That day would remain etched in the Memory of Our Educational Community: Brother Hervé Zamor, Superior General of the Congregation of the Brothers of Christian Instruction, did us the immense Honor of his Visit to Saint-Louis de Gonzague.
That Meeting had a very Special Significance, as it represented a true Return to his Alma Mater. Indeed, Brother Hervé Zamor, originally from La Vallée, began his Career right here in Haiti, where he dedicated the early Years of his Religious and Educational Life to serving Young People.
His message, of great Spiritual Depth fitted perfectly within the Theme of the School Year: “Pilgrims on the Path of Fraternity.” He reminded us that the Schools founded by Jean-Marie de la Mennais have the Mission to Instruct, Educate, Evangelize and Fraternize.
According to the Superior General, Educating for Fraternity was not an Option: it was a Fundamental Requirement. He urged us to Train Our Students to truly Live as Brothers and Sisters, united in Respect, Solidarity, and Love for their Neighbor.
Brother Hervé Zamor also stressed that School was a place of “Retreat”, not in the sense of Isolation, but as a Privileged Space where Consciences are formed and where the New Man flourishes.
With a Teaching Method that was both Simple and Inspiring, he developed each Letter of the word RETREAT to reveal its full Spiritual and Educational Richness:
R Respect, the Foundation of all Authentic Human Relationships;
E for Hope – Espérance in French – the driving Force behind all Educational Commitment;
T for Testimony, which invited us to live Fraternity on a Daily Basis;
R for Meeting – Rencontre – in French – , because Education was first and foremost a shared Human Experience;
A for Attention, a sign of Kindness and Listening;
I Regarding Inclusion, a reminder that everyone has their place in the Larger Educational Family;
T for Temporality, a Symbol of the Patience and Perseverance required by any Educational Mission;
E Finally, for Empathy, that Ability to put oneself in the other’s place in order to better understand and support them.
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Through those Words, Brother Hervé Zamor invited us to reaffirm Our Vocation as Educators and to become aware of the Greatness of the Mission entrusted to us.
The Meeting concluded in a Warm and Grateful Atmosphere. The School, across its Various Levels, presented Small Symbolic Gifts to the Superior General as a Token of Appreciation and Immense Joy for that Exceptional Visit.
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Our Most Fraternal Prayers and Thoughts accompany Brother Hervé Zamor in the pursuit of his Mission, so that wherever he goes, he might continue to inspire Hearts and build Bridges of Brotherhood.
Garel Blaby PIERRE ELIE, French Teacher at the Secondary Level and Head of the Saint-Louis Press Association. (APS)