February 15, 2006

Dear Lasallians

Let us remember that we are in the holy presence of God.

It has been over five months since Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.  August 29, 2005 forever changed our lives.  The only way we were able to communicate with our friends and loved ones immediately after the storm was by e-mail.  The e-mails went something like this….first e-mails, “Are you safe?”  Followed by, “Where are you?”  “Where are you living?” Then the e-mails, “When are you coming back?” and finally, “Welcome home.”

Here at De La Salle High School – New Orleans, the generosity of so many has sparked a hopeful beginning to our city’s and school’s recovery from Hurricane Katrina.

Thanks in part to the generosity and sacrifice of many in the Lasallian community worldwide, hundreds of thousands of dollars has been raised to aid the recovery of De La Salle, Christian Brothers School and St. Paul’s. Our shares of that support, along with contributions from our graduates and others in Greater New Orleans, were the only way we at De La Salle were able to reopen last fall.

Now, we have over 560 students, compared to 700 before the hurricane. As a result of the storm and its aftermath, De La Salle refunded more than $500,000 in tuition to families forced to relocate. In addition, students who remain urgently need an additional $150,000 in order to continue their Lasallian education.

Our students and teachers work extremely hard each and every day to recreate their learning community. The “normal” day begins at 7:30 a.m. when the first bell rings and ends with the last at 3:00 p.m. Then it’s back to a challenging world of pending insurance claims, homes in various states of repair, shared quarters with extended families, and on and on.

Whatever you have heard about the recovery of the city, know this: De La Salle and our city face a long climb akin to the recovery of Europe after World War II. The rebuilding will take years.

We at De La Salle are ready and willing to be a rock in the community, a virtual mission in America for the Lasallian cause in our world. Please keep New Orleans and De La Salle in your hearts and prayers and among your priorities for giving in 2006.

Thank you for what you have done so far, and for your help in the continuing recovery. Donations can be made payable to “Christian Brothers Conference” with a note indicating that the donation is for the Hurricane Katrina Fund. Complete contact information:

Hurricane Fund
Christian Brothers Conference
4351 Garden City Drive, Suite 200
Landover, MD  20785-7225

St. John Baptist de La Salle.  Pray for us. Live, Jesus.  In our hearts.  Forever!

Kenneth F. Tedesco
President