Trinity Catholic High School

On October 6, 1996, Brother Edmund Ignatius Rice of the Christian Brothers and the Presentation Brothers, was beatified in Rome by Pope John Paul ll.

This recognition of Edmund's sanctity provides a model for married couples with their many responsibilities and worries; for parents with children who are challenged in any ways; for Christian teachers everywhere, who are encountering ever greater difficulty in imparting the Catholic Christian message; as well as for contemporary business people who are striving, in our secularized, money-minded society, to reconcile the possession of great wealth and power with Christian living.

Edmund Rice was born on June 1, 1762 in Callan, Ireland. Penal laws were being relaxed and the ruling class attitude of looking down on trade and commerce allowed a minority of enterprising Catholics to improve their position. Edmund Rice made efforts to provide an acceptable Catholic education for the poor. He did not bend like so many others when confronted with grave injustices of long standing duration; but, trusting in Divine Providence and his own God-given gifts, he chose rather to follow that inspirational battle-cry of all reformers:

Some see things as they are and say why?

I dream of things that never were and say why not!

Edmund received an education that was denied to a majority Catholics.

At the age of eighteen Edmund became an apprentice to his uncle, Michael Rice. His uncle grew to rely on Edmund. At age twenty-four received the business from his uncle. He married Mary Elliott and were a popular couple. Mary later died in childbirth. The baby was of very frail health and required nursing care for the rest of her life.

Edmund attended daily mass, and spent much time each day in prayer and reading the scriptures. He gave generous financial assistance to the poor, sick, homeless, widows, alcoholics, prisoners, beggars and young street kids of the town of Waterford. His particular concern was for the young who, without help, were destined to grow up in ignorance, delinquency and vice.

In 1793 he would contact the wild and uncared-for boys who roamed the streets of Waterford. He was able to convince some of them to attend school at his home in the evenings. In 1803 he took his first steps believing it was God's will for him and sold his business and committed his accumulated wealth for the education of poor boys. With the funds from the sale of his business he built the first school and called it Mount Sion. Two men came along at the right time and assisted him in teaching thus... forming the nucleus of a religious community. And so the first Christian Brothers' community was born.

Edmund died on August 29, 1844.