assistant professor at
St. Edward’s, “Brother Jarlath’s presentation revealed not
only a profound respect for the religious traditions of the
indigenous peoples in Bangladesh but a profound respect for
the wisdom and experiences of his students in Bangladesh
and our students at St. Edward’s.”
Born in Bangladesh, Brother Jarlath knew his vocation
at an early age, visiting often with Holy Cross Brothers at
4
Brother Jarlath speaks with students after his Nostra Aetate
Lecture in November.
“Brother Jarlath strikes me as one of those unique people
who, though so dedicated and so busy helping others, still has
both the energy for and the urge to sing about his life,” says
Professor Alan Altimont. “That’s what the lyric impulse, the
choice to write poetry, is essentially all about.”
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The Holy Cross Institute AT S T. E D W A R D ’ S U N I V E R S I T Y
LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Brother Stephen Walsh, CSC
The year 2010 was an important one for Holy Cross. It began in tragedy for those affected
by the earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, areas where Holy Cross mobilized efforts to provide
relief to so many. Yet 2010 ended with a marvelous event — the canonization of our beloved St.
Brother André, the Congregation’s first saint. It was also a General Chapter year, with elected
delegates meeting in Rome to define policy for the next six years.
At the General Chapter, Father Richard Warner, who has served as campus minister of
the University of Notre Dame for more than 20 years, was elected Superior General. The
outgoing Superior General, Father Hugh Cleary, in his report to the Chapter, gave this strong
endorsement of the Holy Cross Institute: “In terms of secondary education, I urge this Chapter
to commend the Holy Cross Institute for its commitment to strengthening Blessed [Basil]
Moreau’s philosophy of education and for its national success in the United States promoting a
common Holy Cross identity for schools which are autonomous yet interdependent…The Holy
Cross Institute is a great gift to the Congregation and a good working model for initiating a
similar formal network appropriate to the colleges and universities sponsored by Holy Cross
not only in the United States but throughout the world.” Father Cleary urged the Holy Cross
Institute to continue expanding its ministry to international Holy Cross, to create a unified
educational network with one educational philosophy.
2011 is the 175th anniversary of the founding of the first Holy Cross school. What are the
implications of a broader congregational and international identity? During a conference call
about creating a more interactive website for HCI, it was decided that we must engage a wider
audience and, to this end, there will be a session at the Convocation in April devoted to a more
dynamic redesign of the website.
This year also marks the first national Holy Cross Conference for Student Leaders, an
opportunity for students to live together for a week in service and community, learning to carry
on the mission.
With endeavors like these and with such annual events as Convocation and Mission
Seminar, the Holy Cross Institute will continue to lay down an educational path to offer the
international community.
CONVOCATION 2011
“175 Years of Holy Cross Education:
Then and Now — Best Practices”
Holy Cross educators, administrators and board members will exchange best practices, network and share personal Holy
Cross journeys during the sixth annual HCI Convocation April 3–5, 2011, at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas.
Brother Joel Giallanza, CSC, author and popular retreat leader, will be the keynote speaker, sharing “175 Years of Holy
Cross Education: The Story of a Home and a Heritage.”
Currently scheduled sessions:
n
Fundraising for Scholarships and Financial Aid
n
Marketing and Branding for Student Recruitment and Admissions
n
Best Practices in Faculty Recruitment and Development
n
Character Development and Holy Cross Values in Discipline
n
Developing a Catholic Identity Statement
n
Student Formation: The BRIC Programs
Other opportunities:
n
The Colégio Dom Amando (Brazil) team will share their Amazon Rain Forest Immersion Program.
n
The chance to network with department peers from across the U.S. and beyond in formal affinity groups
and informally between sessions.
n
A chance to share your skills, creativity and suggestions as you join in redesigning the HCI website,
www.holycrossinstitute.org.
For more information, go to www.regonline.com/hciconvocation2011.
Sincerely,
Brother Stephen Walsh, CSC
What is the Holy Cross Institute?
The Holy Cross Institute is charged with creating a community among secondary
schools, colleges and universities founded and sponsored by the Congregation of
Holy Cross. It provides resources, programs and events that educate administrators,
faculty, board members and students on the unique Holy Cross educational legacy.
