The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-10
CATHOLIC SCHOOL PLANS.
PRoPosAL no SEEK REo0GNRTIoN
OF THE aTITE RE0ENI9

the Darcction OF the Church eehoots IN
This City-They Will Demand Fniier Ne
hco IN the next school Census.
An important meeting Of Roman Catholic
priests who have charge Of Church schools was
held Yesterday at st. Joseph's Roctory, on Sixth
avenue, to consider various matters connected
with the schools. and in particular to take &C.
ton with regard to tho school census now be-
ing taken in this city by the state Suporin.
tondent OF Public instruction. The call for the
meeting was issued by Dean o'Flynn of st. Jo-
scphs Rectory and q committee, and the mat
tors put down for discussion and action were
tho school census, the value of the recognition
given to Church and private schools BY the
Board Of Regents. and the protection which
Christian education provides against prevailing
socialistic tendencies.
In response to the invitation sent out by the
committee thoro assembled at st. Joseph's Rec
tory alarge number Of the city rectors who have
charge Of schools. Dean 0'Flynn presided. and in
his address stated tho object Of the meeting and
what 1t was hoped to accomplish. He called at
tention to the fact that the work done by the
Catholic people in supporting q sound system Of
schools has SO far received scant public recog>
milton.
During the last nifty years, he said, the people
of this city have built up a vast university Of
common schools. in which multitudes of citizens
have received their elementary education, yet
rarely have the press or the public officials
spoken a word Of praise for this work, whose
existence may be hardly known to them. Mayor
Strong was the first Mayor Of the city to speak
in Its favor. He stated publicly that the Catho-
lies and the Jews were doing moro for education
than any other class Of the population.
We. may be partly to blame." said Dean
O'Flynn, "for the general Indifference to the
work of the Church schools. for Catholics as q
body arc slow to let their friends know what
they arc doing for popular education. As an
example Of official Indifference to the Church
schools tho action Of the State Superintendent
Of Public Instruction two years ago was in
structive. He was requested by the Mayor Of
this city and others to give the Church schools a
definite place in his census of all the schools.
He declined. and Jumped our figures with vari-
Gus others under the obscure title other
schools.' If our figures had been insig-
nincant perhaps no fault could be found
with this action. But when we consider
merely the financial Importance of the Church
schools on Manhattan Island alone, and when
we also consider what these schools are doing to
time. It seems only right and proper that the
public records should take account Of the work
In proper fashion as long as they take them at
all. Here are the figures:
Boys attending Church schools. ......... 1887
Girls attending Church schools .....--.- 20.4S4
Total 1891
Cost of maintaining schools yearly .-..... o2e3. ees
Interest on property .....""..-...... 2es.7oo
Total. oo22. ees
Value of school properties. ............. 1914 900
I'm addition to these figures we can put
4,422 boys and girls. These figures are only for
this city. In Brooklyn the Church schools are
f fSsrs ars 3 IN SSpr sail Schools N n9 ses Sh Soys st and
girls. with over 5000 in the academies and
colleges. 1t does not seem fair-it seems really
Jumped under the title, Other schools The
State Superintendent of Public Instruction is
aDG the lSs, city 'R has o appropri iensps $1,000 ' for the
work. He should be asked to give the Church
SCHOOLS a proper place in that census.
and academies which placed themselves under
the Board of Regents have benefited very much
State Of New York. That institution acts as a
centre Of uniformity for the scho9ls: and gives
if enee. /" M sish and dirs p%ssSt.'fhl a s.snd recan on sassli
t dSs4aS sesoo,.' un aha The pel ksssn *. f Church CHI
AS the law and medical schools cannot
be entered now unless the student has
tant that our schools and academies should do
much to prepare the children for these eyamina.
well defined in the scheme of popular education.
and 1t will be moro and more appreciated as its
,nins1ss tss q 1890 ssais sif.ini IS i iss ssFs sss c snS sa:
nifty at large"
After Dean O'Flynn's address o discussion took
place on the matters which no had presented,
and tho sens Sc of the meeting took the shape OF
two resolutions. which were unanimously
to walt upon the State superintendent OF Pub
lie instruction and ask, him to give such place
in his school census to the figures of the church
schools that inquirers would be able to find
them, and that It be recommended to the d.
rectors of church schools that they recognize tho
placing their schools under their patronage.
The Rev. ]. J: Lavelle. the Rev. Charles Cotton.
and the Rev. Thomas Mcmillan were named tho
nnrnnaitfna IN wnif Innn fhA &fnfA Snnarin.