Monsieur de La Salle had the idea of setting up gratuitous schools where the children of workmen and the poor would learn reading, writing and arithmetic, and would also receive a Christian education through catechisms and other forms of instruction appropriate for forming good Christians. For this purpose he brought together a group of young unmarried men. He strove to have them live in a way which was consistent with the end of their Institute, and in order to renew the life of the first Christians... he composed Rules for them." This quote from a Memoir written in Rouen in 1721 expresses succinctly what John Baptist de la Salle had achieved between 1679 and 1719. The history of our Institute since then has seen the Brothers move beyond France to 85 countries. Today, the Brothers minister, together with over 60,000 lay colleagues, to more than 700,000 students.

(From De La Salle Christian Brothers Official Website)