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The De La Salle Brothers, officially named the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools (Latin: Fratres Scholarum Christianarum; French: Frères des Écoles Chrétiennes; Italian: Fratelli delle Scuole Cristiane) abbreviated FSC, is a Catholic lay religious congregation of pontifical right for men founded in France by Jean-Baptiste de La Salle (1651–1719), and now based in Rome, Italy.
The Brother is an apostle whose life is dedicated to helping the pupils in their needs and problems. More than being a friend, he seeks to be a ‘brother’ to each one of them! The Brother is a catechist and an educator in the faith for his pupils. He speaks to them of God, teaches them the truths of faith and helps them to live their lives ...
St John Baptist de La Salle began the brotherhood based on values of love, compassion, justice and belief in the human dignity of each person. The Brothers began their work over 300 years ago, where they were mostly teachers based in different schools. To this day, over 3000 Brothers are working across 80 different countries around the world ...
Official Habit and Name — Now the First Superior. At the Brothers’ General Assembly in 1686, a distinctive habit was approved, a vow of obedience was taken, and the name “Brothers of the Christian Schools” was officially adopted. A year later, De La Salle insisted that the Brothers elect one of their own as Superior.
- Founder and Origins
- Mission and Identity
- Expansion
- Schools and Teaching
- Serving Brothers
- Changes and Decline
- Legacy
The Christian Brothers were founded in France by Jean-Baptiste de La Salle in 1680. Born in Reims in 1651, La Salle was from a privileged family, allowing him the opportunity to receive a classical education. In 1670, as a young aspirant to the priesthood, he enrolled in Paris’s famed Saint-Sulpice Seminary while simultaneously taking courses in ac...
Unlike their founder, Christian Brothers were not priests. La Salle argued that his congregation had a different, yet complementary, function: they would labour for the salvation of souls through Christian education; in helping to instill Catholic doctrine in the hearts and minds of youth, the Brothers would be valuable auxiliary servants to the cl...
Throughout the 18th century, the institute quickly expanded its membership, communities and schools, first across France and then elsewhere in Europe. In 1717, prominent Montreal-based fur trade merchant Francois Charon requested that the Christian Brothers come to New France. He thought that they might assist the Frères Hospitaliers de la Croix et...
Between their arrival and the 1960s, their program of studies changed from one that emphasized Catholic catechism and rudimentary academics to one that provided an extensive program of industrial and commercial subjects, humanities and sciences, university training and preparation for the religious life. Besides elementary schools, the Brothers est...
Though the congregation was founded to exercise an educational ministry, they reserved a place for members who were not teachers. This small minority of non-teaching Brothers were officially categorized as Serving Brothers and primarily performed domestic tasks. In Canada, their roles were primarily as cooks, gardeners, handymen or dorm supervisors...
In the wake of the Second Vatican Council (1962–65), members of religious orders such as the Christian Brothers were asked to analyze their congregations’ goals, structures and customs. Henceforth, there was much greater freedom for individual members to choose their clothing, their names and their living arrangements, and there was a growing sense...
The Christian Brothers in Canada contributed greatly to a flourishing Catholic school system in Quebec and helped solidify Ontario’s separate school system. They were tied together by common religious affiliation, gender, vows, employment and residency. Their community life differed from most Canadian residents — Catholic and non-Catholic alike — i...
The Brothers of the Christian Schools (De La Salle Brothers) is the largest religious order of Brothers in the Church dedicated solely to the mission of Christian education. The Institute’s headquarters, Casa Generalizia, is located in Rome, Italy. Learn more on the Institute website.
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Lasallian Spirituality. 3. Lasallian spirituality is a way of being in the world “by which persons seek to integrate their lives through cooperation with God in the ministry of human and Christian education, especially with those who are poor, according to the vision of John Baptist de La Salle.”. (7) 4.
