More than two centuries ago, Edmund Rice looked out a window in Waterford and saw people in dire poverty. He looked into his own heart, trusted in the Spirit for guidance
and strength and was moved to compassion and to action as he answered God's call to serve the excluded and marginalised. Thus, the foundations of what has become the Edmund Rice Network throughout the world today were laid.
Throughout the past two thousand years, many Christians have responded to the gospel call to hear the cry of the poor and to respond through seeing, judging and acting - just as Edmund Rice did. In Beauty Through Broken Windows: Empowering Edmund Rice's Vision Today, editors Aidan Donaldson and Denis Gleeson have brought together a diverse range of international contributors who, inspired by the gospel call to service, looked at the world where they found themselves and responded. Beauty Through Broken Windows is a timely and valuable work that places Edmund Rice's vision and the gospel message in a wide range of contemporary settings. The reader will be moved and inspired by the contributors' courage, passion and commitment to serving others.