Twenty Facts About St. Marcellin Champagnat and the Marist Brothers
1. St. Marcellin Champagnat was born on the 20th of may, 1789, in France.
2. His parents were peasant farmers.
3. He only went to school for a small amount of time, as he did not have great academic capability and the teachers were strict and would punish brutally. By the time he was 11, he had made up his mind that he preferred the farm to the books.
4. When he was a young boy, a priest recommended that Marcellin studied priesthood. Marcellin did so, and found the first few years of his study quite difficult.
5. In 1805, he went to a seminary with the money he had earned from raising sheep.
6. Despite the fact that he was older than most of his classmates, Marcellin failed his first year at the seminary and was sent home. He was readmitted because of the efforts of his mother and local parish priest.
7. He often went to pubs during his first year in the seminary, so much so that he was considered a member of "the Happy Gang", a group of people from the seminary who frequently went to taverns in their free time. He adopted a more sober lifestyle in his second year.
8. Marcellin was not a natural good worker, however through hard work he was finally ordained.
9. Marcellin Champagnat was ordained when he was 27 years old, on the 22nd of July, 1816.
10. On the 2nd of January 1817, St. Marcellin Champagnat formed the Marist Brothers with two other young men.
11. In 1818 the first Marist school was opened. Marcellin made the timetable so that the students had time to go and help their parents on their farms.
12. His first school had low fees, suitable for the budget of most rural families. Sometimes, if Marcellin knew that a family couldn't afford his fees, he would let them in for free.
13. Marcellin Champagnat became very sick, and so in 1838 he stepped down as leader of the Marist Brothers. He was succeeded by Brother Francis.
14. Marcellin Champagnat died in 1840 after a long and painful battle with cancer. He was 51 years old.
15. At the time of Marcellin's death, there were 278 Marist Brothers and 48 Marist schools.
16. The Marist Brothers were officially approved in 1863 by Pope Pius IX.
17. Marcellin Champagnat was declared venerable in 1920 by Pope Benedict XV.
18. He was beatified by Pope Pius XII in 1955.
19. Marcellin Champagnat was canonised on the 18th of April, 1999 by Pope John Paul II.
20. The feast day of St. Marcellin Champagnat is on the 6th of June.
2. His parents were peasant farmers.
3. He only went to school for a small amount of time, as he did not have great academic capability and the teachers were strict and would punish brutally. By the time he was 11, he had made up his mind that he preferred the farm to the books.
4. When he was a young boy, a priest recommended that Marcellin studied priesthood. Marcellin did so, and found the first few years of his study quite difficult.
5. In 1805, he went to a seminary with the money he had earned from raising sheep.
6. Despite the fact that he was older than most of his classmates, Marcellin failed his first year at the seminary and was sent home. He was readmitted because of the efforts of his mother and local parish priest.
7. He often went to pubs during his first year in the seminary, so much so that he was considered a member of "the Happy Gang", a group of people from the seminary who frequently went to taverns in their free time. He adopted a more sober lifestyle in his second year.
8. Marcellin was not a natural good worker, however through hard work he was finally ordained.
9. Marcellin Champagnat was ordained when he was 27 years old, on the 22nd of July, 1816.
10. On the 2nd of January 1817, St. Marcellin Champagnat formed the Marist Brothers with two other young men.
11. In 1818 the first Marist school was opened. Marcellin made the timetable so that the students had time to go and help their parents on their farms.
12. His first school had low fees, suitable for the budget of most rural families. Sometimes, if Marcellin knew that a family couldn't afford his fees, he would let them in for free.
13. Marcellin Champagnat became very sick, and so in 1838 he stepped down as leader of the Marist Brothers. He was succeeded by Brother Francis.
14. Marcellin Champagnat died in 1840 after a long and painful battle with cancer. He was 51 years old.
15. At the time of Marcellin's death, there were 278 Marist Brothers and 48 Marist schools.
16. The Marist Brothers were officially approved in 1863 by Pope Pius IX.
17. Marcellin Champagnat was declared venerable in 1920 by Pope Benedict XV.
18. He was beatified by Pope Pius XII in 1955.
19. Marcellin Champagnat was canonised on the 18th of April, 1999 by Pope John Paul II.
20. The feast day of St. Marcellin Champagnat is on the 6th of June.