Teachers / John Baptist de La Salle, 1651â1719,
Feast Day: April 7
Giving up a life of ease as canon of Rheims, John Baptist devoted his life to the education of the poor. He donated his personal fortune to create a school to educate teachers. He was the founder of the Christian Brothers, an order devoted to the education of boys. There was much animosity toward his revolutionary teaching methods; he instituted the system of eight grades for primary school that we use today.
Other patronages: school principals