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Dr. Hussey, the Bishop of Waterford, slipped back into Waterford in late 1802 or early 1803 and was very pleased to hear of the work of the Presentation Sisters and Edmund Rice.

However, he became quite peeved, when he became aware that Dean Hearn, who had acted for him in his absence, had deeded ecclesiastical property over to Edmund Rice over the signatures of three priests, and he hadn't been told about it. The fact was that he hadn't been around, since he had been forced to leave the country. The Bishop lost interest in Edmund, who became aware of it.

Edmund drew up a Deed of Assignment of the entire premises and gave over the property in total to His Lordship, who duly registered it and they became friends again.

By his actions, Edmund had risked all. The Church had full ownership. Dr. Hussey blessed the building and he named the new monastery MOUNT SION.

The upper floor had seven bedrooms and the first storey two classrooms.

John Mulcahy of Kilmacthomas joined the young community and the four lived an ordered religious life in the monastery.

The day before he died, Dr. Hussey signed a Will that ensured the future of Mount Sion as a school with Edmund Rice declared to be a master for life.

On 1st. May 1804, Mount Sion School being complete was opened and blessed by the new Bishop, Dr. John Power, a good friend of Edmund's.

At the same time that Mt. Sion was opened, Edmund and his brothers wished to form a religious congregation and he had looked to Dr. Power to initiate proceedings with Rome to obtain papal approval.

Ireland, at this time, had never had a male lay-religious congregation. There was no precedent from which a diocese could work to form such a congregation.

By 1807, three schools and monasteries were in existence, Mt. Sion, Dungarvan and Carrick-on-Suir, after a lot of astute negotiation and dealing. All were subject to Dr. Power.

The brothers had no ecclesiastical status, partly because Edmund hadn't looked for it formally due to the political climate.

Using the Presentation Sister rule as a starting point and with the blessing of Dr. Power, on 15th. August 1808, eight men assembled from all three houses and made Temporary Vows according to the rule and constitution of the Presentation Sister Order. This confirmed them as religious with diocesan approval.

Dr. Power instigated the procedure to get the full approval of the Church by writing to the Holy See in the person of Pope Pius VII and received a favourable reply by 1809.

Rome wanted a set of rules and constitutions.

Dr. Power saw the way clear to allow the brothers to make Perpetual Vows. Exactly a year later, the brothers, after a spiritual retreat of eight days, took perpetual vows of Poverty, Chastity, Obedience and the Gratutitous Instruction of Youth. This last vow was unique.

The process of getting full papal approval was to take many years and we need to digress from this matter for a while to clarify more problems that arose.