The launch of the Edmund Rice Beyond 250 Appeal took place at the Marino Institute of Education in Dublin on May 2nd.
This year marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of Edmund Rice at Callan, Co Kilkenny, Ireland. At 40 years of age, Edmund Rice decided to devote his life to the work of providing education for poor boys in 1802 and commenced his first school at Waterford, Ireland. Inspired by his example other like-minded men joined him which led to the founding of two religious congregations of teaching Brothers – the Christian Brothers and the Presentation Brothers.
Together the two Congregations are today carrying on the vision of their founder in more than thirty countries.
In 2007 the two Congregations jointly established Edmund Rice International to complement their ongoing work of education by promoting engagement in advocacy – particularly in regard to the rights of children and young people and the right to education – through the Human Rights Council of the United Nations in Geneva.
The Beyond 250 appeal is seeking to raise funds to support the work of the Brothers in the developing world, to provide education and training for the next generation of Brothers, to preserve the heritage and legacy of Edmund Rice through the International Heritage Centres and to fund the work of ERI in Geneva.
Click on the appeal logo above for more information.
This is a very progressive initiative that is going to enable in-depth interaction among Edmund Rice network members. Congratulations!