Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1912-10-05
Must Insist That the Lesson Is
Studied During the
Week.
Priests and Teachers Entitled to
Practical Aid i'm This
Matter.
help The CAUSE OF RELIGION

During the past few weeks the
Rev. Patrick Walsh, of the Sacred
Heart church, has called attention to
the resumption of the classes in
Christian doctrine and appealed to
the people of his congregation to at
least send their children to Sunday
school. 1t ought not to be necessary
to insist on the Importance OF this
matter in the life of the Catholic
child. But experience shows that 1t
is almost impossible to make some
Catholic parents realize that they
have a serious obligation toward the
Sunday-school, says the Boston Pilot,
editorially. The Sunday-school, after
all. no matter how we'll conducted 1t
is, no matter how efficient and
Jealous the corps of teachers, and
even with the earnest cooperation
of the parents, is only a makeshift.
Consider the hours that are spent,
day after day, year after year, in the
classroom, to teach the child the art
of reading or writing or figuring.
And after many years thus spent the
results are not too gratifying. 1t
takes a great deal of continued ham
mering to fashion the rough metal.
And if one has such doubtful sue
cess, after daily effort, how can one
expect that an hour a week is going
to train thoroughly the heart and
brain of a child in the great Inyster-
les of religion? The Sunday-school,
with its short season and short ses-
sion, is necessarily limited in its
endeavors.
III rNrN hn n n dafl
study. And here is the beauty of
the parish school, with its atmos-
phere of faith, its daily catechism
lesson, its religious teachers. Other
studies are not neglected, but Chris
tian doctrine is given its rightful
-pfrce: fseW-IfFst, and so -thie
study of Him should be the most
important in the training of the
child. Hence it is difficult to under
stand how Catholic parents can de-
prive their children of the saving
influence of the Catholic school. If
they can not give their little ones
the blessed privilege, they and the
children are to be pitied. But since
they are deprived of this special
help, their obligations toward the.
Sunday-school increases. The child
whose study of religion is limited to
the Sunday-school is greatly handi-
capped. And If so, then the opportu-
mites of the Sunday-school must be
made the most of. To many parents
this has no meaning. They think
they are doing their full duty when
they send their children off to the
church for the catechism class. They
never see to it that the lesson is
studied during the week, never hear
the lesson, never interest them
selves enough to consult the teachers
or the director, never make inquiries
as to whether or not the child is ad-
vancing.
How often a boy comes to Sunday
school entirely ignorant of the lesson.
The excuse freqeuntly given is that
he had his home lessons to study.
Some parents are Jealous enough to
watch that the evenings be given to
the history or geography lesson, are
domineering enough in insisting that
the full hour be spent at the music
practice, but the thought never en-
ters their mind to require that at
lSast a half hour should be spent
in getting ready the catechism lesson
for the following Sunday. 1t is
solemn matter. Catholic parenthood
is a serious thing. Upon the parents
rest the the tremendous obligation OF
giving their children a Catholic
training. To do this they must CO.
operate with the priests of the
church. They are not to take an
indifferent attitude as IL the whole
duty were the priests. II is not.
He does his part, but he will fail
with the child unless he has the
at the beginning OF the Sunday
school year the cause of religion will
be helped il parents will take as
much interest in feeding the souls Of
their children as they take in feed
ing their bodies.