Brother Asclépiade, FSC
Translated and edited by Leonard Marsh, FSC, Ph.D.
Abstract
This report examines the early expansion efforts of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools from 1718 to 1845, focusing on its gradual establishment in North America, particularly the United States. It recounts multiple attempts-often hindered by political, logistical, and contextual challenges-before achieving lasting foundations in Canada and later in U.S. dioceses, such as Baltimore and St. Louis. Drawing on historical records and correspondence, the study highlights the resilience, missionary zeal, and adaptability of the Brothers. These early initiatives laid the groundwork for the Institute’s enduring educational mission and influence across the American continent in subsequent decades.
Full Text
Keywords
Lasallian expansion; early missions; United States; Catholic education
About the Author
Brother Asclépiade, who resided in Paris, was the archivist of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools at the time that this report was completed (August 5, 1885). Notes of an historical or biographical nature have been added to the translation of this document to provide 21st-century readers with a bit of context. The late Brother Robert Kinzler, FSC, unearthed the manuscript in the St. Louis diocesan archives and brought it to the attention of the translator.
Brother Leonard Marsh, FSC, Ph.D., who earned his doctorate in French language and literature at Boston College, is a professor emeritus of La Salle University in Philadelphia.
ISSN: 2151-2515
© Christian Brothers Conference 2025.