This historic collection is widely considered the most beautiful and complete artistic reflection in stained glass of Saint John Baptist de La Salle’s life and his work with the Brothers of the Christian Schools. Ten windows guide viewers through key moments in the Saint’s life — from his childhood in Reims, to the vows he took with his Brothers, to his death in Rouen and his glorification in heaven, where he is welcomed by Christ and acknowledged as a great teacher by Saint Ignatius Loyola. Two additional windows — depicting the Nativity of our Lord and Jesus as teacher (“Suffer the Little Children to Come Unto Me”) — help to provide the gospel context for the De La Salle narrative.

As part of the patrimony of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, these historically important artifacts help to connect present-day Manhattan firmly with its rich past. Beyond that, as powerful works of art, they tell the story of De La Salle in ways that touch the heart, as well as the mind, inspiring deep appreciation of the life and work of De La Salle and of the charism of the Brothers.