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This page was last edited on: Monday 3 February 2003.

• Saint John Baptist de La Salle was born in Rheims (France) on 30th April 1651. Thus 2001 was the 350th anniversary of his birth.  He died on the 7th April 1719, weeks before his 68th birthday.
• Saint John Baptist was officially declared as the Patron saint of teachers by Pope Pius XII in 1950.
• His feast day is the day he died - 7 April.  However, it is usually celebrated on the 15th May because of school holidays.
• Saint John Baptist was a qualified priest and Doctor of Theology.  He was also a very experienced teacher.
• The first De La Salle schools were amongst the first to be founded for poor boys.
• Saint John Baptist was responsible for introducing the very first fore-runner of the PGCE, organising at different times, three establishments for training teachers.
  (Source: "A Patron Saint for teachers" by Brother Benedict Foy in Catholic Life, November/December issue 2001, pgs 30, 31)
• For more information on Saint John Baptist de La Salle visit this web page:  http://www.delasalle.org.uk/fsc/jbdls.htm