The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-29

Vast System, Including
zo5 Schools in Greater
City, Incurs an Enor-
nous Expense, but In
stitutions Are Regain
ing Their Heritage Of
Medieval Times
By the REV. JOSEPH T.. SMITH,
superintendent of Catholic schools.
New York city.

n CCORD1NG TO the official Catholic
IA directory there are In the United
States 5.4OS Catholic elementary
schools. and I'm these schools
l.42s,ss5 pupils are being educated. OF
this number Of schools lGS are I'm TN.
archdiocese OF New York In the boroughs
OF Manhattan. The Bronx and Richmond
there are lO5 schools. with total regis
tration of 6s.5l3 pupils. In the diocese
OF brooklyn, which comprises the other
two boroughs. there are 100 schools at
tended by $1,000 pupils. There are there
fore In the greater city 2OJ schools with
total registration Of 1888 pupils
The Catholic Church by establishing
this vast separate system Of education
has assumed IA weighty and pressing re-
sponsibility. our schools are bound by
law, by charity and by Justice to give the
children committed to our care an educa-
ton at least equal to that impaired else
where The buildings must be suitable
for their purpose. modern. hreproof in
their construction. hygienlc and In every
detail health-prOteCting for the children.
our teachers must cooperate with and
obey every law regarding the branches
TO be taught compulsory attendance.
truancy and child labor
The opportunity for religious educa-
tonal and social work thus presented In
so extensive a system IL widespread and
seemingly buundless. Opportunity aud
responsibility are herein so INTERVIEWED
and intimately connected that they are
practically correlative terms. For this
mighty fabric IL wholly concerned about
the child. the future men and the future
women In the family. In the Church and
in the state. Never perhaps In the roll
ing OF time has there been so much study
OF the child. so much concern for his
present and future welfare. THE greatest
religious fact in the United States to-day
T.. ,tstt, .,I
without any aid except from the people
who love It." SO wrote the present Arch
bishop SpaldlnE and Judge in Western
city declared our sacrifices for Christian
education to be one OF the greatest acts
Of herosm of modern times. our OPP
portunitv lies In the fact that We have
these children under our care for the
better part OF their wakeful day, and
that We may mould them we wish,
teach them what We wish, train their
characters as we will and prepare them
for complete living In this world and In
the next
No school can be merely place for
training in religion and for the acquisi-
ton Of knowledge Strange 70 say. the
school II rcgaininC the place and the
heritage which were It's distinguishing
features In medieval times. II must tn
fluence every phase and activity OF the
childs life. Il must reach the home, the
street and the playground. II must h't
NJ n conservator Of all that is best In
childhood and warn on from II all threat
ening Ills Of soul and body
The school must DO concerned about
the entire child It's religious. moral In
tellectual and physical weN-being. The
school cannot Of itself sufficiently guard
all these heaven sent inherltRnccs OF the
child; therefore II must enlist help the
sympathy, the cooperation, Of outsil"
agencies The scope Of the school has
been wdened II must teach not only
religious and secular branches hut u
must also teach right rules OF living {;
prepare the child for earning It's living
and guide Il toward It's proper calling In
life.
Just ms the scope OF the school has
been widened so the province and IN"
responsibility OF the teacher. In add
ton To teaching the requisite branches
the teacher has nowadays to study the
child. his virtues. his faults his tenden-
cies his home. his play and his occupa-
ton his physical well-heinR. his struc-
ture his breathing, his posture, his senses
and the possible defects in all these. This
is the age OF the child" and the teacher
| cannot be deaf TO the cries of progress
In this respect