7th April - Saint John Baptiste de la Salle - Independent Catholic News

7th April - Saint John Baptiste de la Salle - Independent Catholic News: Teacher and founder. St John was born at Rheims in France, in 1651 to a wealthy family. He was given a canonry as a young man. He trained for the priesthood at Saint Sulpice, In 1678 he became a priest, and could have continued living a rather relaxed life. Instead, he decided to devote himself to the education of poor boys. He gave up his canonry and fortune and set about training a group of young men who were the first Brothers of the Christian Schools. They established free schools in Paris, Rome and later England. The success of the congregation drew great hostility from professional schoolmasters and others.