Prayer to Saint John Baptist De La Salle Patron of Educators

Prayer to Saint John Baptist de La Salle

O holy Saint John Baptist de La Salle, faithful servant of God and devoted educator of the young, you dedicated your life to forming minds and hearts in the light of faith.

Obtain for all educators the grace to teach with patience, wisdom, and love. Help them to see Christ in every student, especially the poor, the struggling, and the forgotten. May their words inspire truth, their example shape character, and their work bear fruit for God’s kingdom.

Intercede for teachers facing fatigue or discouragement, that they may find strength in prayer, joy in service, and perseverance in their calling. Guide educators to be instruments of hope, building communities of learning rooted in faith, justice, and compassion.

Saint John Baptist de La Salle, patron of educators and schools, pray for us.

Amen.

Saint John Baptist de La Salle, born in Rheims, France, in 1651, is revered as the Patron Saint of all Educators. He dedicated his life to providing Christian education, particularly for the poor, and is recognized as the Father of Modern Pedagogy. His work led to the establishment of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, also known as the Lasallian Brothers, a religious congregation focused on education.

De La Salle's journey began with his ordination as a priest in 1678. He soon became involved in education, initially with a girls' school, and then with Adrian Nyel to open schools for boys. He took a keen interest in the teachers, eventually inviting them to live in his home and training them in his developing educational system. Recognizing the unique opportunity to do good, he resigned his canonry and gave his inheritance to the poor to fully commit to organizing his teachers into a religious congregation. He also established juniorates to prepare boys from his schools for life as religious teachers and founded training schools for teachers in Rheims, Paris, and St.-Denis.

His innovative approach to education included writing books on his system, opening schools for tradesmen, and even founding a school for the nobility. Despite facing numerous setbacks and a tumultuous history for his congregation, he guided it with remarkable wisdom. Saint John Baptist de La Salle died on Good Friday, April 7, 1719, in Rouen, France. He was canonized by Pope Leo XIII in 1900, and Pope Pius XII declared him the patron of schoolteachers on May 15, 1950. His remains have been moved several times, finally resting in the chapel at the Christian Brothers Curia in Rome, Italy, in 1937.

The Lasallian community continues to share prayers and reflections inspired by his teachings, emphasizing faith, service, and communion. His influence is still felt today, with the Schools of the De La Salle Brothers present in nearly 80 countries worldwide.

OTHER PRAYER : "O God, You chose your blessed confessor Jean-Baptiste to give Christian education to the poor and to confirm young people in the way of truth, and through him You established a new religious congregation in your Church; grant that through his intercession and example, we may be inspired with zeal for Your glory and the salvation of souls, and be found worthy to share his reward in heaven. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen."