Fun Facts
Saint John Baptist De La Salle is the patron saint of _______
What is teachers?
Birth place of St. La Salle
Where is Reims, France?
1651 coming from a wealthy family. He was named after John the Baptist
De La Salle's chance encounter
Who is Adrian Nyel?
Layman who worked to provide schooling for the poor. DLS' wealthy aunt asked Nyel to see about funding a charity school for boys in Reims, and his first stop was the Sisters. DLS let him stay in his home.
Later on, another rich woman in Reims told Nyel she would endow a school but only if DLS would ensure her money won't be wasted. DLS was busy so he was reluctant but he became involved.
He found himself drawn into the world of the poor - disadvantaged students, uncultured teachers, oppressed parents.
Haters/challenges of DLS after establishing the first schools
What is: fee-taking teachers, suits for infringements, vandalization, closing of some schools, brothers who defected, sickness, the Clement affair
- School was meant for poor, but they accepted everyone. Fee-taking teachers lost profit
- Teachers quit because of hardships, sickness and doubt of DLS. 16 brothers were cut in half.
- DLS fell ill and was near death
Place where La Salle rested
What is Parmenie?
Retreat where he met sister Louise. Not a nun but rebuilt the chapel after 200 years. He took over as the director of retreat, giving him reason to stay. After a while, Sr. Louise convinced him that his mission was with the Bothers.
Parmenie fell after Sister Louise's death in 1727, but was acquired by the Brothers in 1964
Saint La Salle's mother is related to the owner of this wine brand
What is Moet and Chandon?
Nicole Moet de Brouillet
At age 11 he received his
What is tonsure?
Men entering a religious order choose a tonsure as a way of denouncing the vanity and worldly ways represented by hair. At one time, tonsure was required if you wanted to enter the clergy, though today it rarely is.
Reims Cathedral - where kings are crowned
The first recruited teachers
What is tambays / street dwellers
What DLS did after conflict with his family and teachers
What is let go of his wealth? What is resign from his positions?
He let the teachers eat meals in his home, and eventually asked them to live with them. This caused conflict with his siblings, so he rented at the poorer part of town. The brothers complained, it was easy for him to talk, being a wealthy man by birth and a canon with a large annual income, whereas they were poor, with no skills and no prospects. If the schools fail, he was not worse off, whereas they would be back on the streets.
Reflect, pray and consult ->resigned his position as canon, used family inheritance to feed the poor during a famine. He accepted the laymen as equals. "Brothers." It had to operate without the influence of the Church
What made DLS return to Paris after his retreat
What is a letter from the brothers?
“We, the principal Brothers of the Christian Schools…command you in the name of the body of this Society to which you have vowed obedience …to resume forthwith the general conduct of affairs.” Power.
Br. Barthelemy remained in charge. He helped resolved challenges and difficulties.
DLS was a pioneer in teaching in this language
What is vernacular?
Instead of Latin and focusing solely on catechism, he balanced social realities and catechism. Knitting, feeding were present
Seminary he stayed at after being a canon
What is Saint Sulpice (Paris)?
Seminary by age 19.
Age 16, he became a canon. He counseled the archbishop.
They were slated for high positions in the Church. He also studied theology at Sorbonne.
Part of their duty as seminarians was to teach catechism to the poor. Since he always interacts with them, it sparked his desire to help
First difficult situation in La Salle's life
What is death of his parents?
After only 9 months in St. Sulpice, his mother died. 9 months later, his father died. Within 1 year of each other.
The question: to continue the vocation of being a priest or follow the steps of his father? To go home or stay in the seminary?
He went home to Reims in 1672 at age 21 to become the head of the household. He was named executor of the estate and guardian of the children.
First Vow
What is Vow of Obedience?
Brothers elected Henri L'Heureux as their own superior. It was weird for a priest to be subject to a layman. He resumed his position and train Henri to be a priest. Shortly after, he died; DLS was shookt. They became a non-clerical religious group of men, dedicated to education and schools.
First vow during the Pilgrimage of Liesse - vow of obedience. They were then called as “Brothers of the Christian Schools” or FSC
3 schools were already established
Words of DLS after his return to the brothers in Paris
What is "Here I am, what do you want me to do?"
Name of La Salle's house now
What is Hotel de la Cloche?
Occupation/affiliation of La Salle's father
What is magistrate?
Louis de La Salle, the future father of our founder, was a king’s counselor and president of the royal court in Reims. In 1650, Louis de La Salle married Nicolle Moet de Brouillet, the daughter of another king’s counselor, whose family was famous throughout the Champagne region for both their vineyards and their influence.
Mom side is religious, close with his lola
La Salle's spiritual adviser
Who is Nicholas Roland?
After his parents' deaths, advised him to continue his studies and resume path to priesthood. He became a deacon by 25 and priest by age 27. After 3 weeks, Nicholas Roland died. In his will, Roland bade DLS to oversee a group of nuns
He had a doctorate by age 29.
Where La Salle took the brothers after the conflicts
Where is Vaugirard?
Extended retreat to rekindle
Last words of Saint La Salle
What is “I adore in all things the will of God in my regard”
Moved to Rouen with Br. Barthelemy and the novices. 34 educational establishments through France, 100 brothers, 18 novices.
“I beg you for the love of God, my dear Brother, that for the future you think no more about consulting me on anything. You have your superiors whom you must consult on matters spiritual and temporal. For myself there is nothing now but to prepare myself for death which must soon make my final separation from all creatures.”
Clement affair was resolved.
Died at St. Yon on Good Friday. Throughout Rouen, and soon throughout the Society, word spread that “the Saint is dead.” But the providential extension of his life, work, and influence was just beginning.
Full name for the La Salle Brothers group
What is Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools?
Fratres Scholarum Christianarum, FSC
Number of siblings dead and alive
What is 6, what is 10?
Panganay out of 11 children
Sisters entrusted to the care of DLS
What is Sisters of the Child Jesus?
In his will, Nicholas Roland bade DLS to oversee this group. It was a difficult process to obtain papers, but DLS learned more about the educational system and political systems in Reims.
Members of Heroic Vow (2nd Vow)
Who are John Baptist de La Salle, Nicolas Vuyart and Gabriel Drolin?
Most important content of the Heroic Vow
Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, prostrate with the most profound respect before your infinite and adorable majesty, we consecrate ourselves entirely to you to procure with all our efforts the establishment of the Society of the Christian Schools in the manner which will seem to us most agreeable to you and most advantageous to the said Society.
And for this purpose, I, John Baptist de La Salle, priest; I, Nicolas Vuyart, and I, Gabriel Drolin, from now on and forever, until the last surviving one of us or unto the complete establishment of the said Society, make the vow of association and union to bring about and maintain the said establishment, without being able to withdraw from this obligation even if only we three remained in the said Society and if we were obliged to beg for alms and to live on bread alone.
In view of which, we promise to do, all together and by common accord, everything that we shall think in conscience and regardless of any human consideration to be for the greater good of the said Society. Done on this twenty-first day of November, feast of the Presentation of Our Lady, 1691. In testimony of which we have signed.