April 7 John Baptist de la Salle b. 1651 d. 1719 c. 1900

John and Thommy

good morning
i love you

John Baptist de la Salle, born the eldest of ten children in a noble family. Grandpa has eight sibs, and there are 35 cousins among us [a couple already have died, including my brother Jimmy who died when he was five and i was in the novitiate] you only know a family of two children, the world's best brothers. and few cousins, unfortunately kept away from instead of often visiting for family and holiday events. i think that the smaller the clan, the more important the contact....

John Baptist de la salle studied in Paris - getting the best education available meaning his primary education was not only superb, he also excelled at it, his family and he optimized the talents and resources they had, together, for him.... as the eldest and a nobleman's son, John Baptist de la Salle was destined for the priesthood; tonsured at eleven and at 12 was named Canon of Rheims Cathedral - being canon was much more than, sometimes primarily, a positon of secular responsibility and authority, as well as a source of income.

1678 John Baptist de la Salle was ordained. He seemed set for a brilliant ecclesiastical career - well connected, well accomplished, refined, and scholarly. and then, the hand of God, maybe, put him together with Adrian Nyel, a man wo was opening a school for poor boys.

at first, John Baptist de la Salle was the benefactor for the school and its teachers. the school was failing. John Baptist de la Salle resigned as canon, distributed his remaining wealth for the relief of a famine in Champagne, and dedicated himself totally to this flagging mission to teach the poor. there are many paths that take us to our vocation - when you discern your calling, seize it with passion, dedication, your complete commitment and efforts

John Baptist de la Salle identified his first challenge to be the recruiting and training of the teachers. Gotta have the horses to pull the cart. and you have to find the right people; and train them, nurture them, mentor them. John Baptist de la Salle's first incliniation was to have all teachers be priests but when the man who was going to be the first Brother ordained died unexpectedly, he took this as a sign that it would be better if the teachers all be laymen/brothers. thus, The Christian Brothers :).

He founded the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools and established teacher colleges, including one at Saint Denis. Many parishes sent men to these teacher colleges so that they would return home and teach in the villages. John Baptist de la Salle was among the first to emphasize classroom teaching over individual tutoring. He also began teahcing in the vernacular (so sad for Latin, i guess). He saw how well his radical methodoligies worked, he started schools to teach others how to do it... Pass it forward!

John Baptist de la Salle introduced Sunday School in the Paris diocese. another way to provide service and have greater influence is to take a good idea and apply it to new arenas. he opened a school for delinquent boys ... and taught in the prisons.... when English mucky mucks had to flee their homeland, John Baptist de la Salle created schools for their children - a wholly different kettle of fish; and though these families, he more rapidly spread the influence of his schools and his teaching methods.

and when you are successful, you are guarenteed proportionate oppostion from the people already doing what you are doing better. the teachers, in this case, within the church and the secular circles sought to have John Baptist de la Salle's group disbanded. they instead bonded more strongly and persist to today teaching throughout the world.

anyone you know who is studing educaition should read John Baptist de la Salle's book The Conduct of Christian Schools. go to the original source document, written by the inspired author.... if you are forming a philosophy of education for yourself or your children, this is worth your perusal. do not forget the heart, the fire, the source of John Baptist de la Salle's teaching efforts - his faith and his vocation to serve God. he also wrote books about prayer and meditation. they are each worth a read - especially meditations for sundays.

In 1950, John Baptist de la Salle was named patron saint of teachers. when you teach others - individually or in a class, teach in the vernacular, the language of the student! and ask John Baptist de la Salle for his help and guidance.

i love you
dad