Solomon Le Clerq was the son of a wealthy French wine merchant. He was born on 14 November 1745 in Boulogne-ser-Mer, Pas-de-Calais, France as Nicholas.

Though his father wanted him to pursue the family business, Nicholas early discerned a call to religious life. On 25 March 1767, he entered the novitiate of the Brothers of Christian Schools and took the name Solomon. As a student, he was recognized for his piety and deep prayer life. Solomon had spent several years teaching at various schools throughout France and witnessed much of the political turmoil tearing his country apart.

He was the Director of novices for his community and used to engage in frequent correspondence with his brothers and sisters on spiritual matters. He was also Procurator in the Congregation’s mother house and Secretary to the superior general of the order.

In 1790 the Civil Constitution of the Clergy gave the state complete control over the Church in France. In order to continue to function, priests and religious were forced to take an oath to support the constitution. Most of the brothers refused and so were forced gradually to abandon their schools and communities. Eventually the Institute was deprived altogether of legal status in France.

In 1791, the brothers were forced to give up their schools, communities and religious identity, and to retire into civilian life. Brother Solomon stayed on at their property at headquarters in Paris, dressed in ordinary clothes and looking after the temporal affairs of the house as best he could. Eventually he was called upon to take the oath mandated in the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, which obliged citizens to swear in the presence of the municipal officials to be faithful to the new Constitution decreed by the National Assembly. This was something that Brother Solomon could not bring himself to do.

He was arrested on 15 August 1792 and imprisoned in the Carmelite monastery, which had become a prison, together with several bishops and priests. On September 2, almost all the prisoners were killed by sword in the monastery garden.

Solomon was beatified on October 17, 1926, together with 188 of his fellow martyrs. He was the first one of Brothers of Christian Schools’ martyrs and also the first Brother to be beatified.

Other Saints of the Day
1. Saint Agricola of Avignon
2. Saint Eleazar the Patriarch
3. Saint Ingrid of Sweden
4. Saint Margaret of Louvain
5. Saint Valentine of Strasbourg