St. John Baptist de La Salle
St. John Baptist de La Salle was born to a wealthy family in Rheims, France on April 30, 1651. He was ordained priest and became Canon of the Cathedral of Rheims. Seeing the poor children in the streets, he opened his first school in 1679.
He trained teachers and organized them into a religious community called the Brothers of the Christian Schools.
He gave up his wealth in favor of working for the Christian Education of the poor and the neglected.
He introduced reforms in the educational system for the benefit of the children. He died in 1719, was canonized in 1900 and declared Patron Saint of all Christian teachers in 1950.
St. Br. Benilde Romancon
“Sanctity does not consist of doing extraordinary things, but in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.”
- Pope Pius XI on St. Benilde Romancon's Beatification
Saint Brother Benilde Romancon was was the first La Salle Brother to become a saint. He was born in Thuret, France on June 14, 1805. He was christened as Pierre, meaning rock, and received the religious name of Brother Benildus (Benilde in French).
His forty-two years as a Brother saw him as an excellent teacher and an equally good administrator.
Though short, he stood tall in the sight of God as he lived an ordinary life in an extraordinary way. Over 300 of his student became Brothers or Priests. He died on August 13, 1862 and was canonized on October 29, 1967 by Pope Paul VI.