CHAPTER 1 :

 COMING BACK TO THE SOURCE

IF John Baptist de La Salle came back today...
“ If John Baptist de La Salle came back in Viet Nam today, what would he do?”

I- Itinerary of the foundation, a travel  plenty of ambushes

May we say about enculturation, the event of June 14, the day John Baptist de La Salle left his native home with his loving souvenirs of the  Marguerite street  for  a renting simple house in the eastern suburb of Reims, making the first cut in such an adventure which integrated him into the World of the poor. After the advices of father Barre’  to whom  he had been consulting in Paris: “You want to form your teachers to the piety and make them love their state because of their  good they can do .You have to lodge them into your house and live among them in society”[1]

John Baptist de La Salle had to reflect a lot before taking such a resolution. Was he able to form these teachers, ”these bad-civilized vulgar”[2] while staying in his house and owning a big  wealth? Himself will it be possible to keep for ever the Canon of the cathedral and at the same time to run the school ? Will he be able to transform  the “ workers and the poor’s children “ by his only some visits a week  while the social situation between himself and the children, between the rich and the poor was so far.

Will De La Salle be able to check closely the works of his own teachers ? “You say easily about it as you  are lacking nothing. Having a good Canonicate and owning such a patrimony, you are assured and already excepted from poverty. Even if our establishment failed down, you could  stand up on your own two feet….guys without wealth, without benefits and even  no jobs: where can we go, what happen to us if the school fall down ?”[3]

No doubt, the teachings of Saint Paul  effected strongly onto De la Salle during the interior endless fight that exceeded the human force. “Yes, liberated from all , I make myself the maid of all in order to earn the greatest  possible number. I shared the weakness of the weakest to gain even the weak . I make myself all to all to save pricelessly a few ones.“ (1Cor 9,19-20)

In fact, the example of saint Paul is only the reflection of Jesus himself. Himself, being rich, he however refused all to become poor in order to attract us to Him. He accepted the Total  human situation, except the sin, lived in a social context and historic concrete; accepted to integrate totally  in a concrete civilization. And he judged that was  the most perfect way to  bring human beings to God and help them  re-know their real personality and their destination. “He himself, being in the divine condition, did not judge to claim back his right to be treated as god. but  in the contrary, he himself threw off  to take the condition of the maid. Being the same as human beings  and  re-known as a man with his comportment, he reduced himself to get obedient till to die and to die on a cross.” (Ph 2,6-7)

During the several day-march on foot to leave for  Reims from Paris, De la Salle had a sufficient time to reflect on his decision after the wise and radical advices of the father Barré about the hard  privation” you have to live in their society”. At last, the consecutive events were realized : “ 0n June ,1682 Mister the Canon John Baptist De La Salle left his loved home  in St Marguerite street  with so many home souvenirs! In a quiet neighborhood, northern of Reims , he leased a modest habitation where he set himself with two or three young guys who were staying faithful to charitable schools…”[4]. It was the beginning of his insertion into the world of the poor to be poor with/for the poor. And his canonicate ? His demission was hardly accepted  by his ecclesiastic superiors. “ He was esteemed. His advices and examples were precious. And what an idea to designate as successor, instead of his young brother John Louis, the Abbe Faubert! Finally, after six months of constant proceedings , Monsieur De la Salle got satisfied on the 16^th of August,1863“[5]

Yet,the last privation: his patrimony. The occasion  arrived  in 1683-1684  during the starvation in his region.”He improved the opportunity to sell all his  personal possession and converted  it in food and clothes for the most un-provided people.” Since that day, De La Salle became “brother” of the poor,’brother” among his Brothers, he lived a life of these ”bad-civilized Vulgar “ , belonged totally to the group who accepted their poverty to serve the poor better and bring them the Salvation  with more success. That showed an extreme aspect of Monsieur De La Salle’s  originality. De La Salle lived radically what we called “ enculturation” 300  years later, the needing condition to be successful in all tentative of social integration. In addition, in the domain of evangelization, the cardinal Pham minh Man, archbishop of HCMC, remarked : “ The Gospel really  took roots  deeply only in case it penetrated  itself into the bottom of the culture and in the style of practical life of a person, a  people “.

2- HARD WAY OF  FOUNDATION

After his successful  intervention close to Monsieur Dorigny in order to open a charitable school in his parish Saint Maurice according to the assistance of Monsieur Nyel, De La Salle “entered  his tent“, persuaded to have nothing when getting out off it”[6]. IT was  in April 1679. The news  of success and the advantage of this first free school for schoolboys spread out quite fast. A certain lady of the Parish Saint James, very rich ,widow and lack of heirs, showed  his willing to open another one for the poor children in her Parish. De La Salle was cautious about this suggestion. Nyel, however, was daring, he met this lady whom he “discussed  indispensable material conditions for a good  school running”[7].And 5 months later, in September 1679, two classes  were in action there.

