Home > About

District of Eastern North America

About DENA

Currently, DENA assumes the roles of administration, operations, and education across a broad spectrum of more than 30 ministries. These ministries are located in diverse areas, including Florida, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ontario (Canada), Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Washington, D.C. Our commitment extends to understanding and addressing the unique realities and challenges faced by our students and clients.

District History

In 1845, the first U.S. citizen to become a Christian Brother completed his training in Montreal, where the Institute traces its North American beginnings back to 1837. This young man was John McMullen, who was given the name of Brother Francis. In 1845, he and an Irish-Canadian novice, Brother Edward, started conducting the already-existing school (previously staffed by laymen) at Calvert Hall in Baltimore. Today known as Calvert Hall College High School, this became the first permanent Lasallian school in the United States.

In 1848, four Christian Brothers journeyed to New York from France, and within two months they established St. Vincent’s Parochial School on Canal Street. St. Vincent’s relocated to Second Street in 1856, and in 1887 changed its name to La Salle Academy, which stands today.

At the request of Bishop De Charbonnel, five Brothers came to Toronto, Ontario in 1851, opening the first Lasallian school in English-speaking Canada, today known as De La Salle College “Oaklands.”

Loyal to the charism of Saint La Salle, the Christian Brothers responded generously to the tremendous need for Catholic education in many other cities and towns throughout the U.S. By the late 1860s, the New York District was created and quickly became too large for one Brother Visitor (Provincial) to administer, with the schools and communities in the mid-Atlantic becoming the Baltimore District in 1878. With the New York District’s additional growth, the Institute established the Long Island-New England District for the schools in Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island, and Rhode Island, in 1956.

By the 1950s, expansion of the mission and a growing understanding of vocation moved the Brothers to share their mission widely with lay partners. This creative approach has continued today in this country and across the world.

Constituted in 1914, the Toronto District was an integral part of the Institute until a sharp decline resulted in the status of Delegation, effective in 2001. In January 2007, the Delegation of Toronto was incorporated into the New York District.

Years of discussion and diligent planning in light of changing realities, the Districts of Baltimore, Long Island-New England, and New York were canonically combined by the Institute on Wednesday, September 9, 2009 creating the new District of Eastern North America, with its Provincialate in Eatontown, NJ.

Historical facts & figures provided by: Brother Joseph Grabenstein, FSC

VISION

Mission that...

Responds openly and with flexibility to the current needs of youth and their families.
Incorporates into current and new ministries creative and innovative approaches to education, evangelization, and services to youth, especially the poor
Commits to responsible stewardship of our District ministries and resources, guided by the necessity for our ministries, current and new, to be sustainable and accessible, especially in light of our preferential option for the poor
Promotes and engages in both service and advocacy for social justice, especially the rights of the child and the emerging needs of families
Furthers our integral partnership with the global Lasallian Family, becoming a District without borders

Vocations that...

Affirm that all who are associated for mission are responding to God’s call, and recognizes and celebrates all vocations, whether religious, ordained, married, or single
Call all Lasallians to be responsible for creating a culture of Lasallian Vocations in the District and commits, as a priority, ourselves and our resources to focused and imaginative programs to foster that culture
Engage Brothers and Partners in deliberate efforts to identify and encourage young men to consider a life as a Brother of the Christian Schools, at all times trusting in God’s Providence
Awaken Brothers and Partners to the emerging forms of Lasallian vocations and engages them in identifying and inviting women and men of all ages to enter and continue their Lasallian vocational journey throughout their lives

Community that...

Recognizes that we are part of a global Institute and mission in which communities of all types are valued and embraced
Strengthens the fraternal bonds among the Brothers by honoring their different needs and talents, by offering support and encouragement, and by providing a vibrant prayer life.
Strengthens the relationship among all Lasallians and promotes the creation of communities that best support and encourage them in ministry.
Respects in all Lasallian communities the diversity in age, ability, and ministry of all members in support of mission.

Association for Mission that...

Honors, respects and continually invites all Lasallians to grow in association for mission
Embraces our shared charism by realizing that all Lasallians act as guarantors of mission
Supports the identification of Brothers, Associates and Partners to serve as leaders for mission, providing for their spiritual and professional formation, especially in service to the poor
Articulates the unique and complementary roles of the Brothers and other Lasallians in our shared mission in the 21st century.
Expands existing Lasallian education and formation opportunities and develops new education and formation programs, especially at the local level which are accessible to all interested Lasallians.
Recognizes the multi-cultural and multi-religious diversity of all Lasallians and is inclusive and respectful of all

MISSION

We Lasallians of the District of Eastern North America, welcome the call of the Holy Trinity to touch hearts, as we strive to be a friendly face of the Church for those entrusted to our care, realizing that ours is a mission of privileged service that is very necessary in these times.

Since the Institute’s beginning at one parish school in Rheims, France, in 1680, it’s educational ministry has grown into a worldwide network of students, educators, parents, benefactors, and alumni. In God’s Providence, De La Salle and the first Brothers established the Christian and Gratuitous Schools (now called Lasallian Schools) as a visible instrument of the reign of God, making education accessible to the young, especially those who are impoverished and marginalized.

0 +

Ministries

0 +

Brothers

0 +

Communities

0 +

Lasallians Working in Ministries

The De La Salle Christian Brothers provide a Christian education to underprivileged youth, following a church-assigned mission inspired by Saint John Baptist De La Salle.

How the Mission began

The Worldwide Mission Today

Comprised of 5 geographic Regions, containing a collective of over 35 Districts, there are close to 1,000 schools and educational centers at every level, as well as children and family services programs in 80 countries educating nearly 1 million students. The Brothers of the Christian Schools is the largest religious order of Brothers in the church dedicated solely to the mission of Christian education.

District Archives

The District Archives serves as the final repository for the historical records of the De La Salle Christian Brothers of the District of Eastern North American and the legacy Districts of New York, Long Island-New England and Baltimore.

Its primary purpose is to document the history of the districts and to provide source material for members of the Brothers of the Christian Schools and other members of the Lasallian community, including scholars, authors and other interested persons who seek to evaluate the impact of the De La Salle Christian Brothers’ activities on the history of American Catholic educational, social, cultural, and intellectual development.

The Core Mission of the Archives is to:

Appraise, collect, preserve, organize, describe and make available records of historical, legal, fiscal, and/or administrative value to the De La Salle Christian Brothers;
Provide adequate facilities for the retention and preservation of such records;
Provide information services that will assist the operation of the District
Serve as a resource and laboratory to stimulate and nourish creative teaching and learning
Serve research and scholarship by making available and encouraging the use of its collections by members of the District and the community at large;
Promote knowledge and understanding of the origins, aims, programs, and goals of the De La Salle Christian Brothers, and of the development of these aims, goals, and programs;
Implement records management by formulating policy and procedures that will ensure the collection and preservation of archival materials

Publications

Discover a wealth of historical information in DENA’s District Archives Publication and Resources, offering insights into the region’s heritage and legacy.

Who We Are

Governance