The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-04-05
PAROCHIAL SCHOOL EDUCA-
TON.

In speaking Of the present
condition Of parish schools, COM
pared with the schools of twenty
five years ago, the first thought
which presents itself to our minds
is the marked change in the atti-
tude and disposition of the Catho-
lie people towards Catholic schools
during the past quarter of cen
tury,'' writes Bishop Canevin, of
Pittsburgh.
twenty-five years ago paro-
chial schools were considered by
many as inferior to the public
schools not only with regard to
the buildings, but also with re-
gard to their equipment, and to
the system of education followed
by our Catholic teachers. Parents
of standing and education, fami-
lies ambitious for the advancement
Of their children in knowledge,
and DESTROYS of fitting them for
success in business and the pro-
LESSONS, and all the higher call
ings Of life, hesitated to entrust
them to our parochial schools.
"Today the change is most
gratifying. The very class of peo-
pie and families that twenty-five
years ago hesitated to send their
children to the parochial schools,
are now the strongest advocates
and the most generous supporters
of the Catholic system of educa-
ton. They are in many places
more jealous even than the pas
tors themselves; and are the first
to suggest and urge the erection
of a school in the parish. The re-
suit of this is the splendid system
of parochial schools that is rising
on the educational landscape OF
this country, with 1,334,000 and
more pupils, and nearly 10000 OF
the most devoted religious teach
ers in the world.
"The growth of the work OF
Catholic education like the growth
of the Church itself in this coun.
try is without a parallel in his.
tory. In 1890 Catholics were less
than one in every hundred Of our
population. In 1880 we were
one in every forty and to-
day we are about one in every
five. The Church today can claim
over 100000 Catholics in the
United States. Nowhere have
Catholics been so jealous, and no.
where have they been so gener.
GUS in erecting churches and
schools as in this favored land OF
ours.
| "Today Catholics recognize the
Importance of Christian educa.
ton as the great hope and secur.
ity Of the future, for the dangers
that threaten religion in this coun.
try are the dangers Of secularism
and they can be guarded against
only by the most efficient system
Of education, and the best
equipped teachers. The love Of
religion, as well as the love Of
country, admonish us to be vigi
liant In protecting the children Of
the Church against the insidious
enemies of religious schools, and
to labor on until we have attained
the very highest standard of edu.
cational work.
"The great battle Of the Church
with antagonism and atheism In
this twentieth century is to be
fought out upon the field of edu.
cation and in our Catholic schools
must be trained the army that will
follow the standard of the cross
This brings before us the respon.
sibility that rests upon the super
iors of our religious communities
who are charged with the forma.
ton of the teachers, to whom is
entrusted the sacred duty of edu.
eating our children, and prepar-
ing them to fulfill their duties to
God and to society.