Edmund Rice: was he merely a charity giver or was he also a social justice activist?

ALL OF US are aware to some extent of the dichotomy in the Church between those whose focus is the practical hands-on provision of charity to the needy, and those who argue that structures need to be changed if the needy are truly going to be lifted out of poverty. It is an age-old question as to where we should place our priorities. If we give a poor person a fish we provide them with one meal. If we can provide them with a fishing rod we can potentially feed them indefinitely. In this article Peter Hardiman sets out to explore where Edmund Rice stands along this continuum between being a dispenser of charity and being a social justice activist. He sets his essay within the context of asking how we, the modern day followers of Edmund Rice, might focus our activities along this continuum.

HEN LOOKING BACK AT HISTORICAL FIGURES our general purpose is to better understand our own questions as to what is needed for today. This is particularly so in the case of Edmund Rice, especially when we are aware of the tension today between giving in charity and seeking justice or bringing about structural change.

There are some pithy ways where this duality is brought into focus. Give a person a fish and you can solve their hunger for now. Give them a fishing line and you give them a livelihood. Or as Dom Helder Camera said: "When you give food to the hungry, they call you a saint. But when you ask why the hungry have no food, they call you a communist."

We have many Edmund Rice ministries today where the emphasis might be on 'giving the food' as in the Edmund Rice camps movement-though they will be quick to point out they do a lot more than that! On the other hand the Edmund Rice Centre for Justice and Community Education is more towards the "ask them why the hungry have no food" end-though they too will probably say there is a need to provide food first. It might seem that there is something of a continuum between providing food at one end and asking the why questions at the other.

So, where did Edmund Rice stand on this continuum? Will his stance clarify ours, even when our questions might be different?

   Compassion in action

Let's start with what would seem to be pretty obviously the providing food end. It is well known that Edmund established both a bakery and tailor's shop at Mount Sion to provide the basics for the poor who would attend his school. Furthermore, he was lavish in his provision of First Communion breakfasts for the new Communicants. In a multi-faith capacity he associated himself with the Mendicity Asylum. Its purpose was to provide sustenance to those families driven from the rural areas after the collapse in farm prices at the conclusion of the Napoleonic War. He was very generous in providing fresh vegetables from the monastery garden as well as meat and poultry. (The Mount Sion students would earn some much needed pocket money by tending the garden.) When he transferred the governance to Dublin he sent £20 (almost half a community's annual stipend at the time) through Sir John Newport M.P., requesting his name be not used and expressing the hope that the benevolent organisation would not go under.

As trustee of several wills made out on behalf of the poor, he was scrupulous in making sure the money reached them, and was prepared to spend his own money in alleviating their needs until such time as the money was forthcoming. Thus we can see in his account books many instances. For example:

Columba Normoyle made a very pertinent comment regarding Edmund's account books: 'Edmund certainly knew the poor of Waterford.' Of course much more could be said about this aspect of charity to the poor by Edmund. One thing we can be certain of. His would not have been a hit and run mission where he had very little communication with the people he was dealing with. In his writing he named people and often had a feeling word to describe them. If in his letters to the Sisters he was quite at home with a playful jest or piece of gossip, you can be sure that, face-to-face, he would have been even more homely and humorous.

   Empowerment of the poor

If we return to the bakery and tailor's shop for a moment, we can observe the empowering aspect of such services. Clearly, trying to do your lessons on a hungry belly is not on. And tiredness would quickly ensue. No, to provide food was to enable the students to gain their education and was thus empowering. Likewise to be properly and warmly clothed enhanced personal dignity and self pride. It was a distinct advantage in the learning process. This could be extended further when we look at those who were being outfitted in order to present well for work. And when parents and apprentices came after hours to Mount Sion they experienced the full effect of catechetical and secular programs of study, which enabled them to appreciate their faith, or sit for navigation exams if that was their aim.

But before Edmund had established his schools he was already hard at work enabling the newly founded Presentation Sisters to establish themselves in Waterford. Initially it meant buying a suitable plot of land for them. Then it was to offer his services as an investment agency so that their dowries could remain secure, but yet give a good yield in interest (10%). While collecting the rent on those investments around Westcourt, he was able to keep regular contact with his own daughter, Mary, who, during her adolescence, was in the care of his brother and his wife. It was enabling actions such as these that the well known recipients Black Johnny, Poll Carthy and Charles Bianconi benefited from. Such was "Brian Cooney's" gratitude and regard for Edmund and his work that he became a principal donor by way of suits and rolls of material.

