5th April - Blessed Edmund Rice
Have courage; the good seed will grow up in the children's hearts later on - Blessed Edmund Rice.
Blessed Edmund Ignatius Rice was an Irish, farmer, widower, founder of the Christian Brothers and the Presentation Brothers, who died in 1844. Blessed Edmund used all his financial means to care for his daughter and open schools for the poor children in Ireland. His first school was in a converted stable. As it was difficult to find teachers to stay and teach the children, whom many were brought from the streets, Blessed Edmund took on the work of educating new teachers. He devoted himself to finding individuals grounded in prayer and who were willing to volunteer their time. Edmund was beatified by Pope John Paul II on Oct 6, 1996.
