Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-26
A TALK TO PARENTS.
Father Corcoran Says They Must Get
a Bishops Dispensation
FOR A PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATION.
lie Will Not Give AbsOlution to Those Who
Violate This Rule.
A TIMELY AND LEARNED DISCOURSE

Rev. Father Corcoran, pastor of st.
Agnes Church, Soho, preached a very
learned and forcible sermon to his people
yesterday on the advisability of sending
their children to the parochial school in
stead of the Fourteenth and other ward
public schools. The good pastor laid it down
very plain to the people that they must
not send their children to the ward schools,
and if they persisted in so doing he would
refuse the parents absolution. He said that
any parents sending their children to other
than the Catholic schools must have very
grave reasons for so doing, and said reasons
must be approved by the Bishop. Unless
the Bishop gave them a special dispensation
to send their children to the schools they
could not continue to be good Catholics. In
his sermon the reverend gentleman said:
''The end and object of mans existence is
first of all to know God, then to love and
serve Him. This obligation rests with every
individual. There are some among us who
have an additional obligation, namely, they
have to impart this knowledge to others;
teach them how to know and serve God.
Particularly is this the case with parents
concerning their offspring. God has given
children to people not for the rich things
and pleasures OF this world, but for Him
self. Therefore, yor must teach them to
know and serve God.
while Sunday schools. Sundayisermons
and a certain amount of instruction at
home, such as is usually given, are good
enough IN their way, still they are not
sufficient to bring up child in the love,
knowledge and service of God. Experience
shows us this.
THE PRIESTS LAMENT.
every observant person can see full well
the lamentable spread of skepticism and in
fidelity. Outside the church, comparatively
few of the Catholic youth attend any place
of worship, particularly the male portion.
In the face of this fact, we have any number
of churches, eloquent sermons published in
the daily papers. How can this lamentable
detection from the practice of His religion
be accounted for. 1t must be attributed
principally to our Goddess system of educa-
tion-a system from which the name of God
and all pertaining to eternity are excluded.
Snow the church of God is here to stem
the tide of infdelity and skepticism. She
is here having the divine commission to
teach all nations eco forth ye and teach all
nstions).
"You cannot thoroughly teach a child
without imparting to him a religious as well
as a secular knowledge. They must go
hand in hand, one as well as the other If
you, nv dear people attempt to do other
wise, you will merely add an impetus to
the tide OF inidelity and skepticism that Is
rushing over the land. Far from doing this
you should cooperate with our holy mother
the church, left here BY Christ to be the salt
of the earth, the city on the mountain tops,
enlightening the nations bringing them the
knowledge, fear, love and service of their
Creator and Redeemer.
"This is your mission here, both for your
selves and children. If you fail in il, YOU
have a terrible account to render when you
shall appear before the judgment seat of
Jesus Christ. You ought, therefore, to be
obedient children of that church which
Christ left here to bring all men to heaven.
INFLUENCE OF THE CHURCH.
"There is hardly anything in which you
should be more obedient than having your
children brought up under its benign influ-
ence. Society has nothing to fear from this.
History shows us that through the influence
of the church all the barbarous nations of
the earth have been civilized. Even Amer
ica's short history cannot boast of greater he
roes than the children brought up under the
care of the much maligned spouse of
Christ"
In closing his discourse Father Corcoran
read the ruling Of the Council of Baltimore
in regard to the matter, and said the parents
of the parish who had contemplated sending
their children to the public school must
give up the idea, and send them to the
Catholic schools. He especially exhorted
the poor people to do this. He said the