25 Years of Lalanne

Lalanne welcomed dozens of alumni back to campus to celebrate the 25th anniversary of this incredible program for educators. 

A note from program director Peggy Brun for the anniversary celebration booklet:

Dear Lalanne and special guests,

Let me begin with the words of one of the Marianist founders, Blessed William Joseph Chaminade, “We have taken for our motto, the great phrase so full of sense and truth which Mary said to the servants at the wedding of Cana: ‘Do all that he will tell you.’”

In the past twenty-five years over 230 educators have knowingly and sometimes unknowingly embraced this motto when they agreed to participate in Lalanne.

What has Lalanne looked like for each of us, Lalanne’s teachers and directors, as we each did what He told us to do?

For the past 25 years, Lalanne has looked like communities in twelve different cities in five different states. Communities were housed in convents, rectories, parish office buildings, and rented homes all of which had to be opened, closed, and moved.

“Do all that He has told us” included collecting paper applications, copying and mailing them out to principals, and hoping they arrived to now sharing Google folders with online applications.

“Do all that He has told us” has moved us from house landlines and a single shared computer to individual cell phones and laptops.

“Do all that He has told us” also included leaving our schools, wearing masks, and teaching from community houses.

“Do all that He has told us” has helped Lalanne adapt to the dramatic changes in education over the past 25 years. What will He tell us to do next?

As we eagerly anticipate what is in store for the next 25 years of Lalanne, we are so grateful to all those who have said yes and supported Lalanne over the past 25 years. Here are just a few:

• Tara Gerding and Emily Sreenan for sharing their graduation with all of us
• Lalanne Advisory Board members
• Marianists Lay and Vowed communities
• Our Diocesan partners
• Our School Partners
• Donor support by the Marianist Foundation, the Office of Graduate Studies, Peg & Vic Dubrowski, the Gardners, UD Alumni Relations, and UD Advancement
• SEHS Deans, faculty, and staff
• All of the different UD departments who help make the summers possible (Housing, Parking Services, Counseling Center, Health Center, Catering Services, and Conference Services)
• The retreat centers and staff at Bergamo, Spiritual Center of Maria Stein, and Governors Island
• The amazing folks who have helped facilitate our retreats
• Our community spiritual mentors
• The former CCE staff of Bro Ed Brink, Susan Ferguson, Jacinta Mergler, and Barbara Miller, and current CCE staff of Rhonda Mercs, Lee Ann Hiatt, Mariam Couri, and Amy Theodor
• In a very special way, thank you to Lalanne alumni Aimee Vogt ‘05, Michael Troutman ‘14, Rachel Shaffer ‘17, Janice Matlon ‘14, Travis McAfee ‘20, and Maggie Lehman ‘02 who met for the past year to help plan this weekend’s anniversary events.

Blessings and joy,

Peggy Brun
Director of Lalanne