The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-06


time is given TO art. such oil and water
color painting, printing on china. embroid-
cry and various other kinds Of fancy work,
for which the different communities of sis
tiers have gained quite a reputation.
In the Catholic schools of the city most
Of the teaching is done by the sisters. AT
st. Johns and st. Patrick's schools, both
of which are devoted entirely 10 boys. how
ever, the teaching is conducted by the
brothers. Ii takes a two years course to
prepare the teachers for this work. They
must, however, beforehand have a good
education ana be thoroughly competent in
every respect to conduct school. The Diff
ferent sisterhoods and brotherhoods are
divided into religious communities which
go under separate names, as the Sisters OF
Providence, the Sisters of st. Francis, and
the Brothers of Sacred Heart and others.
Each community has what is called
mother house; that is, the place where they
stay during vacations and where they also
receive their normal training. When
school is organized the priest in charge
selects whatever community of sisters or
brothers he is the most familiar with and
extends call for them to supply the teach
ers for his school. AS soon as the season
is over the teachers return to their mother
house, and at the beginning of the school
season another assignment of teachers is
made to take up the work. The schools
are in charge of a sister superior, who has
the same control as a principal in the COM
mon schools, except in the case of the boys
school. where brother superior has charge.
THE LUTHERAN SCHOOLS.
There are four German Lutheran schools
in the city and the number of pupils is
close to 600. Each of them is conducted
Independently of the other, the church
to which it is attached having full
management of 1t. This denomination also
Washington street. and there is school
connected with il for the inmates. Proba-
bly, no church has had quite as phenomenal
a growth in its school departments as this
one. 1t was only few years ago that two
schools were sufficient to contain all the
pupils. One of these was located on South
New Jersey street and the other was on
East Market street, but since the city has
grown and more people of this denomina-
ton have moved here from other places, it
has been necessary to establish two more
schools, and they are all well filled with
pupils. The school on South New Jersey
street is the largest, having 365 pupils, and
Is the oldest Lutheran school in the city.
The Lutherans. like the Catholics, claim the
reason they maintain schools of their own
is so they can thoroughly instruct their
children in the Lutheran doctrine, and in
| this way give them a complete understand
| ing of the religion under which they are to
| live.
They do not, however, wish ii understood
that they give no other educational
| branches. for only about three-quarters of
an hour a day is devoted to religious
studies This department like that of the
Catholics consists of catechism and biblical
history. Otherwise, the studies followed are
similar to those given in the public schools.
The pupils here finish in their thirteenth
year, and in most cases go to the city
schools to complete their education. They
enter here at the eighth grade. The Luther
ans in this city have no high schools nor
colleges, but in many places where their
denomination is particularly strong they
| have complete school system. In those
places the pupils can receive a thorough
education without going outside of their
own schools, and many of the parents of
| this denomination here send their children
| away when they have finished the Lutheran
local instruction so that they will get their
education solely In the Lutheran schools
MAKE GOOD AMERICANS
Professor Siesennop, who is the principal
/ OF the Trinity school, located on East Mar
| ket street. says that he wants it thoroughly
| understood that they are raising American
citizens. He says there is always a greater
or less number of people preiudiced against
schools conducted by churches, and
| that he has heard it often remarked
| that the Lutherans only instructed
| their children in their own religion
and in German principles. He con-
| tends that this is absolutely false and that
| they endeavor to give their students COM
prehensive understanding of the principles
| and laws of the country under which they
are to live. In many places people who
| would rather send their children to private
/ schools than those conducted by the city
select the Lutheran One Of the professors
said that in Louisville, KY, he had a class
| of which over a third OF the students were
not from families of the church. So far as
making good American citizens is con-
| cerned, this is also true Of the Catholic
| schools, of course
The teaching in the Lutheran schools Is
| all done by men. There are a few instances
| however. where kindergarten classes are
| taught by women, bat they are not many
| One of the principal beliefs in this church
| is that a man Is the only proper person
20 give the young their training. and the
| church offers special inducements to young
men to become teachers. In the norma