Conscious that a charitable school is a privileged mean to provide a Christian and human education to the children of workers and the poor, Nyel, active and enterprising ,” just has the first draft of one foundation he starts another one”[8]. So, during 3 years, from  1679-1682 , he did open “ three schools in Reims and four  others in Rethel, Château-Porcien, Huise et Laon”[9]. Obviously concerning the recruitment, he had no time to  betake himself of the quality of his teachers recruited before. He no doubt confided implicitly such a formation to Monsieur De La Salle as Blain wrote in his biography : “If  the simple lay man did not open gratuitous and Christian schools, if he did not make the pious canon in action to take care of it….”[10].

It was the richest time of the last years of the 17^th  and the beginning  of the 18^th century. Several new schools were everywhere: foundation of  schools in Chartres in 1699; the school of Calais in 1700,one of Troyes in 1701 and another  in Avignon in703….The success of these schools were however the source of multiple proofs. Many children  came directly from streets .Lots of others abandoned the courses of  the master-writers to join the Brothers’ classes. “ and the scenario of the year 1690  repeated ,dictated by the legislation concerning the schools so called “buissonnieres” e.g. Non-permitted: inventory and seizure of furniture, dispersion of the schools….M. De La Salle alerted, arrived at the moment that tables and benches, books and notebooks were passed through the doors and windows”. So, “ at the moment he thought he could find peace, M. De La Salle encountered  a well-ruled attack”[11].

“He was exposed, unprotected to the master-writers’ attacks and the subjects of the Grand Chantre. Treacheries twice threw down the so helpful and unusual seminary for the teachers of the countryside. However, at the same time ,the congregation of the Brothers  was known  all over the kingdom in spite of its being jealous , attacked ,shocked strongly in its  bases  and  sentenced by the court  of justice.”[12].

Other proofs happened consecutively. The ones  ended, the others arrived . De La Salle  worked for several years without  resting. He was at the end of his force , completely exhausted and fell in illness.

“A retention in urine troubled strongly his confidents“. “He (the physician) suggested a medicine and alarmed to decide on the life or the death of the patient, and the first and best thing to do then was to bring him  the last Holy viaticum [….]. After  the vicar’s leaving out , the doctor helped him have the most effective remedy he could make. The retention stopped , and he was able to have his food again .He recovered  in  a little time soon.”[13].

Some priests  wanted to” intermeddle with the daily life of the Brothers”[14]. The intervention of other vicars in the interior organization of the congregation just made M. De La Salle  to reflect on the destiny of his progeny. The intuition of M. De la Salle  to “ provide to the Brothers themselves all the responsibilities of their Society” was both unusual and revolutionary and wonderfully prophetic as 274 years later the Council of Vatican 2  stated precisely it in the Constitution  of the Church: "He who received  the ministerial sacerdotal enjoyed  a sacred power to form and lead the sacerdotal, to do in the function of Christ , the Eucharistic sacrifice and on behalf of the whole people; the believers  themselves , by their own royal sacerdoce contributed to the Eucharistic offering and practiced their sacerdoce by  receiving the sacraments, the prayer and giving thanks, the witness of a life and by their renouncement and their effective charity “.

                He thought that a Brother with his priest hood would be the best mean  to succeed him ,so he began to prepare one brother for it : Brother Henry L’Heureux ,young and strong…He taught him the Latin , had him take the theology lessons  and sent him to Paris to receive the sacerdoce. The sudden death of this brother in 1690 upset him. It was,no doubt  a hard proof for him. However, this event made him reflecting and helped him take such a marvellous  conclusion : “  The superior of this Society might not be a priest              but a lay one like all his brothers “ this became a distinctivenes of the Brothers vocation  ”They they would not be Priest nor  pretended to the ecclesiatic state “. [15]

                It was really the”most  ups and downs  time”,said Georges Rigault. Successes and defeats interpolated. New foundations were created, but  a few years later  collapsed : foundation of the second teaching seminary in the suburd of Saint –Marcel in 1699 and  closing it in 1705; Foundation the third one at Saint-Denis in 1709 and disappearance in 1712. The offensive of the teachers corporation against M.De La Salle “ spread out almost endlessly from february 1704 to october 1706”. “ From 1702 to 1712 , in Paris , the situation of M.De La Salle did not cease to be precarious and paintful”.[16] The year 1705 determined a glorious success  about the “ transfer of the Noviciate and the creation of  a boarding house in the rouenian domain of Saint-Yon”.[17] But it was also the year  De La Salle was seen  wander from the street of Charonne to the Princess street and  in Saint- Honore’ street , broken-hearted by the treachery of Vuyart “.[18]

                While the attacks  from  the Writing-Masters  were not appeased yet ,the turning out of office  struck by the cardinal de Noailles. It was  the year  1702.