   Partnership in compassion

As an extension of the enabling function of Edmund's outreach to the poor we have to mention the collaborative nature of it. One of the great myths surrounding Edmund is the notion that he was a very wealthy man. In fact he had fewer resources than both Nano Nagle and Catherine McAulay. Once he had built Mount Sion at an initial cost of £2,000 pounds his investments provided barely enough for the community to live on. Any thought of expansion had to be by way of public appeal which he engaged in with his customary expertise. Catholics and Protestants alike, especially the Quakers, were very generous in their support. Even his bakery and tailor's shop were totally reliant on outside support to keep them viable. Shrewd man that he was, he invited people to subscribe to these pressing needs. Once on the books, they were reminded that their annual subscription was due at the appointed time! This initiative of forging a partnership between the well off and the poor was a hallmark of Edmund's vision. He was always a both-and man, not disparaging the rich, nor despising the poor but attempting to bring the two together for their own liberation. Nor was it just in terms of seeking finance. Educationally he advertised in the local press that the Mayor would be conducting examinations in the school, and that the public were most welcome to attend and observe the achievements of the boys. It then provided an opportunity for fostering employment opportunities.

   Advocacy for the poor

As a young man Edmund impressed the business community with his sound judgments and degree of business expertise. After the tragic loss of his wife they detected a subtle and gradual shift towards his advocacy for the poor. Initially it was with the Distressed Housekeepers, those widows of sea-captains and others who were now indigent. Soon people were asking him to be trustee of their wills some of which was to benefit the poor. When a certain will was challenged the Penal Laws were invoked as prohibiting Catholic charities from being recognised. That challenge failed but a compromise was entered into whereby Edmund was appointed Trustee, but a Protestant group administered the money. This is where Edmund showed he was thoroughly imbued with the old Celtic notion of charity with justice. He spent his whole life fighting the Commissioners of Charitable Donations and Bequests who obstructed him at every turn. Just one example from all the correspondence should suffice:

I am sure you will acknowledge that it is too bad that I should be obliged to go to Dublin so often for the purpose of settling this account.... I have written by this post saying that I would be up in a few days and I am determined never to quit it till paid the balance.

Perhaps his most famous case of using the full force of the law to advocate on behalf of the poor might be when he engaged the two foremost lawyers in Ireland, Daniel O'Connell and Lalor Shiel to recover an estate worth £2,250 which was meant for the education of the poor in Thurles. Clearly Edmund could see the need for bringing on the heavy artillery in this instance. Then as now, drawn out litigation just meant the lawyers got most of the money. The London Court of Chancery decided in Edmund's favour and legal fees were only £1/2/6 for each of three lawyers! What we are seeing is that Edmund was quite prepared to take a stand against injustice. He was also prepared to change unjust structures.

   Unjust structures

His attempt at obtaining a teacher's license was initially refused. Not to be outdone he sought support from his local Member of Parliament, Sir John Newport, and other prominent citizens who vouched for his integrity. Though careful not to alienate the Establishment, his foundation of a male religious order was in contempt of the law and even the 1829 Catholic Emancipation Act. For reasons, which I outline in my book, I think we can set aside (on this one occasion) Columba Normoyle's considered opinion that Edmund Rice was not a member of the three man party of heads of male religious institutes that met with the British Prime Minister Wellington and his Minister Peel. They hoped to convince the Government that maintaining the ban on male religious orders was unjust and did nothing to improve relations between the Establishment and Catholics. They were not well listened to except to be told that only the Attorney General could act on the legislation. Edmund was able to tell the Chapter of Brothers that Daniel O'Connell's considered opinion was that they were safe because the Attorney General would never act on it. It was a harrowing time for Edmund and the chapter insisted that he have a relaxing holiday at the mineral springs of Cheltenham in Gloucestershire.

But it was not just with the secular authorities that Edmund had his battles. When Bishop Power who opened Mount Sion died, Edmund supported a petition from neighbouring Bishops that Robert Walsh be a most unsuitable candidate. The Vatican in due course realised the mistake in creating Walsh as Bishop of Waterford. What aided their education was that Edmund had to defend himself against the accusations brought by Walsh that there was grave misappropriation of money vested with the diocese. He had to argue very assertively with Rome that, as trustee, he fully complied with the previous Bishop Power's spending on the local seminary. To recover the money would mean that the poor would suffer and he would not be party to that.

In another matter he defended the Brothers' withdrawal from Gibraltar to the Vatican Department of Propagation of the Faith. It was unjust to expect the Brothers to work in a hot climate without the relief of the long vacation. This did not prevent him, though, from delivering an almighty 'boot' to the Brothers themselves who simply left for Ireland without leave or a proper working through of the issues!

   Restoring to people their dignity

So what does this say of Edmund? Clearly he was intimately joined with the poor and fed, clothed, turned schools into hospitals, and visited the prisoners on death row. The humanity of each person deeply affected him the more so if they were deprived in any way. Where structures led to injustice he was intent in removing them and friendship with Bishops or other highly placed people did not stop him. His intent was that everyone should have their place in the sun. The train which was Edmund was prepared to shunt between both ends of the line beginning with charity and compassion and ending with dismantling unjust structures.

Br Peter Hardiman cfc