The Key Events in the Life of St. John Baptist de La Salle

This list of biographical events is intended to give an overview of the life of St. John Baptist de La Salle

Birth and baptism – Reims (first-born; only child for three years). Early education at home

30 April 1651. Age 1-9

Enters College des Bons Enfants – Reims

10 October 1661. Age 10

Receives tonsure in archbishop's chapel

3 November 1662. Age 11

Becomes godfather of Jean-Louis, his brother

25 December 1664. Age 13

Named Canon of Reims Cathedral

9 July 1666. Age 15

Takes possession of canonry at the cathedral

7 January 1667. Age 15

Receives Minor Orders – Reims

17 March 1668. Age 16

Completes Master of Arts - Reims

10 July 1669. Age 18

Completes first year of theology - Reims

15 July 1670. Age 19

Enters St Sulpice Seminary & Sorbonne - Paris

October 1670. Age 19

Death of his mother - Reims

20 July 1671. Age 20

Receives certificate for Sorbonne courses, “De Trinitate” & “De Incarnationis Mysterio”

27 July 1667. Age 20

Death of his father – Reims

9 April 1672. Age 20

Ordained subdeacon - Cambrai

2 June 1672. Age 21

Becomes legal guardian of the six children

23 June 1672. Age 21

Receives certificate for Sorbonne courses, “De Gratia” & “De Sacramemntis”

6 December 1676. Age 21

Canon Roland become his spiritual director

1672 – 1676. Age 21 – 25

Receives Licentiate in Theology - Reims

3 July 1673. Age 22

Attempts to resign his canonry to become, parish priest at St. Pierre-le-Vieil - Reims

Jan. – March 1676. Age 24

Archbishop of Reims refuses his request to resign canonry

13 March 1676. Age 24

Ordained deacon - Paris

31 March 1676. Age 24

Reaches age of legal majority

30 April 1676. Age 25

Ceases (for a time) to be legal guardian of his brothers and sisters

9 June 1676. Age 25

Ordained priest on Holy Saturday - Reims

9 April 1678. Age 26

Death of Canon Roland; becomes his executor

27 April 1678. Age 26

Pierre & Jean—Remy leave the family home at the urging of Jean Maillefer; Jean—Louis remains

1678. Age 27

Meets Adrian Nyel – Reims

Early March 1679. Age 27

Witnesses marriage of Jean Maillefer & Marie

20 March 1679. Age 27

Rents a house near his own for Nyel’s masters

Christmas 1679. Age 28

Helps establish a third school in Reims

Early 1680. Age 28

Receives doctorate in theology – Reims

July 1680. Age 29

Reassumes legal guardianship of Jean—Louis, Pierre& Jean-Remy

1680. Age 29

The schoolmasters begin to take their meals in his house

1680. Age 29

Has a nearly fatal accident on a country road

Winter 1680-81. Age 29

During Nyel's long journey, the masters spend the whole day at his house, except for school hours and nights

Holy Week 1681. Age 29

Lodges the masters in his own house

24 June 1681. Age 30

Most of the first masters leave; others more disposed to community and Gospel join

Late 1681 – early 1682. Age 31

Moves with the masters to a house in rue Neuve

24 June 1682. Age 31

Experiences incompatibility between directorship of masters & canon's duties (5-6 hours daily)

Late 1682. Age 31

Over 9—10 months, accepts Barry's advice to resign canonry and finally convinces his own spiritual director of this move

1682 – 83. Age 31

Archbishop Le Tellier finally consents to his resignation of the canonry

16 August 1683. Age 32

Ceases to be legal guardian of his 3 brothers

1684. Age 33

Hesitates over distribution of his patrimony, convinces his spiritual director to let him follow Barre's advice, gives his wealth to the poor, keeping only the customary 200 livres annual, income, plus money for books & travel.

1984 – 1685. Age 33

Assembly of the small communities ("You are yourselves the legislators"); with 12 Brothers, makes a temporary vow of obedience; Brother l’Heureux is elected superior, but ecclesiastical authorities force DLS's reinstatement.

Ascension – Trinity Sunday 1686. Age 35

Death of Father Barre

31 May 1686. Age 35

Death of Adrien Nyel

31 May 1687. Age 36

Leaves Reims for Paris to take over the school of St* Sulpice and to extend the Society beyond the one diocese of Reims.

