Montini Catholic's Lasallian Youth join in Brookfield Zoo's Holiday Magic 2020

Members of Montini Catholic's Lasallian Youth Group, under the leadership of theology teacher Denis Block, braved the cold on Friday, Nov. 27, in the hopes of spreading Christmas cheer at the Brookfield Zoo.

This group of students from the Lombard school was thrilled to be able to help the zoo celebrate its 39th annual Holiday Magic.

Nearly 600 local community groups and corporations from the Chicago area decorated trees on the zoo's malls and around Roosevelt Fountain.

Sponsored by Target, Brookfield Zoo's "Tree Trim" has become a tradition for a variety of organizations, including scout troops, schools, churches, libraries, and clubs as well as individual families.

Montini Catholic's Lasallian Youth meets every Friday after school (and virtually). During these meetings, they plan service trips and build community by engaging in various games and activities.

"This has been interesting, challenging year for all clubs," Block said. He and his group normally travel to different churches, celebrating Mass together each month - a mission they've called "Divine Donut Sundays" (since it always involves doughnuts after Mass).

"We still plan on doing 'Divine Donuts' in the spring, pending church availability and any other restrictions."

The group also traditionally attends the annual Lasallian Youth Assembly in the summer and hopes to be able to do so in 2021.

"It's a districtwide assembly with people from all 14 Lasallian high schools," Block said.

Lasallian Youth derives its name from St. John Baptist de La Salle, the founder of the Christian Brothers. De La Salle was a priest from a wealthy family in 17th-century France. He actively lived his life in response to God's will. This led him to train teachers, to form a new religious congregation, to renounce his wealth in favor of the poor, and to start a system of schools which revolutionized the education of youth at that time.

Lasallian schools brought the poor and working class together in the same classroom where the teachers were seen as ministers of Jesus Christ who touched the hearts and minds of the students.

According to the Lasallian Youth Manual, Lasallian Youth began in the U.S. in 1987 after a group of high school students attended an international Lasallian Youth gathering in Canada. These students began Lasallian Youth in the summer of 1988. Because of the experience of this initial group, youth from all over the U.S. were moved to continue the Lasallian experience. Lasallian Youth has become a national movement, involving hundreds of young people who gather regularly as a community to reflect on their experience of service, faith and justice in the light of the Gospel and the story of St. John Baptist de La Salle.

Montini Catholic is Lasallian College Preparatory High School at 19W070 16th St. in Lombard. For information, call (630) 627-6930 or email info@montini.org.

To learn more about the Lasallian Youth at Montini, visit www.montini.org.