Priest · Feast day April 7
St. John Baptist de la Salle
The feast day of St. John Baptist de la Salle is April 7, a memorial in the US Catholic calendar. Traditionally invoked as patron of teachers.
Life
A wealthy canon of Reims drawn, almost against his will, into the schooling of poor boys — until he gave away his fortune in a famine, moved in with his rough schoolmasters, and founded the Brothers of the Christian Schools.
He invented much of modern schooling: classes taught in French rather than Latin, students grouped by ability, teacher training colleges, Sunday courses for working men. Twice his own order rebelled against him; he died in obscurity in 1719. He is the patron of teachers.
Patron of
Tradition invokes St. John Baptist de la Salle as patron of teachers.
Patronages are traditional, not an official list. All patron saints in Bless, A to Z.
In the calendar
The upcoming dates, through December 31, 2028, when Bless’s Today screen shows St. John Baptist de la Salle. Where the US calendar keeps another celebration that day, it is named instead and no rank is given.
Readings
No dates are left in Bless’s published calendar, which runs through December 31, 2028. St. John Baptist de la Salle keeps April 7 in Bless’s calendar of saints: see the saints of April.
All the saints of April Born on April 7? A saint for every day
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