The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-01-31
Sermon by the Rector,
Mgr. Thomas j. COnaty.
PREACHED AT CATHEDRAL
Relation of the Church TO Univer-
sity Education.
APPEAL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS.

At the Cathedral yesterday Mgr Thomas
j. Conaty. d. H., rector of the Catholic
University, Washington, ID. O., preached
on the relation OF the church 10 univer.
sity education at the morning service.
Taxing as his text st. Matt. xviii, 10.
"Go ye therefore ana teach all nations, Z"
he spoke substantially as follows
This is the greatest commission ever
given to men. The Son of God, the
source OF ,all grace, had also power over
all nature. anc to the apostles lie gave
the dispensing OF HIS grace among men.
lie constituted His church and estsb-
lished IL as teacher to guide this MINDS
and hearts OF men in the knowledge and
love of God. With this authority it con-
verted pagan and jew and made tho
early Christian church. 1t built the
school and educated the Christians in
the fullest knowledge. 1t civilized and
ChristianiZed the barbarian tribes, and
out OF them shaped and modelled the
Christian nations of Europe.
Ii commissioned scholars to teach all
the branches Of knowledge, protecting
them in the truth by the safeguarding
principles OF religion. From her early
schools spranR the monastio Institutions,
and around and out OF these grew the
universities which have been the marvel
OF later ages Ii has teen said by an
eminent non Catholic that the day of
dogmatsm and eociesasticism In uni
versity is nearing n close. such prin-
ciple strikes at the very foundation OF all
Christian education, for how can you In
sist on religion as the atmosphere in
which instruction be given to the child IL
you oppose it for the student who stands
face to face with sgnostic and irreligiOps
science which offer greatest danger to
heart and mind.
The underlying principle Of the Catho-
lie church In all education Is the very same
principle that underlies the church itself,
and thatis the establishment and main
tenance of the kingdom of God In the life
of man, or, In other words. the develop
ment of the Christian in the man. Any
knowledge that diminishes the lustre of
the truth of God or leads m an away from
God Is a curss and Lot n blessing Whore
Christ Is not, Is darkness and not light,
death and not life.
As 1t is my privilege to present the
claims or the Catholic University upon
| the interest and generous support OF all
Catholics, 1T would be Intensely interest
ing To study the origin. growth and de-
yelopment OF the univ iyersities in the work
OF the church In education. They rose in
the Episcopal schools Of the early ages.
deepened and broadened in the cloistral
and monastic schools. ard stand out in
magnificent proportions IN the middle
ages as the great centres Of intellectual
and religious activity.
Reference was made TO the tour famous
universities which grew out of the many
schools which had formed in Bologna,
Paris. SalorDe and Oxford. These were the
mighty schools OF the 18th century In
which the masters OF human thought
gathered about them the students of the
world. They were not the immediate
creation Of the church, but as they came
into power they recovtd their character
and their privileges from the Holy Sss and
Catholic princes. Padue. Naples aud tile
Roman University In the 18Th century
Vienna, Dublin ana Heidelberg in the
l4th; Copenhagen In Denmark; Upsala
In Swecen and Cracow.in Poland; ST.
Andrews and Glasgow In Scotland In the
18th century; Cam bridge in England and
Salamanca in Spain are a few of tho many
| universities which owe their establish
ment and influence to the acts Of popes
and churchmen.