The Irish standard., 1908-06-06

number of teachers and scholars il
them IN New York in the year 1907
These furnish a most impressive les.
son, telling of the great growth tina
mas taken place in little over a hun.
dred years. Since the archdiocese O.
New York was established the Cath.
olic population of the city has in.
creased to approximately 100000
but the growth of the schools is ever
relatively greater. The Catholic
schools i'll New York are also in theil
birth and growth coincident with the
establishment of the archdiocese; but
the first Catholic school was estab-
iished 107 years ago-that is, in the
year 1902. 1t was opened in st. Peters
parish, which is the Oldest Catholic
parish in Manhattan, still occupying
its original site in Barclay street, al
most exactly in the rear of the Astor
House.
In January, 1901, the Rev. Matthew
O'Brien, acting rector of st, Peter
Church. wrote to Archbishop Carroll
of Baltimore in reference to the affairs
of st. Peters church in Barclay street,
the principal object being the opening
of a free school, and to accomplish
that the trustees of ST. Peters church
had agreed to meet in lnidwinter of
the year 1901. That letter is still in
the Catholic archives at Baltimore. 1t
was addressed to Archbishop Carroll
because he had jurisdiction at that
time over what is now New York city.
To establish a parochial school 107
years ago was not to depart from a
custom that had prevailed since the
settlement Of what is now the United
States. In New England the schools
were wholly under the control of the
clergy. and in the churches of the
Dutch people of New York all the
pastors were compelled by a rule of
the church to open and hold schools.
AS ST Peters church was organ
lied In 1856. the cornerstone of that
church being laid at that time, it is
seen that within fifteen years after
this organization the trustees of that
church. with the rector, established
the first free school. 1t was supported
cut of the church funds, and each
month a new committee of the men,
bers of the trustees was appointed to
make weekly visits to the school for
the purpose of inspection and examin-
alton. so thoroughly and SYSTEMATIC
ally was this free parochial work be-
gun In st. Peters parish. Since the
day its school doors were opened thew
have never been closed, except for va
cation. and I believe that it is the
only instance on record, at least in
the United States, of a school main
tajned without Interruption for 1o7
Years. Today 1t is at almost precisely
the same place where 1t was first es-
'ltc CofHeF OIL trinity
place and Cedar street. tn the 100
years Of it's existence the yearly aver
age of attendance has been about one
thousand.
was anxious to make some COM
parison Of statistics, and having done
so found that it is to cost the city Of
New York in the year 1908 about $50
to educate each boy and girl in the
public schools: so that if all the 100,-
900 children of Catholic parents who
attend the parochal schools were to
be numbered among those who attend
public schools the increase in the
school tax in the city would be about
s5,00o0oo. One of those who are ex
pert in the analysis of tax lists and
Payments tells me that, approximate
". the Catholic citizens of New York
contribute due prOportionate share
of the $31,000,0O0 appropriated for the
education of the children in the public
schools in New York. In addition to
that, II the board Of education were
called upon to provide accommodations
in the public schools for these 100000
children now In Catholic parochia1
schools it would be necessary to erect
many new buildings, since the present
public schools are not sufficient to
accommodate the 100000 children who
now attend them.
am told on good authority that at
least fifty new buildings would be
needed, and these would involve a cost
OF some s1s.ooo,ooo and could not be
completed within the next ten years.
during which time the school popula-
tion Of New York would be largely in
creased. | have had many conversa-
tions with clergymen who are teachers
in these parochial schools and with
some who are of higher authority i'm
this archdiocese. and I have always
been impressed with the fact that the
Catholic parochial school is, in their
s<,r