Blessed Arnoldo Rèche

Julian-Nicolas Rèche (2 September 1838 – 23 October 1890) was a French Roman Catholic religious of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools; he assumed the religious name of "Arnould" upon his profession in the congregation and became a noted educator. His childhood became characterized as one of great faith though dwindled towards a more secular path as he became an adult. His aunt's intervention prompted him to reevaluate his life, leading him to the De La Salle Brothers, whom he later joined and devoted his life to. He became a well-known educator and served in houses of the order until his death. Rèche's beatification - that Pope John Paul II approved and presided over - was celebrated in Saint Peter's Square on 1 November 1987. Julian-Nicolas Rèche was born in France on 2 September 1838 as the eldest of nine children to Claude Rèche and Anne Clausset - poor in wealth but strong in faith. His father was a devout shoemaker and his mother was prone to fits of depression due to their economic situation - his mother died in his childhood due to poor health. He recited rosaries each night as a child. His time at school became noted for his ardent commitment to his religious education. He was considered the sole student in his catechism class that was serious about the subject. He also began to teach it in turn to children in his town. Towards the end of his adolescence he moved to Charleville and began to drift towards a more secular life. He started to work as a coachman for a rich client and as a mule driver (1859–62) for a contractor who was in the middle of building a local church; fellow workers knew him best for his self-discipline. Rèche's aunt - who lived not too far from him at this time - convinced her nephew to make serious life changes and he began to attend evening classes of the De La Salle Brothers.