The History of the
Presentation Brothers
At the heart of the Presentation Brothers is the story of a man who stepped back from life’s trappings to focus on his faith and who dedicated his life to help others find their way to Christ.
Our Origins
The story of the Presentation Brothers goes back to 1802 and the life of Edmund Rice who was a rich merchant in the busy shipping port of Waterford city in the south east of Ireland. Edmund and his wife Mary lived a comfortable life until tragedy struck, and Mary died in an accident. She had given birth to a baby girl just before her death, and Edmund named his daughter Mary, after his wife.
Having lived through a time of great tragedy and pain, Edmund gained a deeper compassion and empathy for those who suffer. Edmund then made the decision to embrace a different kind of life. He made sure his daughter was cared for by his family and being extremely conscious of the hardship endured by poorer people, he made a commitment to give up the comforts of wealth. He established a school in a converted stable where a group of companions joined him in work and living in the loft above their classroom. Edmund and his group prayed together and shared their lives and possessions in mutual support as a Community – and this would become the foundation of the Presentation Brothers.
In 1808, following the example of Nano Nagle and the Presentation Sisters, Edmund and his companions took vows of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience – devoting themselves to the education of poor boys. They were known as the Society of the Presentation.
The Two Branches of the Family
Edmund Rice’s founding charism birthed two congregations – the Congregation of Presentation Brothers and the Congregation of Christian Brothers.
In the early days, when Edmund first began to attract followers to his way of life, they formed themselves into a small group of companions, living in communities in different dioceses, subject to the authority of the local bishop.
The early Brothers embraced a form of the rule of the Presentation Sisters, adapted for men. They were known as the Society of the Presentation, sometimes colloquially called ‘Gentlemen of the Presentation.’
After about twenty years, a papal brief was secured from Rome, allowing the Brothers to become a papal institute.
The majority of the Brothers accepted the papal brief and elected Edmund Rice as first Superior General. The new rule borrowed heavily from the rule of the Brothers of the Christian Schools in France (De La Salle). The institute now became known as the Brothers of the Christian Schools of Ireland.
Some Brothers however, notably Michael Augustine Riordan in Cork, continued as the Presentation Brothers and lived by the original Presentation Rule, subject to the local bishop. They, in turn, became a Pontifical Institute in 1889.
Since these early days, the Presentation Brothers felt called as missionaries, and over the years Communities of Brothers were founded in USA, England, Canada, the West Indies, Ghana, Peru and Nigeria.
Blessed Edmund Rice
Edmund Rice was beatified by Pope John Paul II at a special ceremony in St. Peter’s Square in Rome on 6th October 1996 on a beautiful autumn morning.
The Pope referred to the life and work of Edmund Rice in his homily.
The following day, at a Mass of Thanksgiving in St Peter’s Basilica, Cardinal Cahal Daly spoke about Edmund’s legacy.
Pope John Paul II’s Homily at the Beatification of Edmund Rice – An Excerpt
Rome, 6th October 1996
“Blessed Edmund Ignatius Rice is a shining example of the fruitfulness of the Christian life when, as St Paul writes to the Philippians, we “fill our minds with everything that is true, noble, good and pure” (cf. Phil 4:8-9). Here we have an outstanding model of a true lay apostle and a deeply committed religious. The love which he first gave to his young wife and which, after her untimely death, he always showed for his daughter, blossomed into a host of spiritual and corporal works of mercy, as he helped the clergy of his parish meet the pressing needs of his fellow citizens oppressed by poverty and the weight of anti-Catholic legislation.
The Spirit eventually led him to the total consecration of himself and his companions in the religious life. Today, his spiritual sons, the Christian Brothers and the Presentation Brothers, continue his mission: a mission which he himself described in this simple and clear intention: “Trusting in God’s help, I hope to be able to educate these boys to be good Catholics and good citizens.” Who will ever measure all the good that has come from the spiritual insight, warm heart and determined faith of Bl. Edmund Ignatius Rice? Once more Ireland has given the Church and the world a striking testimony of complete fidelity to Christ: “Keep doing all the things that you have been taught by him…. Then the God of peace will be with you” (cf. Phil 4:9).”