ARTICLES ON BLESSED EDMUND RICE By John E. Carroll 1 RÉAMHRÁ Is é atá sna leathanaigh seo a leanas ná smaointe an Bhráthar Seán E. Ó Cearbhaill i dtaobh Éamoinn Bheannaithe Rís, bunaitheoir na mBráithre Críostaí. Scríobh Seán mar altanna iad nó thug sé mar léachtaí iad ar ócáidí éagsúla. Bhí siad i gcló cheana in The Christian Brothers’ Educational Record (eagarthóirí éagsúla), nó in Wellsprings (eag. An Br. Seán de Barra, nach maireann), nó in Nuachtlitir ón Edmund Rice League of Prayer (eag. An Br. Aodán ó Caoinnleáin, nach maireann) agus ó fhoinsí eile. Is é an tUasal Mícheál Ó Cearúill M.A. a bhailigh iad agus is é an Bráthair Micheál F. Ó Catháin CFC a chuir in eagar iad. Táthar ag cur athchló orthu ar maithe le háisiúlacht, in ómós don Bhr. Sheán E. Ó Cearbhaill agus don sár-obair a rinne sé ar son chúis an Bhunaitheora, agus ag súil go n-aidhnfidh sé breis deabhóide d’Éamonn Beannaithe Rís. FOREWORD The following are talks and articles by Br. John E. Carroll about Blessed Br. John E. Carroll Edmund Rice, the founder of the Christian Brothers. They have been collected by Mr Micheál Ó Cearúill MA, a friend of Br. John E. and edited by Brother Micheál Ó Catháin. They have previously appeared in the Christian Brothers’ Educational Record (various editors) or Wellsprings (ed. Br John Barry, RIP) or the newsletter of The Edmund Rice League of Prayer (ed. Br Aidan Quinlan RIP). They are reprinted here for covenience, in honour of Br John E. Carroll and to increase devotion to Johnny’s hero, Blessed Edmund Rice. 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS FROM THE EDUCATIONAL RECORD 1. An Appreciation of Edmund Rice, 1972 2 2. Renewal in the Spirit of the Founder, 1973. 12 3. From Mount Sion to the Ends of the Earth, 1977 23 4. Edmund Rice and the Spirit of Poverty, 1978. 33 5. Edmund Rice and Vatican II, 1979. 40 6. What is a founding Charism? 1979. 46 7. Edmund Rice and the Blessed Sacrament, 1980. 49 8. John the Baptist and Edmund Rice, 1982. 53 9. The Reality of Edmund Rice, 1985. 54 10. An Edmund Rice Discovery - Two new letters, 1986. 58 11. Edmund Rice and Canonisation in the Heart, 1988. 62 FROM WELLSPRINGS 12. Edmund Rice, A Man for Today’s Journey 69 13. The Essential Edmund Rice 73 14. Edmund Rice and the Penal Laws 76 15. Blessed Edmund and St. Teresa of Avila 83 16. From Charism to Mission to Ministry 90 17. Seeds for a Revolution 103 NEWSLETTERS FROM THE EDMUND RICE LEAGUE OF PRAYER 18. An early pupil of Blessed Edmund 106 19. Blessed Edmund and the Jesuit Fathers 108 20. Blessed Edmund and the Cry of the Poor 110 21. Blessed Edmund and Carlo Bianconi 112 22. Blessed Edmund and some Long-ago correspondence from Africa 114 23. Blessed Edmund and the Lost Pearl 116 24. Blessed Edmund and the Mendicity Institute 118 25. Blessed Edmund and the Providence of God 120 26. Blessed Edmund Rice Remembered 122 27. Blessed Edmund Rice, the Waterford Connection 124 3 28. Edmund Rice, Some Waterford Traditions 126 29. Edmund Rice and Blessed Frederick Ozanam 128 30. Edmund Rice and the Cholera Epidemic of 1832 130 31. Edmund Rice, Loving Parent 132 32. Edmund Rice’s Bethlehem 136 33. Graces attributed to the Intercession of Edmund Ignatius Rice 139 34. The Death and Funeral of Blessed Edmund Rice 141 35. The Lawyer and Blessed Edmund Rice 143 36. The Mind of Edmund Rice, from the History of the Institute 145 37. The Newness of Blessed Edmund Rice 147 38. The Spirituality of Edmund Rice 149 39. The Wife of Blessed Edmund Rice 151 40. The Wonder of Blessed Edmund Rice 153 41. What the Newspapers said at the Death of Blessed Edmund 155 OTHER ARTICLES 42. A Tea Party in honour of Edmund Rice 158 43. Blessed Edmund Rice and one of his many Friends 159 44. Blessed Edmund Rice in the early days of the Congregation 161 45. Blessed Edmund Rice, New Sources 162 46. Blessed Edmund Rice’s Golden Book 164 47. Blessed Edmund, one of God’s Giants in difficult times 166 48. Blessed Edmund’s daughter 168 49. Br. Rice of Pim Street 171 50. Brother Rice and some school difficulties 173 51. Early Tributes to Edmund Rice 175 52. Edmund Rice and North Richmond Street 177 53. Edmund Rice and the City of Dublin 184 54. Edmund Rice and the Great Famine of 1845-1848 192 55. Edmund Rice and the Lofty Wall 194 56. Edmund Rice: Mass for Students 197 57. Edmund Rice, the Man from Callan 200 58. God’s Gift to Blessed Edmund Rice 204 59. God’s Merchant Prince 206 60. Letter from Edmund Rice to his brother, John 217 61. The Families of Blessed Edmund Rice 218 62. The Mind of Blessed