The Lasallian Family in GB Gathers for Renewal and Retreat

From the 17-19 of October, 2025, Lasallians and their families gathered for the first Lasallian Spiritual Renewal Retreat at St Cassian’s Centre, Kintbury. As the Year of Lasallian Spirituality draws to an end, and with the theme of All is Connected, the group was offered time to pause, pray, and reflect on Lasallian Spirituality today and their own interior lives. 

An initiative of the GB MEL Advisory Committee, the retreat was facilitated by the District’s Mission Team and included time for whole group presentations, workshops and prayer experiences; and, of course, time to connect with other Lasallians amid the busyness of the Academic Year.

Brother Paco Chiva, from the District of ARLEP was invited to speak to the group and share his wisdom on the core principles and practices of Lasallian Spirituality. Workshops led by Brother Paco, Brother Michael Curran, and Ms Jo Millea offered a variety of experiences from movement and prayer, to art, to the Meditations of the Time of Retreat by St John Baptist de La Salle. Thanks to the dedicated volunteer team at St Cassian’s, participants were invited to bring along their children who were offered a parallel track to the retreat programme that included crafts, prayer time, and baking. Families also had the chance to engage in some of St Cassian’s outdoor activities like the ropes course during the break. Having these “youngest Lasallians” around the centre and joining the group for meal times added a wonderful dimension to the programme and was a true celebration of the Lasallian Family.

Jackie Harding, English teacher and Head of Year 8, from St Augustine’s Catholic College, Trowbridge, offered this reflection on the retreat experience.

“When the email landed inviting staff to a Lasallian Spiritual Retreat at St Cassian’s, Kintbury, I’ll admit my first thought was: ‘Three days of enforced peace? What could possibly go wrong?’ But curiosity (and perhaps the promise of someone else doing the cooking) got the better of me.

So, one autumn Friday, a little band of St Augustine’s adventurers — Julie our Chaplain, Mrs Wilkes-Noe, Mr Long, Mr Dooley (a school governor), and me — set off to join people from as far away as Manchester and even Spain. It was the first retreat of its kind for Lasallian staff, and as we arrived to the smell of dinner and the sound of a guitar somewhere down the corridor, the pace of life began to slow. The rooms were simple — monastic chic, let’s call it — but the food was positively heavenly.

Our first evening opened with an icebreaker that felt suspiciously like a barn dance, complete with laughter, confusion, and a fair amount of stepping on toes.

Saturday began with an introduction to Lasallian spirituality. Six lamps were lit to symbolise the six key principles: mystical realism, option for the needy, spirit of faith, spirit of zeal, spirit of mediation, and spirit of communion. The idea was to help us find God in our daily work — even during wet break or in the photocopier queue on a Monday morning.

Next, I chose a meditation workshop — not exactly my natural habitat — I struggled to still my mind long enough to find a mantra. Later, I joined “Movement and Prayer,” a wordless, rhythmic form of worship led by the inspirational Brother Paco. This was quietly beautiful, a cross between a blessing and an interpretive dance session. Here my mind did still. Mr Long and I even brought it back to school — proof that the power of stillness (and gentle swaying) can survive a classroom setting.

Throughout the weekend, stories were exchanged — some moving, others quietly extraordinary. Julie spoke of her father’s journey as a child from Poland to Africa; Mr Long told of his time in Afghanistan, where elders reminded him, ‘You have the watches; we have the time.’

As I wandered through the grounds, I caught echoes of the students I’ve brought here over the years — their laughter, the chaos, the sense of belonging. This time, though, the place seemed to hold its breath. Twenty minutes of walking by myself with no destination, no phone, no purpose — everything felt more vivid: the crunch of leaves, the light through trees, the quiet hum of peace. Time seemed to stretch. My inner multitasker finally gave up and just… breathed.

Time, indeed, was what Kintbury gave us — time to stop, to walk aimlessly, to listen, to be. We left on Sunday lighter, calmer, and reminded that our work, our faith, and our community are — quite literally — all connected.”

Many thanks to Jackie for her reflection, the GB MEL Advisory Committee, the Mission Team and the dedicated team at St Cassian’s Retreat Centre for making this event possible.