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 Aug. 1844.
Educated as a Catholic in his family and then in clandestine schools, because persecution against Ireland still continued, at the age of 17 he went to Waterford to an uncle who wished to set him to work in his business and leave him his heir. The business prospered in his hands, but, deeply struck by the loss of his young wife, he turned to resolutions of a religious life, until, moved to compassion by the many vagrant children, having set his affairs in order, he opened in 1802 at Ballybricken, a poor quarter of Waterford, the first school for them, thus giving origin to his great and new work of apostolate. Soon abandoned by the two salaried teachers whom he had joined in the work, he had to face alone the task of the instruction and education of the boys; but other teachers were not slow to present themselves, and the first religious community of Waterford was founded (1806), which was thus able to open other schools as well. In 1808 the first vows were made and there was an increase of 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 of Mount Sion to prepare himself in prayer for death.
He left many schools organized in Ireland and in Europe. The statistics of 1951 give: 6 provinces (Ireland, India, North America, Australia, England and South Africa) and two separate houses: Rome and Buenos Aires, with 2496 professed religious, distributed in 237 communities and with 102,192 pupils.
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