The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1890-12-06
CAT HOLlC EDUCATION.
Sound Words Addressed to Parents On
the Religious Education Of
Their Children.
Heir DUTIES DEFINED.
The Position They Occupy in This Country
Renders Religious Education q
Necessity.
Written for THE IRISH SrANDARD.) }

Necessity.
written for THE IRISH srANDARD) II
At this time when so much is said
about the proper education of youth
beg leave to offer a few reflections On
the Importance and advantages ofs#a
religious education for Catholic chill
dren. It is not my desire to enter into
the discussion of the Importance Of edu-
cation in a general sense; neither is It
my intention to utter d single Word
against the system of public instruction
| now prevalent in this country. 4
simply propose to address Catholic
parents on subject which yitallY con
Germs them, namely, the religious IL
struction of the children WhOal God
has committed to their care. When we
consider the noble zeal and energy
which have heretofore marked the con-.
duct of American Catholics in the
cause of educatiOn; when we reflect on
| the many sacrifices they have made In
establishing and maintaining their own
schools, it would seem almost unnece5-
sary to say ANYTHING to them On a sub.
! ject in which they have already man
/ ifested so deep and abiding an interest.
| Nevertheless. there may be those who
haYe not appreciated as thoroughly as
! they ought the Importance Of giving
their offspring & religious education,
and il such there be, to them my re-
marks may not prove wholly unproduc-
| tive of fruit. And as the sound OF the
bugle heard On the battlefield nerves
the arms and inspires the souls OF the
combatants TO renewed deeds OF valOr.
80 The task l have assumed may serve
to awaken new energy in the minds Of
! those who have lent their aid and their
influence in favor of Catholic education,
and to inspire them to make still fur
ther and greater exertions IN q cause so
wor; ly OF their generous efforts. Edu-
cation is of two kinds, secular and reli-
gious. The former is that which i'm"
parts a knowledge OF objects which
pertain to this world. Religious educa-
tion is that which tends TO eniighten
the mind and regulate the conduct in
reference to higher state of being.
from il we derive knowledge of God
and OF his infinite perfections; and that
to attain heaven we must perform GER
tain duties in this life; and chat God
has revealed to us certain truths and
imposed upon us certain obligations.
That we may clearly understand the
value of a religious education we have
only to inquire the object Of mans So
journ on this earth. Why was he
placed in this world? Was it to enjoy
pleasures: to eat and drink and pass
away like the brute creation? In the
words Of Shakespeare, t'What is a man
it his CHER good be but to sleep and
feedp 4 beast, no more" Was it to
amass riches and to acquire a name
that should live after him, wheu his
remaius shall have mou'dered in the
graveY No; man was destined for a
nober end. His perishable body arose
| from the dust of the earth, to dust it
will descend, but his immortal spirit
emanated from God, and to God 1t
must return. 'I'he dust returns into
it's earth from whence it was, and che
spirit returns to God who gave it. =
(Ecc. XLT:7) Th earth is but the
passage to eternitv. We are all press
ing forward in rapid succession to ''tbak
bourne whence no traveller returns, F"
God has created us for heaven; he has
promised us crown Of unfailing glory
in his own kingdom as the reward Of
our fidelity in his service during our
progress through life; he has permitted
US to enjoy the fruit and gather the
flowers of the vale through which we
are journeying, and as we fold our gar
ments to commence our earthly pill
grlmage we hear his Daternal voice ad-
monishing us to ''seek first the kingdom
of heaven To attain heaven. then, is
the first and great object OF man on
earth. To serve God aud save our i'm
mortal souls is paramount to every
other duty. II, therefore, the affair Of
salvation be first IN the decalogue Of
mans earthly duties. what are the
obligations to those around him? What
are the obligations Of parents to their
chlldrenp
To this important inquiry the reply IS
that their first, their most imperative
duty is to eariy impress upon the tender
minds Of their children those sublime
lessons which relate to heaven and to
God. The drst duty OF q parent is to
take his children, while their hearts are
pure and nnde1led. to the altar and
there dedicate them TO the service Of