February 1688. Age 36

Serious illness during his visit to Reims

Late 1689. Age 38

Death of Brother Henri l'Heureux

1689 – early 1690. Age 38

Second school in Paris; first lawsuit by Paris masters of the little schools (successful appeal)

1690. Age 38

No new recruits, several Brothers ill, much opposition, house in Reims declines: DLS is "greatly perplexed"

End of 1690. Age 39

Death of his grandmother, Perrette Lespagnol

7 October 1690. Age 40

Makes perpetual vows with Drolin & Vuyart

21 November 1691. Age 40

Establishes Novitiate at Vaugirard - Paris

1691- 1692. Age 40

Receives portion of grandmother's inheritance

23 June 1693. Age 42

Disastrous famine

1693 – 1694. Age 42

Resigns as superior during assembly of principal Brothers at Vaugirard, but Brothers re-elect him

30 May – 6 June 1694. Age 43

Makes perpetual vows with 12 Brothers: association, stability & obedience; declaration that no ecclesiastic may be superior

6 June 1694. Age 43

Jean-Louis de La Salle, younger brother of Jean-Baptiste named Canon of Reims

20 October 1694. Age 43

Removed from superiorship by Cardinal de Noailles - Paris

Circa 1694. Age 47

Tension with de La Chétardie of St. Sulpice

1698 - 1706. Age 47-55

New lawsuit by Paris masters of the little schools on charges of receiving payment from students: case dismissed for lack of proof

1699. Age 48

Painful knee injury and surgery

Circa 1699. Age 48

Schools established in 15 cities

1699 - 1711. Age 48 – 60

Sends Gabriel and Gerard Drolin to Rome

Late 1701. Age 50

Repeated condemnations in suits & closure of Paris schools brought about by writing masters A masters of the little schools

February 1704 – February 1706. Age 52 – 54

Transfers Novitiate to Saint Yon (Rouen); earliest manuscript of the Rule

1705. Age 54

Canon Jean-Louis de La Salle publicly supports Jansenism

1705. Age 54

Paris Parliament forbids him to establish any community as "masters"; loses right to teach

19 March 1706. Age 54

Plans with young Abbe Clement at St. Denis a seminary for country schoolmasters

1708. Age 57

Transfers Novitiate from Saint Yon to Paris because of the great famine caused by the severe winter

1709. Age 58

Gabriel Drolin in Rome is given direction of a papal school

1709. Age 58

Visits the South of France. Published his first edition of the ‘Collection’

1711. Age 60

Death of his sister, Marie de La Salle Maillefer

23 March 1711. Age 60

Convicted of defrauding Abbé Clement

31 May 1712. Age 61

Second visit to South of France; opens Novitiate in Marseilles (initial success)

1712. Age 61

Papal Constitution. Unigenitus. condemns Jansenism

1713. Age 62

Opposition in Marseilles because of his refusal to support the Jansenist faction

1713. Age 62

Serious attack of rheumatism

Circa 1713. Age 62

Period of self-effacement and doubt. During this period he withdrew to Parménie, South of France

1713 - 1714. Age 62 – 63

His brother, Jean-Louis, defends Jansenism in the Reims Chapter

1714. Age 63

Letter from the principal Brothers of Paris commands him to return from Parménie to the Brothers in Paris 

1 June 1714. Age 63

Returns to Paris

Summer of 1714. Age 63

He transfers Novitiate back to St. Yon; resides there

1715. Age 64

Brother Barthélemy visits all communities in preparation for a General Assembly (Chapter)

1716. Age 65

De La Salle sets up a fund to support his brother, Jean-Rémy

28 November 1716. Age 65

His brother Jean-Louis is suspended from Reims Chapter of Canons for adhering to Jansenism

9 December 1716. Age 65

His brother, Jean-Rémy, is committed to a mental institution

15 February 1717. Age 65

First General Chapter elects Brother Barthélemy Superior of the 22 houses of the centralized and independent Society of the Christian Schools

22 May 1717. Age 66

The Regent, in the name of Louis XV, grants letters patent to the community of Moulins

1717. Age 66

Spends a period in retreat at the seminary of Saint Nicholas du Chardonnet

October 1717 – March 1718. Age 66

Property of Saint Yon is purchased; the Brothers call de La Salle back to Saint Yon

1718. Age 67

Signs his last will and testament

3 April 1719. Age 67

De La Salle dies at Saint Yon on Good Friday. 

"At his death, the Institute had 27 houses, 274 Brothers and 9,000 pupils in France", - Battersby

7 April 1719. Age 67