The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-29

erected. and in three years the number OF
pupils a grown to one hundred. In
less han ten years the diocese saw three
Catholic free schools IN active operation
the first free schools in New York.
That was just a century ago since then
the people have continued the struggle,
often against great odds. until now WI
have 1877 parochial schools. the alue Of
whose property is .l5.363.1Oo. The
number Of pupils is s4,4Ss and the cost
OF maintenance during 1914 was ST.
054.420. All this has been done by
citizens VIII at the same time have had
TO keep on paying their full share of
the taxes for the public schools, a degree
Of self-denial quite unparalleled by any
other body. In the words OF a distin-
gulshed university president OF the West
"a non-Catholic). The support of two
sets OF schools is thrown on the con-
sclentious taxpayer, and he Is told that
his redress lies in giving up a method
to which his convictions have led him"
Such facts are eloquent. IL they do not
OF themselves demonstrate the truth OF
our position they evidence at least the
frmness of conviction with which we
hold 1t. Even those who differ from US
must admit that we are thoroughly in
earnest. For people do not pay a double
tax, and pay 1t continuously and will
ingly, Just to experiment with a theory.
Evidently Catholics are determined to
have their children educated in the
Catholic way. Now what is that way?
To begin with. in a Catholic parochial
school the children are taught the Catho-
lie faith and the precepts OF Catholic
morality, and they must study these
and pass examinations in them just as
they do in mathematics or geography.
But that is by no means all. As We
have said above. the Catholic idea is not
that religion should accompany secular
training and stop there, but that the
secular studies should themselves be
pursued under the aeg!s of Christianity,
so that at no time during the session
should the pupil be removed from it's
sanctifying influence. Consequently We
fit up our classrooms with the symbols
Of religion-the crucihX and sacred pic
tures-which in many cases are copies
OF the masterpieces produced in the
days when European civilization was
Catholic and Catholicity was of the fibre
OF daily life. The constant sight of the
cruciiied Redeemer reminds the child OF
the value of a soul that God so loved
as to give His only Son for its ransom.
And the prayers recited at the beginning
and the end of the days work n at
frequent intervals between remind him
of the ever abiding presence Of His God.
In addition to this the teachers, while
not obtruling rcligiuu, do not hesitate TO
bring It into the treatment OF those
secular studies with which 10 is con-
rected. For example, In the history les
son the children are taught To recognize
{ - H. as,w1 - a,..a ..-..
ing OF Providence and the role OF re-
ligion, and the readers contain extracts
that treat Of mans eternal welfare.
And especially when tcaching CiVics the
children are mbued with the idea tina
obedience to civil rulers is "A religious
duty. since back OF the civil authority
is the authority of God. Moreover the
teacher themselves are in most cases
men and women who nave given up the
world to work for God In the instruction
OF youth, and the very sight of their
habits serves as a constant example OF
that so"lf-renunciatiOn which is at the
root OF true character training. And
when such "A teacher demands the obedi-
ence and respect of his young charges
his demand is enforced by the fact that
he himself is living In a state OF con-
slant obedience to his own superiOrs.
Every patriotic citizen. no matter what
his creed. ought TO thank God that in a
land where reverence for law IL none
too common there are schools where
submission to authority, civil rs well as
religious, Is insisted on as a religious
duty, and that not by words only but by
the immeasurably more eloquent voice
of example. Then again the children
are brought regularly to the parish
church for confession and communion.
for sunday mass and other devotional
purposes, and in somc cases they have
sunday school as a supplement to the
regular religious training NJ the week or
they are required to hdnd I'm a synopsis
OF the sermon, In short, the whole
school is pcrmeatcd with the atmosphere
OF religion, not a religion of mere pretty
phrases and weak S~cutim,utllity. bu.
one that has definite ana clearly graspct
doctrine for the basis Of it's moral teach
ing Is It any wonder that children 50
trained grow up to become us, ful. Law
abiding citizens, loyal to their Coo and
TO their country?
II has been urged against our sys-
TEN that. even granting the need Of
such instruction, this work belongs to the
home and the church. the parent and
the priest being the only ones priv
LEGGED to enter into the sanctuary of
the child's soul. True, the Sunday