YEAR OF CONSECRATED LIFE

De La Salle Christian Brothers continue 150-year witness to R.I. youth

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NARRAGANSETT — Most Rhode Island residents have, at some point, taken a drive down Ocean Road, enjoying the calm sea breezes and winding curves on the way to a day of sun tanning at Narragansett Beach, munching on Iggy’s Doughboys or taking in the sunset at Point Judith Lighthouse. And, just before the turnoff for Scarborough Beach, most travelers have passed by an unassuming driveway with barely a look at the gold-lettered sign that reads, “De La Salle Christian Brothers Center,” and beneath that, “Ocean Tides School.”

But, for the 13 religious brothers and 30-or-so students who call the property home, the Christian Brothers Center and accompanying Ocean Tides School — for male youth certified by the R.I. Dept. of Education for general and special education programming — are havens of calm exemplifying the values of the De La Salle Christian Brothers who came to Rhode Island nearly 150 years ago.

Brother Edmond Precourt, executive director of the center, spoke about the mission of the brothers during an interview at the Christian Brothers Center last Thursday. “We were founded to teach the poor over 300 years ago in France,” he said. “It’s important, the type of work that we became exposed to. That’s what Christianity’s all about — reaching out to help.”

The Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, better known as the Lasallians or the De La Salle Christian Brothers, was founded in the 1780s when Saint John Baptist de La Salle, a priest serving as canon at the Cathedral of Reims, formed a cohort of lay teachers to offer instruction at Christian schools for all students, regardless of their ability to pay. His methods sparked controversy, as the concepts of lay teachers at religious schools and free instruction were unheard of at the time, and De La Salle renounced his church position to dedicate his life instead to the training of teachers and education of the poor. Eventually, his ideas spread, and the De La Salle Christian Brothers became an established religious order of teachers throughout France and much of the world.

The first De La Salle Christian Brothers to enter the United States arrived in Annapolis, Md., in 1817, later establishing their first permanent North American school in Montreal in 1837. The brothers were pioneers in long-lasting reforms to education, including the teaching of reading in the local language instead of Latin, the integration of religious and secular instruction, training programs for lay teachers and special instruction for delinquent youth. When the brothers arrived in Providence in 1871 to take over management of the future La Salle Academy, they brought with them a long tradition of Lasallian teaching methods that would become a cornerstone of Catholic education in Rhode Island.

The brothers continue to this day to reside and maintain a strong presence as teachers and administrators at La Salle Academy, where they have weathered many changes over the past 150 years.

Their reach in Rhode Island goes beyond La Salle, however. During their ministry in the state, the De La Salle Christian Brothers have fulfilled their mission as educators at Saint Raphael Academy, The Prout School, Salve Regina University The San Miguel School, De La Salle Academy, Newport, as well as through various social ministries. They currently maintain a residence of 13 brothers at the Narragansett Christian Brothers Center, a campus that also houses Ocean Tides School.

“In the brothers’ tradition, school is a place to success. It’s a conversation of academics, decorum and social skills,” said Brother James Martino, president of Ocean Tides.

The De La Salle Christian Brothers continue their tradition of using the latest teaching methods to serve underprivileged youth at Ocean Tides, where students referred by the state enter into a program that includes academics, counseling and skill development in a residential setting. Approximately 1,600 students have attended Ocean Tides since its founding in 1975, with a capacity for 35 young men at any one time.

Unlike other training programs for troubled youth, Ocean Tides strives to emanate a sense of home and history, much of which is delivered through the school’s unique setting. The campus has always been, first and foremost, a residential space, established in 1958 as a novitiate for the growing community of brothers in the Northeast. No longer a novitiate, the present Christian Brothers Center serves as a conference and event space and houses both retired and active brothers. Though the students at Ocean Tides work with lay teachers and reside in a separate wing, they interact with the brothers on a daily basis, a living arrangement that for many is a learning experience in itself.

“You watch these kids who don’t come with many male role models find a comfortable place and some grandfathers if you will,” said Brother Martino. “It makes the institution home. When a bunch of kids see 13 or 14 or 15 brothers who live in the same place they do, it’s not the feel of a hospital. We take care of kids who need that space and that home.”

Brother Precourt, who previously served as the school’s principal, pointed out the lasting impact of the school’s atmosphere on its alumni, who tend to view the school with the sort of pride more commonly expected from graduates of a private high school.

“You look at kids who come back as adults with their wife and kids to show them — this was my home,” he said.

In addition to providing a home, the De La Salle Christian Brothers provide their students with the skills necessary for success through a number of vocational programs, including an established culinary program where students gain experience in the kitchen alongside Johnson and Wales chefs. Many students hold summer jobs at local restaurants and can graduate with up to a semester’s worth of college credit at Johnson and Wales.

“It’s a matter of how can we continue to best care for the kids who need care,” said Brother Martino. “It’s a witness to the community.”

The De La Salle Christian Brothers continue their witness to the Rhode Island community with a commitment to education for all youth that has not diminished over the years. Whether it’s their presence at Ocean Tides, La Salle Academy and other schools, the social services they provide to better the lives of youth, or the spaces they maintain and open to others as centers of retreat and reflection, the brothers continue to actively provide for those in need according to their founding charism. Saint John Baptist de La Salle’s vision of education for all through the cooperation of laity and religious was once revolutionary, but, through the efforts of the order, has become a common goal in Rhode Island and wherever the De La Salle brothers reside in the world.