Blessed Edmund Rice
FOUNDER OF THE CHRISTIAN BROTHERS
The Early Years
BlessedEdmundRicewasborninthetownof CallanIrelandin1762 Hewasamemberofa largefamilyof9childrenandlivedonavery successfulfarm Edmund’schildhoodwasfullof activityandchallenge
Hewasaspiritedsportsmanandbecame involvedinhurling,running,jumping,and weightthrowing Hewasacompetenthorseman andrower UnlikemanyotherCatholicboysin thearea,Edmundattendedschoolwherehe learntthebasics
WhenEdmundbecameateenagerhewassent tothetownofKilkennytoreceivespecial businesstrainingfromanAcademy.At17,he movedtothethrivingportcityofWaterford wherehisuncleownedandoperatedavery successfulstoreandwarehousebusiness Edmundworkedwithhisuncleinassistinghim withtheorganisationandoperationsofthis merchantbusiness Hedevotedmuchtimeand energyinbuildinguphisuncle’sbusinesstoa significantstatusinthecity
Edmundwasgiventheresponsibilityforhis familyuponthedeathofhisfatherand administeredthefamilypropertyappropriately Hewasveryinvolvedinthelifeofthecityof Waterford Hewasadevoutchurchgoerand joinedagroupofyoungCatholicmenwhowere committedtodevelopingtheirspirituallivesas wellasperformingservicetoothers,especiallyto thepoorandneedyinthearea.
Hebecameinvolvedinassistingmanygroupsin thecityusinghisbusinessskills Edmund regularlyhelpedthehomeless,orphansand widows Hewouldvisittheelderlyandplayedthe roleofadvocateinupholdinglegalritesforthose whowerenotabletodefendthemselvesina societythatlookeddownonCatholics,especially thepoor Hisvisitstotheprisonsgavemany unfortunatesoulsgreatcomfortandsupport He alsotookontheroleofguardianforsomeyoung peoplewholosttheirparents
Waterfordwasaveryprosperouscitywithits wealthandpoverty Edmundandsomeofhis friendsregularlyvisitedtheslumareas Healso frequentedthemilitarypostsunchallenged, whichwasararephenomenonofthetime
Heenjoyeddancing,singingandregularlytook timetoenjoythemusicalcultureofthecity Poetrywasalsoafavouritepasttimeandspent manyhourswithhisfriendsenjoyingthisart form
ThegenerosityofEdmundRice,togetherwith hisdeepappreciationofthearts,hisloveofsport andhisdevotionandtohisfriends,arevirtues thatappealedtohiscontemporariesandledto hispopularitywiththosewhoknewhim
Blessed Edmund Rice Middle School Planner
Blessed Edmund Rice
Love and Marriage
At23yearsofage,Edmundmetandfellinlove withMaryElliott,ayoungwomanfromawealthy family Theysoonmarriedandweredeeplyin love Afterafewyearsofmarriage,Marydiedlate inherpregnancy.TheirdaughterMarywasborn prematurelyandwashandicapped.Hedevoted muchtimetoyoungMarywhilecontemplating hisfuturewithouthisbelovedwife Their daughterrequiredspecialistcaregivenher needsandthisbecamehispriority
Change of Lifestyle
Forthirteenyearsafterhiswife’sdeath,Edmund Ricewasdiscerninghisfuturedirection,which broughtwithitmuchconfusionandheartache
Hewasheavilyinvolvedinassistingthelocal churchwiththeirsupportprojects,especiallyin thesettingupofaconventschoolforpoorgirls bythePresentationsisters Heregularlyvisited thestreetsofWaterfordandcameacrossmany boyswhowereroamingthestreetsandgetting intomischief
The Christian Brothers
EdmundcontinuedhisworkatNewStreetwhile purchasinglandintheworkingclassdistricta fewblocksaway In1804,thenewschoolMount Sionwasreadyforoccupancyandthusthe traditionsofEdmundRiceEducationwereborn.
Edmund Rice Education
Edmund’ssystemofeducationwasbuiltupon thespiritualfoundationofhisstudentswhowere regularlyexposedtoprayer,instructionand reflection,aneducationfoundedonfaith
AtMountSionheestablishedabakeryand tailor’sshoptoprovidetheverybasicsoflifefor hisstudents Itisinterestingtonotethatas studentslefttheschool,hewouldprovidethem withasetofclothesthatwouldhelptheirimage intheirsearchforwork.Hegavethemhope, dignityandasetofvaluesbywhichtheycould findhappinessandfulfillment Heinspiredthem tobeleadersintheircommunitieswhereverthey maybe
Healsodevotedanextraordinaryamountoftime buildinguphisuncle’sbusinessandsought guidanceandwisdomthroughmanyBible passages Hisdevotionandcommitmentto volunteerworkincreased.Hewasbelievedto regularlyprofesstheadagethat“actionsspeak louderthanwords”
HisassociationwiththePresentationsisters excitedhimtoconsiderasimilarprojectforthe poorboysofWaterfordcity Itwasin1802that Edmundtogetherwithasmallgroupoffollowers openedaschoolforboysinadisusedstablein NewStreetWaterford
Thisventurewasextremelydifficultasmanyof theboyswereunrulyandundisciplinedandwere verydifficulttoworkwith Manyofhisearly followersdesertedhimduetotheharshnessof theconditionsandtheboys
By1812,hehadopenedsixschoolsinsixcitiesor townsandhehadabrotherhoodofteachers workingwithhimtohelpovercomeevilwith good.Itwas1820whenEdmund’sbrotherswere officiallyrecognisedbythePope
Hewasamanofgreatfaith,integrityandhonour whomovedquietlythroughouthiscommunities toofferpeoplehopeandcouragetobecome whattheydreamttobecome Hewaspassionate inhisservicetopeopleandtogetherwithhis humilitygiveshimherostatus
Heencouragedhisstudentsandhisbrothersto seekexcellenceinallthattheydidsothatthey mightachievethebestpossibleoutcomesfor themselvesandtheirsociety.
The Expansion
Beginningin1825,thebrothersopenedschools inEnglandfollowedbyopeningsinCanada, UnitedStates,Australia,NewZealand,Italy,India, LatinAmerica,PapuaNewGuinea,Africaand Asia.Thousandsofbrothershavetaughttensof thousandsofyoungpeoplearoundtheglobefor over200yearsThelegacyofBlessedEdmund Ricecontinuestoflourishthroughouttheworld eventhoughthenumberofbrothershas diminished
The Future
Themanypeoplewhohavebeentouchedbythe spiritofBlessedEdmundRiceindiverseways willcontinuetosharehisvisionanddreamin newwaysintothefuture.
“Live Jesus in our hearts. Forever”.
Middle School Planner