The Opening of the
Redeveloped Mt Sion Heritage Centre
The opening of the redeveloped historic
Mt Sion site on Barrack Street Waterford is to take place
in the first week of February. The new Edmund Rice Chapel
is to be blessed and dedicated by Bishop Lee on Sunday 3rd
of February and the Museum is to be opened by An Taoiseach,
Mr Bertie Ahern on Friday 8th February. For two weeks,
commencing on Sunday 27th January, a series of previews
will take place to acquaint local groups with the features
of the redevelopment.
During the week of Openings, celebratory events include the
performance of a One Act Play on the life of Edmund Rice by
Br Dan Casey of the United States, a lecture on Edmund Rice
by Irish historian Mr Daire Keogh, and a Gala Concert at
the Theatre Royal.
A central feature of the development is the Edmund Rice
Chapel. The mortal remains of Blessed Edmund Rice have been
placed within a tomb in this Chapel. The Chapel will be
open to the public and available for a range of liturgical
and prayer celebrations and activities. It is expected that
the tomb of Edmund will become a focus of pilgrims from
around the world. The sculptures within the Chapel are the
work of well known Irish artist, Mr Fergus Costello.
The new museum which has been designed and constructed by
the Yorkshire based museum consultants, Janvs, is housed in
some of the period buildings at Mount Sion, including the
former chapel and band room which date back to the mid
nineteenth century. This heritage centre will allow
visitors to relive the Edmund Rice story through an
atmospheric and interactive museum which will take them
back in time to 18th century Waterford, to visit a 19th
century schoolroom, and to see personal items associated
with the businessman who went on to found two Congregations
- the Christian Brothers and the Presentation Brothers,.
These Congregations, following the spirit of the Founder,
are serving the needs of the marginalised in thirty five
countries around the world today.
The total development program at Mt Sion also included the
renovation of the three storey monastery. The third floor
has been redeveloped as a community residence for an
international community of Christian and Presentation
Brothers who are ministering in a number of ways to
marginalised people and youth of the area. Other levels of
the former monastery have been converted into facilities
for an outreach to recent arrivals, migrants and refugees,
computer facilities for disadvantaged people, as well as
retreat facilities and conference centre facilities for a
wide variety of groups.
With the completion of landscaping enhancing the beauty of
the site, the Mt Sion property has been rejuvenated into a
centre which is not only is a tribute to the memory and the
person of Edmund Rice but it is a place very much alive
with his spirit today..