The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-08-23
TO THE CLERGY AND THE LAITY
OF THE DIOCESE OF ST. PAUL:
Beloved Brethren:

Beloved Brethren:
If today, in matters of religious dis
cipline, a truism may be quoted, to
which assent is plainly imperative, it
is this-A Catholic school for Catholic
children. Years ago the question was
more or less confined to the region of
theory or principle. The consequences
of the nom Catholic school for Catholic
children, however clear to the mind OF
the thoughtful and the far-seeing, had
not unfolded themselves to actual
vision: they were not yet the patent,
manifest facts, that those who run
may read, that none can fail to OBJ
serve. Today facts are spread broad
cast over the land. That Catholic
children should receive Catholic edu-
cation is now the truism obvious and
beyond controversy.
The instruction of the child in the
Catholic faith must be deep, thorough
and continuous, if it is to have last
ing effect, if it is to endure amid the
storms of unbelief and error, with
which it is sure to be assailed in the
coming years of youth and mature
age. Such instruction as is gathered
I'D in the home and in the one-hour-a-
week Sunday school-even when there
it is at all imparted-is the merest
veneering which the passing storm
quickly melts and effaces. We must
know our times: we must know the
dreadful trials lying in wait for the
faith of our sons and daughters: and
as we value their faith as the most
precious gift within their reach, We
must so surround it's earlier growth
with effective safeguards, that later
no peril shall be fatal to it, no battle
shall endanger it's life and integrity.
To this intent we should hold back
from no sacrifice, we should hearken
to no temptation leading us away from
stern duty; we should resolutely adopt
the one course that will save the faith
of our children-giving to them a
Catholic education.
The whole atmosphere of a school
room from which God and His Christ
are forcibly expelled, makes for Sc
cularism and materialism. The lesson
is taught in the very air, in the
studied absence of the spiritual and
supernatural, that the physical world
is solely worth the seeking, that sue,
cess in gathering up pelf and pleasure
is the one goal to be coveted, that to
look beyond is to waste time and
labor upon the unreal and the un'
necessary. More unfortunate yet-in
the non-Catholic school, too often it is
not only the tacit negation of the
supernatural; it is, through words and
examples of unbelieving master or un-
believing fellow-pupil, the positive, ag-
gressive warfare against dogmas of re-
vealed electromagnetic. the primary
principles of natural religion itself
From such teachings and such ex-
amples the Catholic will resolutely
guard his children, if he is at all con-
cerned in their faith, and in the sal,
vation of their immortal souls.
And will the Catholic parent have
no care of the morals of his children,
of the morals that should be theirs
today and theirs tomorrow? Morals
not imbedded in the conscience are
but shadowy conventionalities, power.
less in presence of strong temptation;
and the conscience to be the moral
censor, it is destined by the Creator
to be, must be permeated with, solidi.
fed in, religion. The conscience with.
out God and the Saviour, is as a trib.
unal with a judge. Thoughtful observ
ers, outside the Catholic Church, give
the alarm that the evil to be dreaded
in America is the decay of religion
and, as the necessary sequence, the
decay of morals. Should they &C
further and inquire as to the cause
of the decay of religion and of morals
they will soon perceive that it lies in
the exclusion of religion from the edu
cation of the youth, and the onrusI
into this education of secularism anG
materialism. AS things are going, il
is the death-knell of religion. Tt
Catholics comes the mission to rescue
it from it's perils, to save it to them
selves and to the country. This they
will do by championing religion il
the schools, by giving at least to theil
own children, at whatever cost, a
whatever sacrifice, an education
which, while allsuff1cient to fit then
for earthly responsibilities, fits then
also for their responsibilities to Goo
and to their own immortal souls.
To the praise of Catholics, never
heretofore did they take such concern
in the religious training of their chill
dren as they do at the present time
AS a body, they are wonderful in theil
adhesion to the voice of holy Church
and in the pecuniary sacrifices they
make to affirm this adhesion. Never
heretofore, was there on the part Of
our Catholic people the out-pouring oi
generosity which we witness today in
the erection of school buildings, equa
to the best in the land in all matters
of useful, and even elegant, equip
ment, never was there the outpourins
of good will visible today on all sides
in sending pupils to fill the halls Of
those buildings. We thank our Cath
olic people: we pray the loving Goo
to bless and reward them.
To those Catholics, who still, fol
one reason or another, keep them
selves aloof from this general move
ment towards Catholic schools. ws
send the earnest invitation that the,
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