The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-08-01
CATHOLIC LAND; CATHOLIC SKY;
CATHOLIC ATMOSPHERE.
lsy the Reverend .. $. Phe!an.l

(By the Reverend .. s. Phelan.l
| Why are we SO solicitous for Cath
olic education? It is very costly, and
the results are not always common
surate with the time, money and en-
ergy expended. But why is it failure
| only spurs us on to, greater effort
| Why is it that with the most liberal
public school system in the world we
still clamor for more Catholic schools?
For. the sake of Catholics the Ameri-
can people have absolutely secularized
their public school system, banishing
prayers, preachers and Bible from the
class room; yet we will not accept the
religiously sterilized education offered
us, and we redouble our efforts to give
the opportunity of a Catholic education
to every Catholic child in the land.
Why this seeming inconsistency?
We are living in a Protestant coun-
try. We are living under Protestant
government. We are surrounded by
Protestants. That is a great misfor-
tune. Religion is delicate plant.
The soil of the United States is not
| adapted to it's growth. We have only.
religious weeds, and they are rank
The laws of a people are the external.
expression of their life. Our laws are
hostile to Catholic ideas and do not
respond to the needs of the Catholic
soul. The man is the composite of the
elements Of the society in which he
lives. Our society is british in all it's
aims and manners. 1t is as hard to
raise a good Catholic in the United
States as it would be to cultivate a
cactus plant in Siberia.
We must save our Catholicity. We
must safeguard religion. We must
save our Catholic youth. Therefore
we build Catholic schools. There is a
church in Rome where they maintain
a little graveyard, twenty by twelve,
filed to the depth of five feet with clay
from the Holy Land. 1t is considered
the highest privilege to be inferred
in that sacred SOIL Irishmen trans
4 plant turf of the old sod, or sham
rock from the land of their birth, to-
remind them of the happy days of
long ago. Immigrants to this country
try to settle in colonies where they
can continue the social and religious
life of their native land. They cling
j to their language and customs and
give them up reluctantly. Catholic
education combines all these conserva-
tive agencies, and endeavors to give
to the child born in the United States
the earth and sky and atmosphere of
a Catholic land. There is for the
Catholic child in the Catholic school a
| glimpse, a taste, touch of real Cath
4 Ollie life, such as his parents knew it
/ in their youth, 1t is the grandest
bearthly and heavenly blessing they can
bequeath them. The rising genera
| ton of American Catholics enjoy to
the full the advantages of Catholic
life and society during the happy days
spent in a Catholic school. Inside the
threshold of an American Catholic
school the boys and girls born in this
/ country enjoy to the full the ample
Catholic life accorded the children of
the faith in the most favored Catholic
lands. For three, four or more years
they are in a Catholic environment
and breathe the. free, fresh air of
Catholic life. The vigorous growth
acquired in that time will enable them
to withstand all the adverse influence
of after social life. We went a virile
Catholic manhood, strong and un-
sullied Catholic Womanhood. And to
insure both we give them the ad-
vantages during the years of their de-
velopment of Catholic soil, a Catholic
empyrean; pure Catholic atmosphere
For this we are willing to spend and
be spent.
It is not for the little arithmetic or
geography or grammar we give them
that we support our separate schools.
| These things can be taught in the
public schools and are worth very lit
tie when learned. The thing known
as grammar school education is be-
coming known to all as a very costly
piece of ignorant extravaganza. What
is known as literacy is the veriest
sham.
What we want for our Catholic
boys is a few years of happy, limo
cent association with other Catholic
boys. What we want for our Catholic
girls is a part of their youth spent in
the pure atmosphere of Catholic
girlhood. What we want for Catholic
boys and Catholic girls is few years.
familiar and trustful intercourse with
Catholic teachers and Catholic priests,
that the foundations of true Catholic
life may be solidly laid and the first
story of the great edifice of Catho1icity
may be completed before the builders
on the walls are changed. A Catholic
school is a section Of Catholic life and
economy, and we want it preserved
for all our children. Therefore, up
with the parochial schools. Multiply
our teaching orders, make Catholic
education more and more Catholic;
and we can look the future confidently
in the face.
W -eDr-e--
MY CHOICE.