The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-07-03

commanded you. And behold ] am
with you all days, even to the con-
summation of the world"
(Matt. XVIII, 19-2o.)
tell, in His own words, the injunc-
ton of the Saviour to His Church,
even to the consummation of the
world. | tell the reason of the proc
lamation which to-day is that of the
Catholic Church in the United States
of America: Catholic schools for
Catholic youth.
That the Church was ever mindful
of the injunction to teach all nations,
teaching them to observe all things
whatsoever the Saviour had COM
manded, the facts in the story of her
life and activities provide abundant
proof. That in her obedience to the
Injunction, she ever received the
supernatural aid promised to her
And behold / am with you all days"
the no less abundant proof is had
from the characteristic wisdom and
courage which ever marked her
march through time and space, from
the clearness of vision with which she
ever promptly discovered menaces of
peril, from the daring of hand with
which at once she set herself to con-
quer whatever obstacles one situation
or another was wont to fling across
her pathway.
Such the Church in history: such
the Church to-day in America. i an
nounce one of the most meaningful
& 4acs in her entire history-one, most
expressive ofS1fef accurate and far
peering vIs4uIt into present and future
happenings, and equally so of her
wondrous courage to confront existing
contingencies and sweep seeming de-
feat into triumphant victory. | have
before my eyes the Catholic schools of
America, primary and secondary, so
numerous and so efficient to-day, to
be yet more numerous and more eff
cient tomorrow.
Conditions Confronting the Church.
The schools of the State were
secularized, restricted by edict of law
to the teaching of purely secular
themes. Religion, in every form, was
excluded from the prescribed curri-
culum.
To it's secularized schools the State
was lavish of financial support: the
entire citizenship of the land was
taxed to replenish their treasury.
Furthermore, were the Catholic
Church to dissent from them, and
open other schools in better accord
with her principles, she was reduced
to ask from her faithful people double
taxation, to maintain her own schools,
while doing their part towards main.
tanning the schools Of the State.
Public opinion was resolute in its
championship of the secularized
school. To run counter to it in this
regard was to incur, in no small
measure, the suspicion of treason to
the country. The secularized school
it was asserted, is the corollary of the
principle which none would deny, thai
universal instruction is necessary
both to the welfare of the individual
citizen and to that of the general com
monwealth: and so in the eyes of pub
lie opinion he who refused for hi'
children the secularized school wal
the enemy of universal instruction
the enemy of the country itself.
Meanwhile the Catholic Church wa
convinced that in loyalty to her mis-
sion to teach all nations the religion
of the Saviour, she should not accep
the secularized school as the fl
nursery of childhood and of youth
What else was she to do but to hav
her own schools, whatever the finar
cial cost this should entail, whateve
the misunderstanding and misstatt
ments it might awaken. This she ha
done: this she is doing.
Paramount Influence Of the School
The influence of the school upo
future manhood and womanhood cal
not be overduly emphasized. 1t is th
nursery where mind and heart are p,
into enduring form. This is the rul
which exceptions only confirm. TT
lessons of the school, direct or l
direct, are those that in coming tin
will dominate the intellect: impre
sions set there upon the soul sir
into it's deepest fibre: they will n,
depart with the passing of the year
Five days out of the seven the scho
holds sway: they are the days
serious labor, of serious refiectio
Outside those days, play and rest a
urgent in their claim. To be effectiy
the school must be authoritative: Il
masters word is the law: the master
nod, the compass of orientation.
he speaks, as he breathes, so spea
and breathes the pupil. The sile
atmosphere of the school in itself is
strong formative element: it is to I