Leadership Team

Office of Community Life & Formation

Brother Dennis Lee, FSC
Auxillary Visitor, Office of Community Life & Formation

Brother Jerome Sullivan, FSC
Auxiliary Visitor – Community Life and Senior Brothers

The Office of Community Life and Formation, like DENA itself, is a work in progress.

We welcome your help in our growth. Your ideas are always most welcome. Email us (above) your ideas, and they are on their way to consideration and hopeful implementation.

I will oversee this office as Auxiliary Visitor, working in tandem with Brother Jerome Sullivan, FSC, and together draw largely on the experience and expertise of the Brothers Director. A committee of Directors will be the sounding board for all the Directors and this group will advise in matters pertaining to community life, district retreats and gatherings of Directors. At the moment, we hope to have a Directors weekend in the Spring of 2010 and a more relaxed optional gathering as the new year begins.

In recent years, there have been some six retreat options during the summer. The hopes for 2010 are for additional and ever more varied retreats. If you know of an outstanding person to lead a retreat, please email us.

We look forward to exploring how to deepen the quality of life of all our communities, both the traditional ones and the emerging ones.

This office also is concerned with Formation. Together with the Office of Mission and Ministry, we will collaborate on formation for all Lasallians. This office will deal with the Vocation Promotion efforts of the new district and the Initial Formation programs for our youngest Brothers. So, don’t forget to share your ideas and suggestions.

The birth of DENA is a cause of great joy here in the eastern part of North America. Let us keep one another, and those students entrusted to our care, in our prayers.

Brother Dennis Lee, FSC
Auxiliary Visitor

Auxiliary Visitor with Care for the Office of Senior Brothers
District of Eastern North America

                  The Brother Visitor may be assisted by one or more Auxiliary Visitors.  These are appointed by the Brother Superior following a request made according to the procedures fixed by the District Chapter. (Rule, 134b)

The Auxiliary Visitor shares with the Visitor the pastoral accompaniment of the Brothers, represents the Visitor at designated meetings, is an ex-officio member of the District Council, and assumes other special responsibilities assigned by the Visitor.  Among his ordinary responsibilities are:

• to promote the unity and vitality of the District;
• to serve as a member of the Regional Conference of Christian Brothers;
• to visit annually the communities assigned and during the visit interview each Brother and  reserve time for a meeting with the community;
• to help each Brother to live fully his vocation with particular concern for Brothers in initial formation, Brothers who are experiencing difficulties and Brothers who are elderly;
• to support the Directors in their roles as leaders and to maintain regular contact with them;
• to work closely with the Directors in implementing the ideals of community life expressed in the Rule and in District and Institute Chapter documents;
• to evaluate with the Director and the community, on the occasion of the Community Visit, the quality of the life of the community in reference to the Community Annual Program (CAP);
• to invite Brothers to respond to the needs of Young Churches by serving in overseas apostolates;
• to visit Brothers serving outside the District;
• to recommend to the Visitor the assignment of Brothers to communities and apostolates, and the appointment of Brothers to administration.  He considers with the Visitor the effect such an assignment will have on the vitality of the community and apostolate it serves;
• to accept membership on boards where the District has significant apostolic responsibility or interest;
• to promote the Lasallian vocation of our Partners in ministry;
• to accept opportunities to accompany our Lasallian Partners in their desire to participate more deeply in our mission, charism and spirituality; 
• to foster the link between vowed and lay Lasallians;
• to assist in the selection process of Directors;
• to serve as liaison for any professionals contracted to assist with the animation and development of communities;
• to provide or see to the provision of pastoral support to Brothers in need of care due to medical, psychological, or addiction issues and liaises with relevant health care professionals;
• to assist with the development of the annual CAP program;
• to support emerging Lasallian communities, especially those with volunteers and associates resident;
• to assist in selecting candidates for FSC only formation programs such as Sangre or CIL;
• to provide personal interviews and other services for Brothers not resident in District Communities.

Among his special responsibilities are:

• Visit healthcare facilities on a regular basis;
• Supervise the work being done by the Office of  Senior Brothers;
• Represent the Office of Senior Brothers whenever appropriate.