Learn more at www.holycrossinstitute.org
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The Holy Cross Institute AT S T. E D W A R D ’ S U N I V E R S I T Y
HOLY CROSS SCHOOLS CELEBRATE THE
Canonization of Saint Brother André
The event that Holy Cross had awaited for so many years finally
occurred. On Oct. 17, 2010, Brother André Bessette, CSC, was canonized
in a Vatican ceremony. Now lovingly known as St. Brother André, he is
the Congregation’s first recognized saint. From his birthplace of Québec,
approximately 1,500 religious and pilgrims traveled to Rome for one of
their own. In Montréal, where St. Brother André devoted most of his
life as a Holy Cross Brother, events included a Eucharistic celebration
attended by thousands at Olympic Stadium. Festivities were not limited
to Rome and Montréal, however, as many Holy Cross schools celebrated
with a special Mass, each adding its own flair to the occasion.
On Oct. 14, the Academy of Holy Cross in Kensington, Maryland,
marked the occasion with a prayer service, video tribute and reflection from
students who attended the Holy Cross Conference for Student Leaders last
summer, while the madrigal choir performed songs in English and French.
St. Francis High School in Mountain View, California, held a schoolwide liturgy in honor of St. Brother André on Oct. 18. “He is an
enduring role model for our students, faculty and families and we are
inspired to see him join the communion of saints,” said Sal Chavez,
director of Campus Ministry. Also on Oct. 18, Bishop McNamara High
School in Forestville, Maryland, began the day after the canonization
with Student Council, Peer Minister and Mission Team members lining
the school’s driveway holding signs and banners proclaiming, “He is a
Saint!” before a commemorative Mass.
They celebrated with Latin style on Oct. 21 at Holy Cross High
School in San Antonio, Texas, with a mariachi service. Students were
asked to share their thoughts on St. Brother André’s canonization. “I
thought it was different considering that St. André was from Canada,
and that ours was a mariachi Mass. Two very conflicting cultures, but
yet a beautiful celebration,” said Felicia Alvarado ’12. “The canonization
of Brother André was a dream come true for the Holy Cross family.
From the perspective of a Holy Cross student, it was a challenge which
called us to be the student we are supposed to be,” remarked Thomas
Ledesma ’11, student body president.
St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, included an outdoor
Mass for the canonization as part of its 125th anniversary weekend, a
week after the Vatican ceremony.
Much farther south, Colégio Santa Maria in São Paolo, Brazil, held
a vesper Mass on the eve of St. Brother André’s canonization. Over
850 parents and students of the Colégio said Mass alongside Sisters
and Brothers of Holy Cross. The Artesanato Costa modeling team
was commissioned to create a commemorative sculpture, which was
displayed to students, faculty and guests amid much emotion. Across the
country in Santarem, Colégio Dom Amando welcomed the canonization
with daily sessions at the beginning of classes and with a service held at
St. Sebastian Church the week after Rome’s.
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OPPOSITE PAGE:
St. Edward’s University celebrates
its 125th anniversary and the
canonization with an outdoor Mass.
THIS PAGE (clockwise):
Students at St. Francis High School
displayed celebratory banners the day
after St. Brother André’s canonization.
Colégio Dom Amando’s Mass at
St. Sebastian Church included staff
and students with their families, many
of whom wore commemorative shirts.
At Colégio Santa Maria in São Paolo
artists created a statue of Brother
André that was presented on the eve
of the canonization.
St. Francis High School and Brother
McNamara High School celebrated
with special Masses the day after
St. Brother André’s canonization.
9
(Cover story continued ... )
Graziella speaks about Moreau and the mission of Holy Cross
with passion and energy. In her presence, one quickly forgets she is 98
years old; so it was with the discussion of Moreau and Holy Cross that
Brother Stephen and I had with her.
Very quickly, she focused our attention on what she sees at
the heart of all that Father Moreau was doing and all that he
wanted Holy Cross to be; namely “a work of resurrection.” The
phrase is taken from near the end of his book, Christian Pedagogy,
as he is summarizing the influence that educators must have on
the students.
Sister Graziella emphasizes that the work of resurrection is, first
of all, a way of being, involving a personal transformation. Only then
is it a way of continuing the mission. Father Moreau wanted the family
of Holy Cross to be involved in regenerating society; he was a pioneer
in promoting this perspective even as he was a pioneer in education.
