St. John Baptist de la Salle

Their story

John Baptist de la Salle was born in Reims, France, in 1651, the eldest son of a wealthy noble family. He became a canon of the cathedral at sixteen, studied theology in Paris and was ordained a priest in 1678. He seemed headed for a comfortable life in the Church. Then John met a layman who wanted to open free schools for poor boys, and he agreed to help. Little by little he became more involved. He saw that the teachers were poorly trained and struggling, so he took them into his own home to train them and form them in prayer, which shocked his family and friends. In time he gave up his position at the cathedral and, during a famine, gave away his fortune to feed the poor. In 1684 he formed the teachers into a new community, the Brothers of the Christian Schools, laymen consecrated to God who would spend their lives teaching. John was a gifted and creative educator. His schools taught in French rather than Latin, grouped children by their level of learning, and offered classes for young workers on Sundays. He started some of the first colleges for training teachers. He faced fierce opposition, lawsuits and betrayals, but he kept going, trusting God. He died on Good Friday, April 7, 1719. He was canonized in 1900, and in 1950 Pope Pius XII named him the patron of all teachers.