The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-10-11
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS.
Bishop Wigger Speaks With
Great PlainneSs at a
Hoboken Dedi-
cation.
nENCTpEC E0p DAp CNTc
CENSURES FOR PARENTS.
The Sending of Children to the
Parochial Institutions Obliga-
tory = Our Lady of
Grace School.

The blessing of the new parochia
school OF Our Lady of Grace, Hoboken,
last evening. brought together one of the
largest assemblages ever congregated At
any ceremony conducted in this large
parish. AS early as seven o'clock, the
streets in the neighborhood were crowded
with men, women and children, and when
the doors were thrown open only a few
minutes seemingly elapsed when the large
hail was crowded to its utmost capacity,
while without hundr eds stood unable to
o1taiu entrance.
The ceremony of blessing was con-
Quoted by Bishop Wigger. Previous 10
the ceree,ony, the Bishop addressed the
large gathering from the sta ge. His re-
marks were listened to attentively, and at
frequent Intervals, applause Interrupted
the speaker. The Bishops utterances,
1t may be said, were decidedly pointed,
aud in plain n unmisrRkable lane
guage he stated the position Of the Cath
Ole Church on the school question. In
fact. the Bishop never before was SO out
spoken on the question. When he chal-
leugeu any principal of any public school
to select thirty or forty pupils and pit
them against thirty or forty parochia,
school children, guaranteeing that the
parochial school children would do as
well as the public school children, the
audience rapturously applauded.
THE BISHOPS SPEECH.
1t was a quarter to eight when the
Bishop, preceded by c~ross-bearer, incense
bearer. acolytes, anu attended by Fathers
Callaghan and Stanton, entered the new
hall by the main door. He proceeded to
the stage, where the Rev. Father Corri-
gan met him. escorting him to the seat OF
honor. Father CorriRan, in q brief adj
6rn9a iptrOnnPo6 Hfahnn NVfu0nr TNho
Bishop advanced to the front of the plat
form aud said:- rs
Dear friends, I have come here with
great pleasure to bless your new school
house. l consider the parocbiaI school
one of the most important institutions in
the diocese. Where there is no parochtal
school, there l feel there is an Incomplete
parish, that there is something wanting
something lacking of great Importance
for the welfare Of the members of that
parish.
But it Is a great pleasure to me to-
night co bless this new school, so grand
SO beautiful. giving to the parish ample
school accommodation so that no father or
mother will be able to say there is no
room for nay children in ct. Mary's
parish.
How important Catholic schools are
in a Catholic perish. all know. We are
here in this life only for a short time.
This life is one Of few years. and it will
be followed by eternal liIe. We are here
TO prepare for the next world. that we
may secure an eternal happy life there.
1t is of high importance to know how TO
please God aud to serve God in tt Is life.
That should be the whole aim of our
whole life. every day, every hour, every
minute.
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION.
1--WE should serve GOO as He wishes,
not as we wish ourselves. How, then,
are we 10 know whit God requires of us?
The Church, winch God established.
teaches US what We should do, aud the
CHURCH says, every child of mine must be
instructed In religion from his earliest
years until the end OF the PERSONS life
instructed in his duties towards Almighty
God, SO that he may ssrve Him
according to Gods decree. Consequently
the Church says children must be in
structed from their infancy-instructsd
in what they must believe aud in what
they must do. 1t takes time to teach all
this, aad for this reason the Church says
the child should be sent to q place where
he will continually be tauRhe Gods truth.
We know from experience that children
have letter memories than grown-up per
sons, therefore children should be Taught
their religion when their mem-
cries are bright and good. for they will
taen retain Gods truths bstter. Not ouly
u AK
must also be influenced TO fulfill the du-
ties reli0ion imposes upon them. ALI this
is done in the Catholic school. Therefore
we say, and we will say It to the end OF
the world, Catholic schools for Catholic
children, and we will be satisfied with no
other school but the Catholic Christian
school.
If non-Iatholics do not see the peces
sity OF bringing up their children in 6
Christian manner it is Mons of our con,
Germ. but l will state here publicly that
many Christians, not Catholics, have
long ago seen the necessity Of religions
INSTRUCTION, and feel as we do. so that We
are not alone in this matter.
MATTER OF RICH
But upsose We We're aloue. We have
a right 10 our convictions, and we no
eniy demand. but Insist, upon Catholic
schools for Catholic children. We say
others can | 'inL up their children a.
they may deem proper. We claim tbs
liberty to do the same.
The claim is often made that othel