Pastoral care is at the heart of the Lasallian educational program, one of our priorities is to "build man and tell God".
“It is the life of the establishment, its organization, its pedagogy, the way in which responsibilities are exercised, the relational atmosphere which constitutes the field of pastoral care and the proclamation of the Gospel” (extract).
Pastoral care” is an ongoing concern of all at the La Salle St Etienne establishment (Educational and School Association, PTA, Board of Directors, Pastoral Council). A concern that could be expressed in the desire to : ” to reach young people in their expectations and needs, to help them build themselves in a balanced way, according to the idea of man, that is implicit in our Educational Aims – that is to say: man created in the likeness of God, called to know and share from now on the happiness and life of his creator in order to build a more human, a fairer, more fraternal earth.
It is a question of seeking and giving meaning to life, the life of each individual, the life of the world and its future. This is a vast project, an ambitious utopia, or an act of faith in the creative and ever-new Word of God as revealed in Jesus Christ!
This Christian reference of the school is meant to inspire a spirit, a climate, a way of doing things, a “more“. It takes shape in pedagogical practices so that each student is helped, supported, accompanied always in his or her effort to succeed.
It also comes to life in the initiatives of Pastoral Care: Catechesis, preparation for the sacraments, special events, chaplaincy, so that the Faith in Christ, awakened, nourished, celebrated, is a source of dynamism, personal growth and learning of community and constructive life.
Every week, in primary school, the children meet
- either for a moment of Pastoral Care, led by a group of volunteer mothers in order to discover and walk with Jesus.
- or for a time of reflection, called ‘A Time for All’, led by teachers to discuss main themes and discover the answers provided by the great religions.
In nursery school, monthly meetings are offered to children whose families wish to learn about faith.
Three times a year, all the children are brought together for a special time of sharing and reflection.
At the heart of each school complex, the chaplaincy is open to all: young people and adults, whether they are baptized or not, catechized or not.
The values that are privileged here are: welcoming, listening, trust, sharing, creativity…, so that each young person who come through the door, finds an opportunity to exist by himself and not only through his or her school results; they will be respected in their identity. Volunteers are here to carry out this task.
Located next to the entrance gate for the Saint-Louis site, or in the atrium for the Sainte-Barbe site, the Chapel is open to all. Each week, prayer times are offered. Young people are also invited to participate in small services.
At school, secondary school, high school
At school, catechism times are proposed by level, and important festivals are celebrated together.
In the first 2 years of secondary school, group meeting allows students to move forward in the Church at the rhythm of his or her “faith experience”.
During the 3rd year of secondary school, a year of transition, young people will find in the Chaplaincy a place of the Church, where they can share their concerns, their questions as teenagers…
In the last year at secondary school, the year is centred around the preparation of the sacrament of Confirmation linked with the chaplaincies of the city center.
Finally, creative workshops and actions to support humanitarian associations are offered to all students.
Other meetings and events are also offered to high school students in general or technological and professional education, and also to students in higher education: Café Théo, films, with debates, involvement in school sponsorship, preparation of the “World Youth Day”… and humanitarian projects (such as the one that took 8 young people to Niamey in Niger a few years ago).
Events and celebrations in the diocese that mark the important moments in the religious calendar regularly involve high school and secondary students.
The decision to participate is theirs. They alone, through the exercise of their freedom and dialogue with their parents, are the actors and decision-makers of their own Christian life.
Three part-time pastoral leaders, in line with the guidance of the Diocesan Pastoral Ministry, ensure the care and coordination of the Chaplaincy. They are supported by the pastoral council, which sets the main lines of work and objectives in line with the school values.
Together with the educational teams, the pastoral leaders also participate in the organisation of discussion groups in secondary school in which all students are invited to express themselves. The proposed themes are for example: respect, living together…
The pastoral team is accompanied by the priests of the town center sector, in which our establishment is located, and also benefits from the support of parent volunteers who give their time to supervise groups of young people.
To teach cathechesis, the Pastoral Care team uses material from the publishers MEDIACLAP’,
(discover the store, the discovery area)
