New-York tribune., 1897-12-30
"CATHOLIC EDUCATION."
r.zp MAIN sUBJECT DISCUSSED AT THE
CHILD STUDY CONGRESS YESTERDAY.

MILLIONS OF CHILDREN WOULD Be LOST ~ he
CHURCH. SAYS THE REV JAMES p KIER~
NAN WERE TT NOT FOR THE
PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS
m. C~,rd Study Congress. now IN session IN Co
nnhus Hall began work yesterday morning VII"
discussion on the general subject or CA'hoic e0
ZION The Rev James P. Herman OF Roches'ei'
pres,ded and opened the discussion with paper o'
.-rhe Parochial School" He said;
.Educatton IL entirely different from instruction
To educate Is draw out. but 10 instruct Is 10 po
IN Instruction therefore. Is only one OF me means
10 education. education Is the CULTIVATION "a ,'
phys,cal moral and mental faculties. and any edu-
80, ,ha, leaves out one o. these elements ceases
n, be education That Is the reason the state schooiS
cannot educate They are all right as far Us 'ne'
60 but they OF necessity leave OUT 'he Nus"
important element OF education
ITO this II may be objected that the 'eacheTs ii
the State schools DO teach morality. both by word
ana sxarnple and that some OF the best Catholics
never went TO a Catholic school To the nrst OF
theee objections I answer tha; know that 'he MA
,orty OF the teachers in the State SCHOOLS are eau
tn9 noble pure unsefsh lives. have found asso-
o,ssn with them pleasant profitable and inspiring
trr. a saint from heaven could not teach moraAy
under these circumstances. The conhiodns beliefs
OF the pupils make 1t impossible 10 put 1t on secure
hasis for religion Is the only basis
NV answer 20 the second objection Is that tho
,-rsons alluded 10 are good Catholics In spite OF hav-
ins gone 10 the State schools not because OF IL
7hs,, bome environment favorable, but there
ara millions Of children without such environment
who would be lost to the Church without tho pALo-
chial school
Another objection that the Catholic schools
gtvs LOO much time 10 religion and too little to
other branches This is entirely untrue nave
taken the trouble 10 ascertain the average age OF
children graduating from the grammar grade In the
Catholic schools OF Rochester, and have found II
considerably under that OF children passing the same
examination in the State schools
Father Herman concluded with some remarks
about the present interest In child study. and ex-
messed the opinion that. while 1t productive OF
much good there was danger In It when conducted
as I, Is In some Of "our advanced wonen's clubs
The discussion continued by The Rev. A p
Doyle C. s. P. and the Rev. Peter J. o'Calahan
c. 8 p and AFTER a recess OF fve minutes there
was an extemporaneous discussion. Ii was expect
cd that The Rev. Joseph II. Conroy. Of Ogdensburg
and the Rev D. r. McMahon would be present and
participate In this discussion. but they were unable
10 attend
Father Doyle said that virtue could best be cul-
tivated IN children by showing them its beauty
rather than by sing them with the uginess OF
SIN He thought they should be made more familiar
than they with the lives OF the saints and ex-
pressed the wish that these could be put into such
a form tnat rhey could easily be read and under
cation the best remedy for Socialism. and when
he had finished. the chairman. Father Herman
quoted Carroll D Wright the effect that
America will day thank the Catholic Church
for standing Ike @ wall against this nood Of 30
cial!sm"
Father OCalahan said that no not yet por-
suaded that morality could be taught only IN the
parochial schools. though he thought under pres
ent conditions they were necessity. He added
that the priest who understood how to win "A childs
confidence In the confessional the greatest
educator. He thought this a comparatively easy
thing 10 DO. and by way Of illustration told Of
Protestant boys IN q Catholic school who
insisted on going 70 confession. although under
obligation TO do
In conclusion Father O'CaiIahan said that tho
children all important. and that It mattered
little about the old people Let them die of
Il am inclined 10 be Of tho opinion. he declared.
of a certain missionary who said We can't do
anything with the old people Let US get them into
a state Of grace. II possible. and then knock them
the head
The extemIoraneous discussion was participated
in by Mrs. b. Ellen Burke. Miss Mary Carolin.
Miss Mary Monahan. Mrs. J. H. Baird. OF Pough-
keepsie; Miss Matilda T Karnes OF Buffalo, Miss
Agnes Hayes and the Rev William j. Fitzgerald.
OF Lambertville Mrs Burke started the ball rolling
by asking how far teacher should go in preparing
child for confession Father Fitzgerald said
that the chief duty in such case was to inspire
confidence In the confessor whereas the practice
of some teachers and parents was precisely the op-
posite
The session closed with address by Father
Mcmillan The Sunday school" He began oy
expressing his agreement with Father bltzgeraId
and protesting against making chiioren Dei!eVe
hat priest was q bulldog.
INTERESTING QUESTIONS
In anticipation OF the congress Father MCMILLAN
had been collecting the questions asked ny cili-
dren In his Sunday-school. and some OF these ne
read. They were such az the following why
coegnt God Kill the devil? 80, 4.
Did God make hinself7-Asked by chho oi
seven -,
Why does Christ Ike the Catholics better than the
Jews!
Why a. they have atl,res around the churchY
Why must we all die;
cipal OF the Poughkeepsle Training School. presd-
ed. and there were addresses BY Miss Karnes. plli-
cipal OF the boys department OF the Buffalo Hlgh
school; Miss Mary Burke. OF New York: Miss kate
Broderick. 4 ew-York principal. and the rev.
ihomas Hickey Of the Boys Protectory In Rochesss
ter. Papers by the Rev Michael W. Holland OF
Tupper Lake. and by Miss Teresa J. Kennedy, OF
Malone \. Y. read by Father Fitzgerald and
MISS Susie Swift. OF The Catholic World staT
OF Kindness 20 animals and protested against the
too-resdy use OF the scalpel in studying them Miss
brodcrick agreed with her this. and as an Illus
tration OF the tenderness Of the child heart told
story of some little ones who begged hat they
nlshi not be required 70 tear 10 pieces some grow
ing volets which they had been studying.
MISS Burkes subject "Patrotlsrn" She ex
pressed the opinion that the Delegation OF National
heroes did not conduce to true patriotism. and in
CfT agtx.A