Saturday, November 9, 2013

Saint John Baptist de La Salle

Saint John Baptist de La Salle

Also known as
  • Father of Modern Education
Profile
Studied for the priesthood in ParisFrance, but quit to care for his brothers and sisters upon the death of his parents. When his siblings were grown, John returned  to seminary.Canon of RheimsFrance in 1667Ordained in 1678. Doctor of theology in 1680.
Spiritual director of the Sisters of the Holy Infant who were devoted to teaching poor girls. Founded the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools (Christian Brothers) in 1681, established and supported academic education for all boys. He liquidated his personal fortune, and his Brothers expected him to use it to further his education goals, but he surprised them by saying they would have to depend on Providence. The money (about $400,000) was given away to the poor in the form of bread during the great famine of 1683-1684Saint John kept enough to endow a salary for himself similar to that which the Brothers received so he wouldn’t be a burden on them.
He instituted the process of dividing students into grades; established the first teacher‘s school, started high schools and trade schools, and was proclaimed the patron of all teachers of all youth by Pope Pius XII in 1950.
Born

Saint Joseph Sebastian Pelczar

Profile

Transferred to Rome in 1866, he studied at the Collegium Romanum (Gregorian University) and the Institute of Saint Apollinaris (Lateran University). Doctor of theology and a canon lawyerProfessor at the seminary at Przemysl from 1869 to 1877, and at the University of Krakow from1877 to 1899, he was known as a great educator who was always available to studentsDean of theTheology Department. Rector of the University of Krakow from 1882 to 1883.
All the while he was teaching Joseph was still involved at the parish level. He worked with the SaintVincent de Paul Society and was president of the Society for the Education of the People for 16 years. He started hundreds of libraries, delivered free lecturespublished over a thousand books, wrote several books of history, theology and canon law himself, and started a school for servants. He founded theFraternity of Our Lady, Queen of the Polish Crown in 1891; the Fraternity cared for the poororphans,apprenticesservants, the sick and unemployed. Founded the Congregation of Sister Servants of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus on 15 April 1894 in Krakow to work with the sick and spread devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Bishop of Przemysl in 1900 until his death in 1924. He made frequent visits to the parishes, supported the religious orders, conducted three synods, and worked for the education and religious formation of his priests. He encouraged devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, Eucharistic devotions, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and the Virgin Mary. He built and restored churches, built nurseries, kitchens, homeless shelters,schools for the poor, and gave tuition assistance to poor seminarians. He worked for the implentation of the social doctrine described in the writings of Pope Leo XIII. He left behind a large body of work including books, pastoral letters, sermons, addresses, prayers and other writings.
Born