He was born in Ireland on 1 June 1762 in a town

called Callan. The nine children (seven boys and

two girls) received his education under the
parental roof by teachers who traveled from
House to House. Following the example of his
mother, Edmundo would bring children from the
neighborhood to his house and gave them food.
After feeding them.
His business led Edmundo to the
Quays of Waterford. Here also
met with crowds of boys that he
could not go to school by the
penal code, which prevented the
education of Catholics. Edmundo
sold his business and opened his
first school in an old barn, in New
Street, Waterford, in 1802. A
friend told him it would be better
if Edmundo would invest their
energy and fortune for the
benefit of the poor children.
Edmundo was married to Mary Elliott in 1785. The
young couple lived in Ballybricken, a district of
Waterford. In 1788 the Rice were expecting the
birth of their first child. However, tragedy struck
the happy life of Edmundo. The Lady Rice died in
January 1789. Your child was born invalid; Edmundo
took this very heavy cross with resignation. Her
sister came from Callan to care for your home.
When Mary was fourteen years, Edmundo took her
to Callan where his married brother was in charge of
raising her as his own daughter.
Mount Sion school was built to accommodate approximately one
hundred boys in each classroom. All the boys learned to read, write
and mathematical operations. When the boys grew were added
other useful accounting, geography and navigation courses.
Each school had a library. Boys wore books home to read to their
parents who could not read.
 DIFFICULTIES

Every new foundation presented Edmundo to itself with

new challenges and difficulties. He had already spent all
its money in Waterford. Money was not
staying for other foundations.
Most of the schools were in poor districts. The Brothers
suffered hardly the poverty.
Nevertheless, Edmundo was cheering them up in its
vocation.
 BAKERY AND TAILORING

On Mount Sion Edmundo built a bakery and a tailor's shop. School children were
hungry. His parents were too poor to feed them. Arriving at school each morning
the boys received freshly baked bread.

In addition to feeding the boys, Edmundo noticed that the children were very
cold because of the inadequate clothing they wore. Tailors were used to make
clothes for the boys.