Divine Word Missionaries
St. John Baptist de la Salle
Feast Day: April 7
The founder of the Christian Brothers was born at Rheims, France, on April 30, 1651, into a very wealthy and noble family. St. John entered St. Sulpice Seminary in Paris in 1670 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1678.
In 1679, he met Adrian Myel, a layman, in Rheims, and began to work for the education of poor boys. In 1684, he gave all his wealth to the poor and spent much of his effort training teachers. As a result of this, he also gave up his canonry.
Soon after, John founded a community of brothers called the Brothers of the Christian Schools. His methods of education revolutionized the educational system of his time. He founded training colleges for teachers at Rheims, Paris, and Saint-Denis. The schools he founded multiplied throughout France. Eventually, schools would be opened all over the world.
About 1695, John formulated a set of rules for his community and wrote his own treatise about education entitled "The Conduct of Christian Schools." John Baptist de la Salle suffered many trials during his arduous work. It should be noted that the Christian Brothers have become the largest teaching order in the Church. He died on Good Friday, April 7, 1719 at Rouen, France.
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