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As we deepen our relationship with the Eternal Word, Jesus Christ, we grow in grace and are transformed by His love and mercy.
April 30, 1651–April 7, 1719
Patron Saint of teachers, educators, school principals, catechists, Christian education
St. John Baptist de la Salle devoted himself to the education and spiritual formation of children, especially the poor, transforming the way teaching was provided in the 17th century.
Born in 1651 into a prominent family in Reims, France, St. John was well educated and ordained a priest at the age of 27. Early in his ministry, he was appointed a canon of the cathedral, a position that brought both prestige and financial security.
Providence, however, led St. John in an unexpected direction. Through encounters with lay teachers struggling to educate poor children, St. John became increasingly involved in their work. Gradually, he gave up his wealth, social standing, and personal comfort to devote himself entirely to education as a religious vocation.
St. John founded the Brothers of the Christian Schools, a community of lay religious brothers dedicated to teaching. He introduced groundbreaking educational practices, including classroom instruction in students’ native languages and grouping students by ability rather than age. St. John also established some of the first teacher-training programs.
St. John faced significant opposition, including legal challenges, financial ruin, and internal division within his community. Yet he remained faithful, trusting in God’s Providence even when his work seemed near collapse. His perseverance ensured the survival and growth of the Brothers and their mission.
St. John died on April 7, 1719. Canonized in 1900, he was later declared the patron saint of teachers. His legacy continues today through the Brothers of the Christian Schools, who operate in 80 countries and serve more than one million students.
St. John’s education model revolutionized instructional standards of his time by teaching in the native language (French) rather than in Latin. St. John’s teachers also used group instruction, rather than one-on-one tutoring, and structured classrooms by ability. They offered free education for poor and working-class families, a rarity in the 17th century, and established the first teacher-training programs.
Viewing teaching as a spiritual vocation, St. John Baptist de La Salle founded a community of lay brothers rather than priests to ensure they focused entirely on teaching without the obligation of sacramental duties, allowing them to provide effective religious and academic instruction and foster a fraternal bond as “older brothers” to students. While St. John himself was a priest, he recognized that the urgent need for quality education for the poor required a new form of consecrated life dedicated solely to teaching. The brothers fully committed themselves to the religious instruction and academic success of their students.
The Brothers of the Christian Schools, founded by St. John Baptist de La Salle, serve in 80 countries worldwide, operate more than 1,100 educational centers, and serve more than one million students. The order is active across Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America, with a significant presence in countries such as Nigeria and the Philippines. The North America Region covers the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. They work in schools, universities, and vocational centers, focusing on serving marginalized communities and areas of poverty. The Brothers work with more than one hundred thousand lay partners to provide quality education to the poor and marginalized.
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As we deepen our relationship with the Eternal Word, Jesus Christ, we grow in grace and are transformed by His love and mercy.
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