Mission Impact Report 2025 - Report - Page 5
Mission Impact 2025
5
ST. JOSEPH’S INSTITUTION INTERNATIONAL | SINGAPORE
Above: Br. Larry with student leadership councils.
Left: Br. Larry and a scholarship award recipient.
Br. Lawrence Humphrey, FSC
Br. Lawrence Humphrey is the Brother President of St. Joseph’s
Institution International in Singapore.
If you knew then what you know now, would you do it all over
again? Most of us probably ask ourselves this question at one
time or another, perhaps more so the older we get. As I reflect
on my 50+ years of service, there are just a handful of days
that I would “do over” if given the chance.
I remember a senior Brother assuring us then young Brothers
of the hundred-fold reward Jesus promises to Peter (Mark
10:30), to be given to those who sacrifice for Jesus’ sake and
the gospel; actually, two rewards, one in this life and one in
eternal life. He assured us we would find the earthly portion of
our reward in two places, the community and the classroom.
Brother Erminus was spot on.
For me it’s been a lifetime of rewarding ministry, from Memphis
to Paducah, to Kansas City, to Tulsa, St. Louis, Winona, and
for the past 12 years, in the Lasallian East Asia District at our
international school in Singapore. In most cases, I was “in the
right place at the right time.” This was true for me, and hopefully
for the students and staff of the schools where I’ve been
privileged to serve.
I believe that working with young people keeps you young—
if not physically, at least in your outlook and thinking. While
the time and places may change, young people always have
a way of making our best efforts worthwhile. The students in
Singapore, from time to time, ask me, “How are we different
from your students in the United States?” They are surprised
when I tell them, “You are much more alike than you are
different.” That’s probably why I think my ultimate reflection
is one of hope.
In every age, young people hold the promise of
the future. Our hopes and dreams for the future
are ultimately entrusted to them.
I have been rewarded in so many ways to witness the
transformative power of Catholic and Lasallian education,
not only in the lives of former students, but also in the lives
of younger teachers I’ve been honored to mentor and support
throughout the years. To see the wonderful “grown-ups” they
have become, raising children of their own, with a few of them
even becoming teachers, has been a special joy.
A few years ago, a special group of my former students
came together for a unique and special reunion. From across
the country, they returned to the same classroom, outside
of Paducah, Kentucky, where decades earlier we had explored
world cultures. While reminiscing of those happy days at
