John Baptist De La Salle

John Baptist De La Salle was a French priest taken by the needs of disadvantaged youth. Born to privilege, he dared to establish schools for poor children. The work led him to inspire young men to join him in the work. To gain their trust he relinquished his 17th century family status, distributed his wealth, moved in with the men and called them Brothers. Together they bloomed into a worldwide community who–until recently–numbered over eighteen thousand men educating tens of thousands of youngsters, largely the poor and underserved. For thirty years I was one of those men. While now married for a quarter century, the Brothers influenced my life in remarkable ways. In turn, they have also influenced my life as a ceramic artist. This sculpture is of the man before he died. It mirrors his tiredness as well as depth of character.