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Edmund Rice was born in June 1762 in Ireland. Throughout his early life he was involved with the impoverished and ill-fed Catholic children of his community. Building on this commitment he began his work in the field of education. Edmund eventually opened a school for children and dedicated himself to training teachers who would devote their lives to prayer and to the teaching of poor children.
In 1802, Edmund Rice founded a Christian congregation to continue his work, and this congregation continued to grow until his death. To honor his memory, Ignatus Rice High School, was opened in 1938 on West 124th Street in Harlem. In October 1996, he was given the title "Blessed Edmund Rice" which is the first step in the process of being declared a saint.
In recognition of his devotion to the poor and uneducated, it is fitting that this bill would add the name "Blessed Edmund Rice Street" to West 124th Street, between Malcolm X Boulevard and Mount Morris Park West, at the site of Ignatus Rice High School in Manhattan.
For the reasons previously stated, I will now sign the bill.