Edmund Rice from his letters 220 63. The Rice Family 221 64. What Edmund Rice means to me. 223 4 Section 1. ARTICLES FROM THE EDUCATIONAL RECORD* *Published periodically by the Christian Brothers, Rome. 1 1 1. An Appreciation of Edmund Rice Edmund Rice was brought up in a district where the children had been well instructed in Christian doctrine and fully prepared for the reception of the sacraments.2 He came from a family of high religious and social standing and of considerable material prosperity.3 Moreover he had received a much better education than the great majority of Catholic boys of his time.4 At the age of sixteen he arrived in Waterford, where he entered on a career with his uncle, a provision merchant, who later left him the business, in which he was very successful. He was on familiar terms with many of the better class families of the city and took a full part in the life of a highly cultured society.5 HIS NATURAL GIFTS In the prime of life “he possessed in an eminent degree those qualities which constitute greatness. He was endowed with a powerful intellect. His knowledge of human nature was deep and comprehensive. To the most consummate prudence were united unbending courage, indomitable energy, and untiring perseverance.”6 He married happily but the shadow of the cross, which was to be with him for the remainder of his life, fell heavily on him, and his young wife died in 1789.7 SPIRITUAL LIFE While continuing his commercial affairs with an ever increasing success, the Faith he had received from his parents in early life took deeper root. His spiritual life developed, expressing itself in prayer, spiritual reading, and works of charity. “He attended Mass daily, summer and winter, at 6 a.m. and went to frequent if not daily communion, in the Cathedral.”8 He also frequented the neighbouring Church of St. Patrick, where the ministering clergy were the Jesuit Fathers. One of these, Father St. Leger SJ, was his personal friend, at whose house he was a frequent visitor.9 “He also said the Office of the Church daily – it may have been the Office of Our Lady, and he was very devout to the Mother of God.”10 His soul was nourished by the reading of the Bible, in which he noted many of the texts that referred in a particular way to his business transactions.11 He was also very familiar with the Spiritual Combat, the vide-mecum of St. Francis de Sales.12 Another book with which he was familiar was The Feasts, Fasts, and other Observances of the Catholic Church.13 THE CRY OF THE POOR Gradually the idea of adopting a contemplative life formed in his mind, but numerous difficulties presented themselves and he received no encouragement from his brother, Father John Rice OSA.14 But his interest in the poor continued and he began to focus his attention on the boys of the city. Some of these, poor and hungry, “he would bring into his own private house and give them bread and clothes.”15 “He felt himself strongly inclined to the instruction of the poor in consequence of the number of boys he daily met wandering about the streets and the suburban roads of the city in idleness and in its usual attendant vices.”16 SEARCH FOR GOD’S WILL Was God calling him to this special work? He went to visit Doctor Lanigan, the bishop of his native diocese, who “assured him that, in his opinion, the idea proceeded from God,”17 and 2 advised him to dispose of his property and “to apply the money thereby obtained in building and endowing a house and school for the glorious object he had in view.”18 Having received this guidance, Edmund Rice wrote to Pope Pius VI and explained the project he wished to undertake. He was “encouraged by him to proceed with it.”19 A START IS MADE His mind was made up. “Everything was adverse; everywhere was difficulty; but in Edmund Rice there was that happy combination of those noble qualities which eminently fitted him for gigantic action, and made him less consider the magnitude of obstacle than the means of overcoming them.”20 It was at this critical stage in his vocation that he showed the unbounded trust in Providence that became such a feature of his spirituality in later years. He sold his business and with a worldly imprudence, reproved by his brother, Father Rice,21 and with no group of disciples to assist him opened his first school in a stable in New Street.22 “New Street in his time was a residential quarter and it is but natural to expect that the inhabitants objected to his boys.”23 “One prominent Protestant, who resided in then No.