By Richard Shaw THE DE La Salle Brothers will celebrate the 350th anniversary of their founder's birth this week.
To celebrate the event, the Order has produced publicity material, which will be distributed in churches and schools.
Br Sean Sellors, the Provincial, said: "It is a chance to celebrate the life of a man who had a remarkable impact and who is still influencing others through the work carried on today by Brothers and by Lasallian men and women."
"His message and work is as relevant today as ever before. We are trying to respond to the situation in our own day. It is a good time to emphasise renewal in the spirit of St John Baptist de La Salle. We have to look again at our mission," he said St John Baptist de la Salle was born on April 30 1651 in Rheims in France. In 1680 he founded the De La Salle brothers to focus on education, especially of the poor. He was canonised in 1900 and made patron of all teachers of youth in 1950.