Graziella notes that, unfortunately, not long after Moreau’s time, we
lost his emphasis on resurrection and the paschal mystery. For many
years, until relatively recently, we tended to stop at the cross when
speaking about Moreau’s spirituality. And yet, he called us to live the
whole of the mystery of redemption. Fortunately, we are beginning to
recapture this priority for our life and ministry.
“Holy Cross has
much to bring to the
Church and society
today. And the
continuing presence
and activity of the
family of Holy Cross
are important for the
future of the church
and the world.”
10
From Graziella’s perspective, the work of resurrection is a small
seed, and we have to see where this seed will lead us. For now, our
responsibility is to live and work in light of the resurrection. An
affirmation of this is the history of Basil Moreau himself in terms of
the family of Holy Cross. The period from his death in 1873 to his
beatification in 2007 is truly a work of resurrection. Sister Graziella
speaks with special enthusiasm as she highlights that we are now
reclaiming this part of our heritage, and this is especially true in the
ministry of education.
This is evident in Graziella’s own life of scholarship. She relates
that when she first began studying and speaking about Father Moreau
and his perspective on the resurrection, it was not very well received.
Moreau tended to be associated more with suffering and acceptance of
the cross. Only within the last twenty years or so have we recognized
the priority that the resurrection has in our spiritual heritage. Sister
Graziella insisted this needs to be explored yet more. What is it to do
a work of resurrection? How do we make that work a constitutive part
of our educational ministries? How do we communicate this to others?
When asked about her own hope for the future, Graziella is clear.
Holy Cross has much to bring to the Church and society today. And
the continuing presence and activity of the family of Holy Cross are
important for the future of the church and the world. For her part,
she continues to do research and writing as her energy permits.
As our conversation drew to a close, Sister Graziella gave a
mandate. Regarding the need for continued study and research on the
meaning and implications of a “work of resurrection,” she challenged
us: “Take up this work; you must take up this work.” Clearly, our
whole conversation with her was a resounding echo of Father Moreau’s
own commission to the family of Holy Cross: “Hurry, then, take up
this work of resurrection…it is in this way that you will contribute
to preparing the world for better times than ours.” At 98 years old,
Sister Graziella is definitely continuing to make her contribution and
challenging others to make theirs.
CALENDAR
UPCOMING EVENTS
Mark your calendars for the following
HCI events:
CONVOCATION 2011

April 3–5, 2011
Theme: “175 Years of Holy Cross Educators:
Then and Now — Best Practices”
Keynote speaker:
Brother Joel Giallanza, CSC
(Details on page 7)
HOLY CROSS CONFERENCE
FOR STUDENT LEADERS

June 29–July 3, 2011
(Details on back page)
“The future is entirely
in the generation
beginning today.”
– Father Basil Moreau
MISSION SEMINAR 2011

July 6–July 9, 2011
All events will take place at
St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas.
For more information, contact
Laura Sanders at [email protected].
inFORMATION is published by the
Holy Cross Institute and distributed to
Holy Cross educators.
EDITORS:
Kate Hahn
Lauren Liebowitz
Laura Rivas
DESIGNER:
Joanie Cahill
CONTRIBUTORS:
Brother Joel Giallanza, CSC
Terry McGaha
Laura Rivas
Laura D. Sanders
Brother Stephen Walsh, CSC
E-mail story ideas to:
[email protected]
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Holy Cross Conference for Student Leaders
The Holy Cross Conference for Student Leaders will take on a new look and much larger scope this summer at its first
national conference June 29–July 3 at St. Edward’s University. Student leaders from Holy Cross high schools across the United
States will have the opportunity to explore the meaning and values of the Holy Cross mission, learn ways to reinforce the mission
within their own schools, and live the mission in various service activities. New this year will be the St. André Bessette Service
Banquet and the first Holy Cross Leadership Games (aka “Holy Cross Olympics”).
As they learn, work, pray and live in community, individual student leaders will form strong bonds with each other and will
also have the opportunity to connect with many members of the Congregation of Holy Cross, deepening their connection with
Holy Cross history worldwide.
Sponsored by the Holy Cross Institute, the HCC4SL is being planned by the same faculty leaders from various schools who
have facilitated the regional conferences for the last several years. Coordinating the planning effort is Mr. Terry Lee, President of
Moreau Catholic High School.
For more information, contact the HCI, Terry Lee or Terry McGaha.