The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-03-07
[Continued from page IL
PASTORAL LETTER OF THE
BISHOP OF ST. CLOUD.

great work of the education OF your
children; you should have confidence
in them, respect them and work with
them in perfect harmony, encouraging
one another in this noble, but ardu-
Gus task of education, for thus only
true success is possible. When the
child comes home with complaint
against the teacher, say nothing, but
go and inquire yourself in a gentle
manly manner about the cause of the
trouble, whatever it may be, and you
will find that the child was wrong and
the teacher was right. Do not get
angry on such occasions in the pres
ence of the child, do not say abusive
words against the teachers or scold
them, without even knowing the true
source of the difficulty. This would
be the worst thing you could do.
Thereby you would undermine the
necessary authority of the teacher as
we'll as your own, and any further ed
ucation in that school, would be most
difficult, nay, impossible.
Best Training for Citizenship.
In the parochial school, the highest
duty of man towards God, his fellow
man and himself are explained. The
children learn the practical applica-
ton of religion in all circumstances
and conditions of life. Religion puri-
fies and guides all their thoughts,
words and actions. Here they are
taught how to practice virtue and full
fill their religious duties: in a word,
here they are educated to be useful
citizens and exemplary Christians. No
one denies that in youth one must &C.
quire the knowledge of those things
which are necessary to be once use
full member of the commonwealth and
to fulfil intelligently the duties of a
free citizen. This is by no means the
only thing, not even the principal
thing. Man has an immortal soul
which deserves first and greatest at
tention. Seek first the Kingdom of
God and His justice" says Holy Scrip
ture. He should therefore acquire the
knowledge of those truths which can
help him to reach his eternal home.
AS far as the education of this world
is concerned, our parochial schools
give the same opportunity as the pub
lie schools and generally produce
the same result. But besides secular
branches. children are taught in paro-
chial schools those sublime lessons
which show them what is true and
what is false, what is good and what
is evil and what is necessary for the
temporal and eternal welfare. Our
Blessed Lord says: "Let the little
ones come unto me, and hinder them
not" There are parents who refuse
to send their children to parochial
schools, thus hindering them from re-
ceiving true Christian education, and
coming to Jesus, their true friend.
When they will once appear before
their Judge who spoke the above cited
words, what will they answer?
Ideal of Christian Education.
In parochial schools children learn
to know and to keep the divine law.
They are directed to resist evil in
clinations, to suppress their passions
and to correct their faults "Man is
inclined to the evil from his youth, -
says the Divine Word, hence he must
learn early how to combat those evil
inclinations. There Jesus is placed
| before the eyes of the children as the
most perfect model to be initiated all
the days of their earthly life. There
they are taught to love Mary, the I'm
maculate Mother of God and to rec
ommend themselves and their inno-
cence to her powerful protection.
There they become acquainted with
| the most beautiful examples of great
servants of God in the Old and New
Testament There they have many
helps to remind them of holy and
heavenly things and see day after day
the beautiful example of their virtu-
GUS teachers. They move continuous
ly in pure, religious, Christian at
mosphere which cannot fail to exer-
else permanent influence upon them.
Practical religion becomes as natural
to them as breathing. The parochial
school is the ideal of Christian educa-
ton. It is true that sometimes even
such as had the opportunity of the
best Christian education go astray and
are carried away by the strong cur
rent of the wicked world. Such, how
ever, are exceptions and generally re
turn sooner or later to the flock which
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