The Portland daily press., 1894-03-02
NUNS AS TEACHERS.
Their Appearance in Pennsylvania
Public Schools.

The Sisters Have Served Before as Teachers
But Their Introduction Into Pittsburg
Schools Is Creating So Much Opposition
That the Courts Are Likely To Be
Appealed to.
Pittsburg. March 1.-The American
Mechanics of this city are greatly stirred
up by the introduction of Sisters of
Mercy as teachers in the Riverside pub
lie school, The mem bers of the State
Council are in communication on the
subject, and propose to take action with
in few days.
The peculiar feature of the innovation
is that many Catholics are protesting
against the Introduction of nuns. The
ward is Catholic, and young women OF
that religion were elected as teachers
for mum Der of years. Later the Cath
Ole children were taken from the ublic
school. This resulted in the dismissal
of majority of the teachers. Now these
children return to the public school, but
with. them come the sisters, while the
lay Catholic teachers are still left out in
the cold
The five sisters who took charge have
not yet been elected to the position OF
teachers. Principal Slattery said they
were merely helping out pending action
of the central board. AS the board will
not meet for at least seven weeks hence,
the sisters will serve that lengthsof time
without any assurance of receiving COM
pensation for their work. While there
is no precedent to follow, several mem
bers of the local board see no difficulties
in the way of securing back pay after
they are elected. Ii necessary, they say.
the local board will pay the salaries.
The admission of Sisters of Mercy in
the garb of their religion as. teachers In
the public schools of the state. is. not, as
some suppose, an innovation. For years
past the nun in the school room hassbeen
a familiar sight in some of the counties
of this state. There are numerous IN
stances of this in Cambria county. AT
Galitzin one of the public school build
ings is in charge of Sister Mary Louise as
principal. ssShe is assisted by Sister Mary
John, and both wear the nuns garb
while on duty in the school room. AT
least this was the case at the beginning
of the.school year. Of course this ar
rangement is satisfactory to the patrons
of the school, as they are almost without
exception of the Roman Catholic faith.
At Carroltown, in the same county,
school of three rooms has been under the
care of Sister Mary Glare as principal.
Sister Mary Genevieye is employed as
teacher at the Lilly schools and wears
her religious garb at all times.
Superintendent Lucky was asked his
opinion of the situation at Riverside and
said. u have nothing to do with it. |
have only to do my duty, which is clear
under the law. If any legal points are
raised they must be settled in the proper
4 ,~ bo Ir.fe Tn, ro-
gard to Sisters serving as teachers in the
schools of the state, that matter has
been settled long ago, and they have
perfect right to do so, and have been
doing SO in some sections of the state.
"As to their teaching in their religious
garb-that matter has never been settled
off cially, and presume if the question
were raised it would have to be settled
by the courts. II, however, there is any
attempt to teach religion in the Riverside
school, that is case in which the cen
trail board has Jurisdiction, and it will
not be slow to act. There is an express
law against sectarian instruction, and
evens when the Bible is read it must be
without note or comment. II they give
religious instruction in the school build
ing after school hours they will have to
settle that among themselves in the
ward IT the Sisters are elected to teach
in that school they will be known in the
school and in educational circles by their
secular names and not by their names
In religion. The state superintendent
of instruction has SO decided recently.
Their secular names are inserted in their
certificates to teach. 1t is a mere bust
ness matter all through"
Notwithstanding the assurances in
certain quarters thar the new arrange
ment is satisfactory to everybody, there
is reason to believe that a storm is brew
ing in certain other quarters. Certain
it is that not every one is satisfied. A
gentleman who was seen yesterday in
regard to the matter was loud in his de-
of the action of the River
side school board, and boldly claimed
that the whole movement was against
the American school system. A number
of persons expressed themselves during
the day in similar vein. There are
mutterings of trouble in the direction of
the camp of the Jr. O. u M, and it is
alleged that the A. 2. A. will take some
action in regard to the events of yester-
day.
Charles c. Bailey,ssa high officer in the
Jr. o. U. A. NJ, said that the American
Mechanics or other patriotic orders in
this community need not express any
views or take any decided action to
arouse the people on this question. for
already mighty wave of Indignation
against the action of the Riverside
school board was spreading far and near
and to the utmost corners of the state.
There was something so entirely an
tagonistic to true Aneri canism about
this whole matter as to awaken asprotest
from Catholics themselves.
1t was stated at the headquarters of
the order today that the point of attack
would likely be the garb of the nuns, as
it is claimed that this garb is in itself
an object lesson in religion and it's
in the school-room is in VIOLA
tion of the state law prohibiting all
sectarian teaching in the ublie schools