To strengthen human and spiritual values and to serve the poorest through their educational and formative mission, the De La Salle Brothers celebrated 150 years of their presence in the Holy Land with a Holy Mass presided over by Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, on September 28, in the courtyard of the Brothers’ School in Jerusalem.

Brother Daoud Kassabri, director of the Christian Brothers’ School – De La Salle – Jerusalem, says, "Our motto today is: 'All is connected'. Today our bond is with the poor, with the marginalized, with fragile people, because we believe—as St. John Baptist de La Salle believed—that through education and instruction, change is possible. A child can transform from poor to a person able to live with dignity, because we believe that education is a right for all. And we believe that our mission, as Brothers, must be—and remain—the education of the poor."

He adds, "The Word of the Lord is steadfast: 'My words will not pass away, My words will not pass away.' The Church remains, and the Brothers’ Schools continue to give, serve, and educate the new generations in faith, in the service of the Lord Jesus, to build the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth."

Professor Ikhlas Banoura, principal of the Christian School – De La Salle – Bethlehem, says: "We do not use the school only to transmit scientific knowledge, but we work to prepare students to face the challenges of life. We collaborate with students’ families, serve the community, and develop and enrich the students’ thinking."

Mousa Al-Ghoul, teacher at the Christian Brothers’ School – De La Salle, says" "Thousands of people have graduated here, and today many of them are among the most important personalities in this country: historical and national figures, writers, thinkers, philosophers, leaders, and many others. They did not come only from Palestine, but also from the entire Arab world: from the Gulf, Kuwait, Qatar, and North Africa. The mission of the De La Salle Brothers continues today with the same spirit of the founder. Their schools, founded decades ago in Jaffa, Bethlehem, Nazareth, Haifa, Beit Hanina, Amman, and Jerusalem, welcome about 3,000 students. Over 350 teachers share in this mission, united by the conviction that education is a deeply human vocation, capable of shaping minds and sowing values."

Professor Raed Srasra, High School Supervisor, says "The De La Salle Brothers arrived at a time when Palestine was in desperate need of education and guidance. From the very beginning, the school conveyed many messages, the most important of which is the formation of the person."

While David Saad, Christian School – De La Salle – Bethlehem Brothers’ School – Bethlehem, says, "I have been teaching at the Brothers’ School for ten years. This school carries with it a long educational, moral, formative, and social tradition. I am grateful to be part of this reality, which has offered me so many valuable experiences."