The feast day of St. John Baptist de la Salle is celebrated on April 7. He is the patron saint of teachers.
St. John Baptist de la Salle was born on April 30, 1651 at Rheims, France. He was the oldest of ten children in a noble family. He studied in Paris and was ordained a priest in 1678 at the age of 27. Father John’s first assignment was as a spiritual director for the Sisters of the Holy Infant and their orphanage. They urged him to begin an orphanage for boys. Soon, a second orphanage was begun in the same diocese.
St. John knew he was called to educate the poor. During this time, education was only possible for the rich. Because he was in need of more teachers, Father John established two teachers colleges; Rheims and St. Denis. He emphasized classroom teaching over individual instruction and taught in the native language rather than Latin. He also began a reform school for boys at Dijon.
St. John Baptist de la Salle sold everything he owned and gave his large inheritance to the poor in the province of Champagne which was suffering from famine. He depended on Divine Providence for all his needs. St. John founded the Institute of the Brother of the Christian Schools. It was a group of lay men wishing to educate the poor. The Brothers founded a school in the U.S. in 1846.
On Good Friday in 1719, St. John died at the age of 68. He had been suffering from asthma and rheumatism.
You can work miracles by touching the hearts of those entrusted to your care.
Quote of St. John Baptist de la Salle
April is the Month of the Eucharist.
St. John Baptist de la Salle in Art