                “ Monsieur, you are no more Superior of your community; I  made  another appointment  for it”.[19]

                So, on September 3th 1702, a person sent from the archbishop came to the Brother’s on a visite , announcing them  henceforth M. Abbe Bricot  will be their Superior . All the brothers “ showed their  unanimous protestation “ and proclaimed they “ do not regconize no one with the right to command them” The Vicar General gave this remark to  Mgr de Noailles : “ If all the religious were so attached to their Superior like the brothers  to M. De La Salle that the communities would be a paradise “.[20]

                However,” these good ecclesiastes “ wanting to separate the brothers out of their Superior  were not disheartened . Cunningly, they “ could detach six brothers in 1705 to leave off the community that  made the founder  in perplexity”. Especially, two of them, the first assuming the charge of the Sunday School,and the second “ Master of the novices whose brutality was  the cause  of the episcopal  inquiry”

[21]

                Supported by the priests of the cardinal’s  confidants and the canons, the Writing –Masters  raised new attacks and asked  “ Mr . d’Argenson to constrain Abbe De La Salle and his 18 brothers teaching without  licence of  the Chantre to stop at once their  activities ..”[22].The schools were closed.The Sunday School ceased the activities  for the second time .

                When in Paris the brothers were confronted the authorities and “ the Parliament of Paris gave the last beat to the defendant  by confirming a rough sentence from the Grand Chantre”,[23]while Paris  rejecting them, in provinces their schools  multiplied . In the only year 1707 , several foundations were born : in Mende, in Valreas,in Aleas and in Grenoble.

                De La Salle went to visit ,one  by one, all of these new foundations  to support the brothers both in spirituality and Pedagogy . He invited  the two brothers  from  Saint Laurent School to Marseille for instance to “ participate to the life of  Noviciate - Spiritual exercises, Meals , Relaxation “. He  warmly Welcomed there and “ got a lot of sympathies from the most humble and influential  people as well”. However, in the coming months later , such an enthusiasm  became extinct  litle by litle  and these two brothers sustained  hardly the  “ the requirements of M.De La Salle and went to complain to the members of the School department ”. Some of  them  understood and approved him , the others  - more numerous and  seemed more influencing – considered him  as “ a severe and inflexible man and because ot this spirit  their was nothing in favor to him “,wrote Don Maillefer [24].

                Being lived in the difficult years , enduring storms from  everywhere and especially experimenting

These events in Marseille,De La Salle “ began then  wondered if his task were from God or not or, if a work opposed by everyone, could be  his own personal idea “.[25] He wondered whether  his presence  really would draw the calamity onto the Institut or not , in Marseille and in Paris as well . Thus, the day

when brother  Director Thimothee came to announce him the definitive closing of the Noviciate of Marseille,” The courtesy of his reply could not hide a confusion : “ Didn’t  you know  my unsufficiency in commanding the others ? Did you ignore several Brothers seemed not to want me as their superior? “.[26] In such a state of spirit , he felt the need to live in the quietness alone. It was  at La Sainte Baume that he yielded completely in prayer and meditation  during forty days joining in the Dominican life. Nodoubt did he think in some moments,to finish his days in that loneliness .But, the call of his duty was much stronger than his taste of contemplation that he came back to join his Brothers.

                For a long time ago, De La Salle realized a necessity to select one of his Brothers as superior to replace himself, he decided on “ making true the project of election being ripe since 1686”.[27]A convocation of all Directors  at  Saint – Yon, and the 16^th of May 1717 had the goal  to realise this project. And Brother Barthelemy was chosen as the first successor of M. De La Salle. De La Salle  expressed his contentement : “ The Brother  did these functions  a long time ago “.

                As the Brothers had their new superior , De La salle drew aside and considered himself as one of the brothers submitted to their new Superior. Discharged of all administrative responsibilities, he deepened in prayer and wrote the Meditations, a booklet  named “ Explication of the Method of Meditation “ .

                His health being exhausted.He received the Extreme-Unction on the 5^th of April 1710. However, the proofs never left him. Just the moment he asked for the last sacrament,” he had to sustain a last and derisory proof : the suppression of his ecclesiastic diocesan powers!”[28].

La Salle responded to this last disavowal by a total abandon expressed through his last words :

                “ I adore in everything the Willing of God to my regard “.

An he breathed out on the 7^th of April 1719, two days later after this final proof.

                Thus, a hard way with plenty of bogs and flints having the name of lawsuits , deseases ...appeared in front of De La Salle. Several discouraged Brothers left out away . Deaths, refusal of his family, abandon of his disciples …It was really an adventure. If I encased such events in this Treatis , I would like to be more conscious that a great price to pay for such a heritage De La Salle has left to his disciples. It was a super human adventure , a moving sandy and  uneasy way that Blain, his biographer  clarified  following a confidential word of De La Salle to two of his friends  a day of May in 1716 : ” I will say you Sirs, that if God, showing me the good things this Institude could provide, making me know at the same time so many difficulties and tribulations  would follow it , I would not dare – because of my missing courage – touch  the point of my finger on it, far away  to take it in my charge. Being opposed to the contradiction ,I felt persecuted by so many Prelates , even by  people whom I hoped  help and supports”[29]