Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-04
THE CATHOLIC IDEA
As to the AntagOnism Between Pub
lie and ParOchial Schools
Is EXPLAINED BY BISHOP KAN
At the Dedication of Lawrenceville's New
$4,000 Institution.
OPPOSING POSITION OF REV. DIR. FULTON

L
and large number of the prominent clergy
of the diocese.
The ceremonies began at 10 o'clock in the
morning, when pontifcal high mass was
celebrated in the church. Bishop Kane
was the celebrant, and Father Strab, of the
Holy Ghost College. assistant priest. The
assistant deacons were Fathers Leander, ..
s. P, and Anthony, o. NJ. Cap; deacon OF
the mass, Father Suhr, pastor of SIS. Peter
and PauTs Church; sub-deacon, Father Goe-
be- of the West End; masters of ceremonies,
Fathers Chrystume and Gregory. Bishop
Phelan, dressed in his episcopal robes, assisted.
with Fathers Gregory, o. M. Cap, Fidelias
and Irenaeus.
Father Francis, of st. Augustine's Church.
preached the sermon. He spoke of the neces-
sity of parochial schools in this country, and
contrasted them with the public schools.
DEEMED AN IMPoSSIBILITY.
He said Catholic child could not be edu-
Gated properly in public school, and an edu-
cation without religious training was almost
valueless In the sight of God. He advised his
auditors to send their children to the new
school, where they would not only receive
worldly education. but be taught their religion
as well.
Mrs. Edward Frauenheim, one of the most
jealous members of the parish, entertained the
priests at dinner in the schoolhousc, and, at
o'clock, pontifical vespers were said in the
church. As at the morning service, Bishop
Kane was the celebrant, and he was assisted
as follows: Assistant priest, Very Rev. rather
Wall, rector of st. Paul's Cathedral; deacon,
Very Rev. Father Werner; assistant deasons,
Father Tobin, pastor of st. Mary's Church, and
Father Lambing, of Williamsburg, the historian
of the diocese; sub-deacon, Father SchwaD, OF
the Holy Ghost order; masters Of ceremonies,
Fathers Gregory and Chrystume. After vespers
q solemn procession of the clergy marched to
the schoolhouse, where the blessing OF the
building was pronounced by Bishop Phelan.
The sermon was delivered by Bishop Kane,
and among other things he said:
at is quito fitting, my dear brethren, that !!
should address you from the holy sanctuary OF
the church on the objects of the school build
ing about to be SO solemnly blessed. would
like to explain to you why this ceremony OF re-
ligion is performed on an occasion like the com:
pletion of building erected for educational
purposes.
DEVOTION AND EMULATION.
"For in this building, erected by your gener-
osty, monument to your hberality and your
devotion to the holy cause OF education for
years to come, you show your devotion to the
principles of the Holy Catholic Church. Your
devoted attachment should be handed down to
your children, and by them to their children, TO
be loved and praised.
Religion and science must 20 hand in hand.
The inculcation of religious ideas is as much
necessity as are the principles OF natural
sciences. Why does our Holy Church think
that this is right? You learn it on the first
paCe of your Catechism. Your ancestors for
generations have heard the first truths that we
were put in this world by God for one only
purpose, the sanctifcation and modification of
our eternal souls. This is the grand and noble
destiny of every man in this world, and the
Christian cannot lose sight of 1t.
e. ~
held by our Holy Church. 1 do not say that
the principles of our church on education are
indorsed by the whole people There are voices
outside our church that have raised their
hands against it. They say the system Of edu-
cation is not right, and we have professors in
some of our most noted churches entering q
protest against the divorce Of religion and edu-
cation.
ut is folly in this age to speak of morality,
unless morality is based on religion. There is
and has been, morality that is nothing more
or less than pagan morality. In the minds of
our children should be morality that is
taught by our Lord Jesus Christ. So positive
is the Catholic Church, not only in this country,
but all over the world IN the matter of incul-
eating into the minds of our children the teach
ings of Christ, that great many of our nom
Catholic people say that the Catholic Church is
opposed to education, or opposed to free
school or public school system.
THE CATHOLIC IDEA.
II will give you my opinion, the same as
gave 1t to men of common sense and knowl-
edge of the world. 1 do not claim that it has
the indorsement of the church. 1t is that the
State ought indeed to give its help and assist
ance toward the education of those children
whose parents or guardians have not the means
in their power TO give it to them. The educa-
ton of these children is absolutely necessary
in order to make good citizens, and, through
good citizens make good country. When
parents have the ability and means of their
own. it is compulsory upon them to educate
their children, just as much as 1t is to clothe
and feed them, and the State has no business
'1f you have in your immediate neighbor-
hood dozen hard-working men who make
their living for themselves and their wives,
and others depending upon them, the State
comes to them and says to one of them that
man must contribute toward the expense of
he has no children going to the school, the tax
collector says he must pay for the education of
the.rich mans children, whose father is draw
10 fSem af1 %n6
opinion, this is all wrong. The poor man
has no more duty to pay, for the edu-
i cation Of this mans child than he has
to pay for the child's food and clothing.
We are living in a democratic form of gov
ernment and the majority must rule. We must
acquiesce in spirit of duty, and think the
Catholic school is something modern have not
read history. At the general council Of the
Church in Aix-la- -Chapelle, in 749. they made 1t
schools. SO that ali the children might be edu.
Gated. and the parochial school is an institu-
tion for the education of the children of the
poor.
FREE IBELAND AS EDUCATOR.
Look at Ireland when it was free. 1t was
called the center of learning in Europe. People
sent their children from all parts of the world
to be taught by Irish professors who in time
went out and occupied all the higher chairs of
educational universities In our own country
there's not town large enough to support a
parish that hasn't got its parochial school.
Have not the bishops said time and again that
the school is more important than the Church
unless it grows up side by side with it :?
1--WE are obliged to have parochial schools
because the other free institutions have not
given US an opportunity to send our children to
them with safe consciences. Why, it is almost
criminal to agitate the public school system
and point out its defects"
The speaker closed by saying that the church
must build its own schools and provide its own
teachers, who, by example and precept, would
inculcate in the minds and hearts of the chill
dren the holy spirit OF religion He gave
made report of an investigation at the River
side Penitentiary. He found in two years not
one of the inmates had been educated in a
Gated in private schools, and over 80 per cent of
the whole number had received their in
structions in the public schools.
THE EDIFICE DESCRIBED.
The new st. Augustine school building stands
across the street from the side of the church,
Just above Butler street. 1t was built almost
entirely of brick and stone, and is one the finest
school building in the State. The corner stone
was laid the first Sunday in July last, and the
cost of the structure has been nearly $4,000,
1t is three stories in height and contains Il
rooms. four on each story. The rooms are 4x
30 feet and are fitted up with the best hard