St. John Baptist De Lasalle
St. John Baptist de la Salle is an important figure in the history of Catholic education. De la Salle is the patron saint of teachers proclaimed by Pope Pius the XII in 1950. He is recognized for his work with the poor and his work in the classroom setting as a supporter of classroom education instead of individual instruction.
De la Salle was born on April 29, 1651 in Reims; he was the oldest child in his family and was obligated to perform the duties of setting the example for his younger siblings and being a model citizen. He grew up in a home that was dedicated to the strengthening of moral and intellectual fiber. Louis de la Salle and Nicolle de Moet de Brouillet, the parents of de la Salle and sent his to school at a young age where he excelled. After years of school de la Salle went to achieve a higher level of education proclaiming a degree as a Master of the Arts. He was watched very closely by the higher members governing the University of Reims, and was looked at as a very intellectual and promising young man. It was thought that young de la Salle would follow in the footsteps of his family’s tradition and achieve a career in law, but when approached by the idea de la Salle said that he had received a calling to work for the church and become a priest.
At the age of nineteen, after his studies were completed in the arts and philosophy, de la Salle left to enter the seminary of Saint-Sulpice. While at Saint-Sulpice he was noticed by the faculty for his rapid progression in the area of virtue. At a young age de la Salle was thought to be a very promising student. Tragedy struck the young student when his mother died and then father past away less than a year later. De la Salle being the oldest son was now in charge of the household, which forced him to leave Saint-Sulpice. Along with having the duties of managing the family de la Salle also had the obligation of educating his younger siblings. The mental strain played a...
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