The Christian Brothers came to India in January 1890. Four Brothers (Vincent Casey, Fabian Kenneally, Edward Aherne and Ambrose Flynn) arrived in Kolkata from Ireland at the request of Pope Leo XII. From Kolkata the Brothers moved to St. Patrick's, Asansol the very next year. In March 1892, the Brothers took over St Joseph’s School,Nainital, which was constructed 3 years earlier as a Capuchin Seminary.In 1894, a new building, the present red- brick structure, was erected in Bow bazaar and is now St. Joseph's College, Kolkata. This became the Head Office of the Christian Brothers till it was moved to St. Columba's New, Delhi in 1980.

One of the saddest and yet most human stories in the Bible is that of the Rich Young Man (Mt 19: 16-22). It is the story of a good-living, aspiring disciple who asked the Lord what he must do to receive eternal life. The answer: “Keep the Commandments”, to which the man honestly replied, “I have kept them from my youth.” Then said the Lord, “Go sell what you have and give to the poor…….. and then come follow Me”. The young man's face fell when he heard this and he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Many, many centuries later, another young man, Edmund Rice, asked the Lord the same question in prayer and he heard the same answer...

EDMUND RICE