Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1913-07-05
Opened With n Pontifical High
Mass by Bishop Allen, OF
Mobile.
Monsignor Shahan, Of Catholic
University, Delivers First
Address.
FULLER REPORTS NEXT WEEK

thronged with the leading Catholic
educators of the United States, at
tending the National Catholic Eduoa-
tional Association convention. Ken
lucky and all the other States were
well represented and the delibera-
tions of the convention we're Of vital
interest to Catholics and will be pro-
ductive of splendid results. The
Pontifical mass on Tueday was cele-
brated by the Right Rev. Edward
=. Allen, Bishop Of Mobile, with
Bishops Gallagher, Shaw, Van de
Ven, Lynch and Morris and many
other high church, dignitaries pres
ent.
Monsignor Thomas p. Shahan, Of
the Catholic University at Washing
ton, delivered the opening address,
from which we extract the following:
Outside of the Catholic church
modern education is everywhere
marked by an absence of the relig-
ious hostility in its regard, when
there is not an avowed enmity and
persecution. It is asserted that all
religions being false or only forms
of a common superstition, their con-
tent is vain and their influence is
other province than the present, no
ether than temporal and material
ideals. On the other hand, the ev-
ident decay of Juvenile morality
alarms an increasing number OF
teachers and administrators Of edu-
cation, and large volumes could be
and are today filled with the sad
admission of foremost authorities
in educational work. But few at
tempts ,are made to stop the rising
tide of pure secularism that is in
vading these schools which recognize
no fixed religious teachings. But IN
view of the great number of these
schools, the training of their teach
ers, the principles of their admin
istration, and the spirit that they
presuppose and in turn feed and con-
firm, it is hard to see how in this
respect any serious improvement can
come about. No teaching Of course
can be long carried out without
ideals of some kind. Naturalism, the
prevailing philosophy of our day,
furnishes not few of the ideals that
sustain and comfort teachers and
pupils in those schools that have no
positive religious affiliations.
Eedenism or the doctrine of pleas
ure in its various shadings, the
world itself, with the charms Of
travel and the contentment OF
natural curiosity, the domain of art,
with the satisfaction of higher and
finer yearnings of the soul, the pur-
suit of social reform, in more or less
utopian way. the purely natural
origins Of religious instinct, the his
tory of philosophic schools and opin-
ions, and of late an intense pursuit
of purely physical ideals, the culti-
walton of literature domestic and
foreign, not to speak of the highly
praiseworthy development of the
patriotic instinct, seem to round out
the ideal activities of our modern
educational word. Together they
make ND the "culturlefen" of today
and exhibit at their best the purposes
and uses of our costly modern educa-
tlon. In themselves and individually
they NAV be and are useful and de-
sirable outlets for human activities.
But as a complete circle OF human
ideals, as representing the final
aim and uses of education, they
are necessarily disappointing. On all
sides there arise outcries against
the frivolity and insignificance OF
much of our modern education, and
its good and useful elements arc
overlooked amid a rather general
yeXation at its failures. No one
maintains that our youth Is more
docile, obedient, reverential, than
formerly, more respectful OF law and
order. In educational methods and
equipment habit and a spirit OF
change are creating a kind OF de-
spair. Modern education, it Is not
too much to say, lacks In many
places unity, purpose, logic, balance,
continuity, nor can these defects be
without a depressing influence on
the armies OF pupils who must go
through such schools. A disinterest-
ed observer could not but wonder
at certain features of 1t.
1.-THE painful toll
OF dropping buckets into empty
wells
And growing old and drawing moth
ing up."
Two noble traits OF our Christian
society seem threatened by this
universal worship of the present and
its fleeting advantages. I mean the
sense of vision" and the power OF
sacrifice. The sense Of the future,
once keen and vivid In our society.
has been considerably weakened by
the decay Of religious teachings,
concerning the destiny OF the human
soul, accountability. divine judgment
and the life to come. IL seems to
many that this Is one reason why the
pursuit Of pleasure and the means
thereto Is now so keen aud goes on
regardless OF any restraint OF law
or custom. Perhaps also II Is why
there Is now 80 little joyous con-
structive imagination. 50 little
poetry and art, those lovely works OF
free-ranging vision" at once beauti-