RICCE, EDMOND IGNATIUS. - Founder of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools of Ireland (q.v.), b. at Callan (County Kilkenny) on 1 June 1762, d. at Waterford on 29 August 1844.
Educated as a Catholic in his family and later in clandestine schools, since persecution still persisted in Ireland, at the age of seventeen he went to Waterford to live with an uncle who wished to introduce him to his business and make him his heir. The business prospered in his hands, but deeply struck by the loss of his young wife he turned his thoughts to a religious life, until, moved to compassion by the many abandoned children, he settled his affairs and in 1802 opened in Ballybricken, a poor quarter of Waterford, the first school for them, thus giving rise to his great and new work of apostolate. Soon abandoned by the two salaried teachers he had taken on, he had to face alone the task of instructing and educating the boys; but other teachers soon came forward and the first religious community of Waterford was founded (1806), which was thus able to open other schools. In 1808 the first vows were made and there was an increase in houses: Cork, Dublin, Limerick, etc. Pius VII approved the new Congregation in 1820; in 1822 R. was elected Superior General and remained in office until 1838, when he wished to retire to the novitiate house at Mount Sion to prepare himself in prayer for death.
He left many schools organized in Ireland and in Europe. The 1951 statistics give: 6 provinces (Ireland, India, North America, Australia, England and South Africa) and two separate houses: Rome and Buenos Aires, with 2,496 professed religious, distributed in 237 communities and with 102,192 pupils.