The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-07-03
ABSTRACT OF PAPER READ BY
REV. r. T. MORAN, D. D., OF
CLEVELAND, OHIO.

Inc speaker StdlSu IHetI IL was IHS
purpose of the paper to make a few
reflections on what the pastor has
done in the cause of education and
to sound call to renewed activity.
Fundamentally, the Church is not
freighted with direct responsibility
in secular education. AS, however,
all life particularly it's educational
side needs to be informed by. religion.
the Church indirectly has this respon-
sibility. History shows that she has
had full consciousness of this. Her
cathedrals, universities, colleges,
schools; her encouragement of art in
its various branches her explorations.
into the field of science; the records
of her great sons, an Augustine,
Thomas Aquinas, an Albertus Magnus,
a Virgilius, a Copernicus, Galvanl,
Volta, a Raphael, Michael Angelo,
and innumerable others, rarest gen.
fuses many of them; and in particular,
the preservation of literature and the
Bible through the labor of her monks,
furnish irrefutable testimony of her
prodigious labors and influence for
educational progress. The hierarchy
led the way. The bishops have been
the immediate leaders; the diocesan
clergy and the religious have been
their immediate helpers.
With America, a new field was given
to the church. Her experience and
her general organization for the work
were complete. Progress in educa-
ton is governed by conditions, being
retarded while the country is clearing
up and settlements are being planted.
5 There may be those who trace the
energizing educational influence in
America to Robert Dale Owen. The
Church was alive to the necessity OF
education and took steps for its ad-
vancement co-incident with the oppor-
tunity. Colleges, academies and
schools were supplied as rapidly as
possible. Two instances of compare
lively early endeavor were cited, the
first that of Rev. Gabriel Richard who
lived in or near Detroit between the
years 1898 and 1882. He was for a
time member of congress from
Michigan. Father Richard introduced
Normal Schools into Michigan, set up
the first printing press and was large
ly instrumental in establishing its
we'll known state university of which
he was the first vice-president. He
published a series of text books, also
a newspaper, and secured an appro-
priation to establish schools for the
Indians. The second instance was of
a congregation at Lowell, Mass, in the
year 1885. Secretary Sears of the
State Board of Education after visit
to this school wrote in the year 1850:
81 have seen no school of the kind
to equal it in all my visits to schools"
Both Father Richard and the Lowell
congregation received state support.
1t became evident in the course of
time that the Church for her own high
purpose, to- impart training which
would include religion, must support
her own schools. The founding of
schools was urged in the Second Plen-
airy Council of Baltimore; it was made
of strict obligation by the. Third
Plenary Council of Baltimore requir-
ing fulfllment under penalties within
two years after the PRONUNCIATION of
the law.
The field work in creating the school
fell to the pastor He received vail
ant support from the religious teach
ing communities, without whom it
would have been impossible for him
to have succeeded. The firm estab-
lishment of the parochial school with
it's million, and half children in at
tendance and it's many millions of dol
lars in investment speaks for itself
We have grown with the years; we
have become a great body, forceful,
capable, efficient. We take on enter
prises of large moment with the con.
fidence that We shall be able to carry
them forward to a successful issue
But fifty years ago, it was different;
and seventy-five years ago, well, it was
more different" still. Strengthened
on every side to meet pressing wants
and to discharge financial obligations,
it was natural that the pastor should
have experimental in various diree.
tions. The Lowell experience taught
useful if not a, final lesson and con.
tributed much in the way of illumina-
tion. Later came the Poughkeepsie
Plan and still later the Faribault Plan
The principle back of these various
efforts was to discover if possible, a
point of contact with the general edu-
cational program of the country, to
relieve the Catholic population of the
vexatious burden of double taxation in
effect and to lessen the financial pres
sure upon faithful laity who were
already straining to supply their re
ligious needs. Archbishop Hughes
would have gladly found some middle
ground, and twas only when this was
found impossible, that Catholics were
forced to take the position that they
would maintain their own schools.
The heaviest part of the educational
work of the pastor has been to erect
to equip and to support the Catholic
school. Even where apparently pros
sperous, he has had to overcome huge
Sdifficulties. In less favored circum
stances his struggle has been such as
Ito claim our deepest sympathy. Not in
frequently has he been the whole edu
cational staff. The enormous burden
assumed by the pastor is best under
stood when expressed in figures. Ac
cording to the, last Catholic Directory
there are in the United States
1,456,206 children in the schools. AL