Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-10-06
CATHOLIC TEACHERS.
A scHooLMENS CONVENTION TO
MEET AT THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
A Great Gathering 60 Defend and Discuss
the Catholic Parochial school Sys-
tem--Phenomenal Growth OF
the Schools in New York
aud Elsewhere.
Correspondence ofthc Richmond Disps'ch.l

Correspondence OF tho Richmond Dispatch.l
Nrw YORK. October 8. 1889.
| Arrangements are under way FOR a ma
tiona convention OF Catholic schools 10
! be held IN Washington early in the coming
| winter. Representatives OF every tathollc
parish in the United states are expected 10
attend as delegates. and important ques-
tons affecting the welfare OF those edu-
| cnfiOunl institutions are to be discussed.
II is anticipated that one subject OF con-
alteration before the convention Will be
the attacks made from time 10 time upon
/ the Catholic parochlal school system IN
! New York and elsewhere throughout the
country. These attacks have actually d.
rected public attention TO phenomenon
| in educational development. Hardly
score of years ago Catholic p0rOchlal
/ school was O rarity; now they flourish by
! tho hundred, and tens OF thousands OF
! children attend them.
EDUCATION AND RELIGION.
Advocates Of this private system repel
! the assertions and insinustiOns OF enemies
! that their schools are inefficient, or. TO use
/ that singular new phrase Of the day, are I'M
American. They point to the time when
/ private schools were the only kind III THIS
| country whore the statesman of our early
! DAYS were graduated through the log-cabin
schools from the primitive college, often
| NJ n great sacrifice on the part of their
! parents or themselves. They claim TINT
| as the Church has declared that educa-
! ton and religion must 90 together, 1t -
| their right as private citizens Of the repub-
| lie TO educate their children as they please.
! nj their own EXPENSE. Recognizing further
| that the adoption of the denomlnational
/ system, like that of England, seems long
I way of here, they likewise claim the right
TO urge their cause in the forum Of public
/ T.. III a. nfipfanpN
their system. they point skeptics to the
| 300 schools they have in New York and VI
| entity and invite them 10 examine how the
| 70 900 children in then are taught.
10000 scHoOL-cHnDREN.
These allegations furnish food for
thought. First, as 10 extent. Is II posi-
bic that in this section. where few de-
cades ago Catholic school was a rarity
that Church has now 800, attended by
10, 900 childreni
and they more than verify the allegations
Taking tho cities Of New York. Brooklyn,
and Jersey City, the following Is the tally:
NEW YORK.
Colleges. ............ scholars.......... l'iSS
Academia. $7 " .'.'...'. % $' ls9
Tota......... I7s ~.~.".4o,sss
BROOKLYN.
Colleges .............. > scholars......... 90
4sp1s%i9' sciools 81 ...a KS
Total....... ia .......e7,G94
JERsKY CITY.
College,. scholars......... no
4a aq5s u1fs schools. - ... sos
Totai........ Il Total........ G,S6i
All told there are 300 Catholic schools
attended by "a 81 children. Besides these
there are several thousand children attend
ing Catholic schools in the small adjacent
towns which are no moro than suburbs OF
New York.
CAUSE OF THIS SUCCESS.
The vast majority of Catholics in New
York are poor How. then. can We account
for the fact that they are willing 10 burden
themselves with the immense cost OF edu-
eating these thousands Of children while
the public schools are freely open to them
II is because they believe that religion and
education are welded together. and that
their separation is fatal to the full de-
velOpmcnt Of man. This doctrine has
been taught with unvaryng voice by
pOpes. councils. and bishops, and Is as
much a tenet Of Catholic belief as Is the
existence Of God il Las been made of
obligation by the last Plcnary Council Of
Baltimore, which decroed that hardly
every church where it does not already
exist a parOchial school is TO bc erected
within two years from the PRONUNCIATION
Of this council June e, 1866, and 10 be
kept up in the future. unless the Bishop
see f. TO grant further delay on account
of moro than ordinarily grave difficulties
10 be overcome IN the establishment y; and
Catholic parents are commanded to send
their children to these schools.
SCHOOLS MULTIPLIED.
OF course many difficulties have been
encountered IN carrying ont n project OF
such vast extent, but the schools have
nevertheless multiplied rapidly. Within
the limits indicated there are nearly one
million Catholics-a population which
should Weld something Ike 200, 900 chill
dren Of a school-gOing age: so that extern
slve rs the system is there Is room for vast
devolopmenty vet. The question of finances
is the great barrier in the way, but as the
Catholic population becomes more COM
Portable and well-OH this difficulty viii de-
crease.
The next point is the efficiency Of the
methods adopted in Catholic schools.
THE CHRISTIAN BROTHERS.
There are several orders, both Of men
and women besides lay teachers engaged
III teaching these schools. OF men. the
principal order is the famous one Of
Christian Brothers. founded BY De La
Sale in France, hut which has spread
all over the world The Brothers. by
the way, are not priests. as many ms
takenly suppose, but laymen, bound 70
vows Of charity. obedience, and poverty,
whose sole occupation in life IS 10 teach
the Young. They have brought their
system 10 the greatest perfection. They
have taken prizes at State, national, and IN
ternational eXpOsltiOns. Several of their
principals have issued public challenges,
with profits Of large sums. against the
world 10 bring into competition with them
any school whose results IN training can
show higher standard. The other Catho-
lie schools are very similar in their me-
thOds Of teaching although they may not
always equal the long experience gathered
from two centuries Of concentrated ohOrt
Of the Christian Brothers.
MODEL SCHOOLS.
With a view of seeing for myself, pro-
ceeded 10 De La Sale Academy. on Sc
cond street, and war courteOusly received
bv Brother Alpheus, who is the director of
tins model school. The next day | went
10 the institute of the same title on Fifty
ninth street, which is presided over BY the
equally anablc Brother Anthony. The
first principle of their schools IS division
mo classes 10 sui lhe hdtiiIh CtDdCltit9
of the children. When pupils are admitted
by the director they are examined and
classed according TO age and capacity.
Upon a register are Inscribed the name OF
each pupil. also the name. residence, and
occupe; ION of his father, mother, or guar
dian together with his age and the date Of
his entrance. The number OF pupils ia
limited to sixty in the higher classes and
eighty in the lower.
All the other Catholic schools / visited
were modelled largely after those of the
Christian Brothers. OF course the girls
schools had lessons and exercises adapted
10 their sex, hut the same general plan of
variation Of studies and the endeavOr 10
arouse independent thought prevailed.
HOW CARRIED on.
The lack Of pecuniary resources is moro
than made up bv the absence o. salaries IN
IL. 4nnnIinnl nrdnra If Tho ltnf hcd IL Ch1rch