Blessed Edmund Rice was born to Robert and Margaret Rice, prosperous Catholic tenant farmers, at Callan, Ireland, on 1st June 1762. As a young man, he moved to Waterford and began to work for his uncle in the shipping business. He did well at his trade and became quite wealthy by the time he was in his early twenties. He married Mary Elliot at the age of twenty-three, and the future looked rosy. In 1789, his pregnant wife was seriously injured in an accident, dying shortly after giving birth to their daughter Mary, who was born with disabilities. His uncle appointed him his heir, but his recent tragedy caused Edmund to reflect thoroughly on his life and vocation.
He thought about leaving everything behind and joining a monastery. However, one day, as he talked about his vocation and future with a friend, a ragged group of poor boys walked by on the street. On seeing the boys' plight, his friend exclaimed: "What! Would you bury yourself in a cell on the continent rather than devote your wealth and your life to the spiritual and material interest of these poor youths?" At the age of 40, Edmund changed his life's mission and sold off his business to start a school for poor boys. He founded his first school in Waterford, Ireland, in 1802, intending to help poor boys become good Catholics and citizens.
To advance the Apostolate, he founded the Presentations Brothers, a religious congregation of men dedicated to providing education to the poor. By 1825, Edmund and his 30 Christian Brothers provided free education, clothing, and food to about 5,500 boys in 12 different towns. Edmund received much of his strength, courage, and confidence from his strong devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and frequent reception of the Holy Communion. He encouraged the boys to visit the Church daily to pray. He died in 1844 and was beatified in 1996 by Pope John Paul II, who called him "an outstanding model of a true lay apostle."
Blessed Edmund Rice, intercede for all students and teachers that they may be bestowed with the divine gift of wisdom.
#blessededmund #feast #shalomworldprayer
Prepared and updated by:
Jonathan Fabian Ginunggil,
Penampang, Sabah Malaysia.
No comments:
Post a Comment