SMU Magazine Winter 2001 - Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

IN SEARCH OF
Saint John Baptist de La Salle
Images and sayings of Saint John Baptist de
La Salle are everywhere on the Saint Mary’s
University campus, from postcards to statues
to the prayer regularly heard during convocations
and classes.
But who was this saint and what relevance
does he have to a modern-day, liberal arts university
in Minnesota?
Born in 1651, John Baptist de La Salle was the
eldest son of an influential family in Rheims,
France. His involvement with the church began
early in life. He became a canon in the cathedral at
Rheims by age 16, an honorable position that provided
additional income for his family. While in
the seminary of Saint Suplice in Paris, De La Salle
taught religion to children of a parish in the most
crime-ridden part of
Paris. It was to be
his first taste of
what would become
his life’s work.
De La Salle
fully intended to
work among the
wealthy people of
his area but this
plan was dramatically
changed in
1671. Both of his parents died that year, leaving
him in charge of the family’s affairs and his
younger siblings. Only 20 years old, De La Salle
realized he needed advice and turned to his friend
De La Salle Christian Brothers and SMU
The Christian Brothers first
came to Winona, Minn. from
the Saint Louis District in 1911
at the request of Bishop Patrick Heffron.
Their first duty was to bring
Catholic secondary education to the
community. They opened the first
class of 120 boys on Sept. 5, 1911
under the name Cotter High School.
They operated the school for almost
40 years until 1952 when they left the
administration of the school to the
First retreat of the Christian Brothers held at Saint Mary’s in August 1926
Diocese of Winona.
Meanwhile, Saint Mary’s College
began in 1912, again under the direction
of Bishop Heffron. At first, the
teachers were diocesan clergy and lay
professors directed by the bishop.
However, the Brothers at
Cotter High School also
began supplying teachers
to Saint Mary’s as
early as 1913.
In 1933, the diocese
decided to sell the College
because of financial
difficulties caused by the
Great Depression. The
purchase fulfilled the
Christian Brothers’ need
14