RICE, EDMOND IGNATIUS. – Founder of the Institute of the “Brothers of the Christian Schools of Ireland” (v.), b. at Callan (County Kilkenny) on 1 June 1762, d. at Waterford on 29 August 1844.
Educated as a Catholic within his family and subsequently in clandestine schools, since persecution against Ireland was still continuing, at the age of 17 he went to Waterford to live with an uncle, who intended to introduce him to his business and make him his heir. The business prospered in his hands, but, deeply affected by the loss of his young wife, he turned toward a life of religion. Moved by compassion for the many abandoned children, he put his affairs in order and in 1802 opened the first school for them at Ballybricken, a poor district of Waterford, thus initiating his great and unprecedented apostolic work. Soon abandoned by the two salaried teachers who had joined him in the work, he had to undertake the task of instructing and educating the boys alone; but other teachers soon came forward, and the first religious community of Waterford was founded (1806), enabling it to open other schools as well. In 1808 the first vows were made, and the number of houses increased: Corke, 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 chose to retire to the novitiate house at Mount Sion to prepare for death through prayer.
He left many schools organized in Ireland and throughout Europe. The 1951 statistics report: 6 provinces (Ireland, India, North America, Australia, England, and South Africa) and two separate houses, Rome and Buenos Aires, with 2496 professed religious distributed among 237 communities and 102,192 pupils.