The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1915-07-03

where will religion be taught? LIE
us remember that the Catholic faitl
is a science in itself-lengthy an,
complex in its proposition, precis,
and dOgmatic in its demands. 1t i
; not learnt in brief moments, will
easy expenditures of attention. It il
no general mental assent to which tn,
slight prompting of the will may Civ,
birth; it is no vague aspiration, t,
which passing word or exampl,
lends power of uplift. The Catholi,
faith is a well-coordinated and ex
plicit system of divinely-receivet
truths; it is the firm grasp of thos,
truths by mind and heart; it is thu
plenary yielding of the energies of lif.
to the consequences of those truths
An attempt to teach Catholic faith
short of long time and thorough
drilling, is profitless beating of the
air. The place to teach religion is
the school-room, where time and cir
cumstances permit and authorize
thought and work, where each theme
and study takes it's proper rank, re
! ligion first and foremost, permeating
and inspiring all else, while other
themes still are Loyalty treated in
their due share of attention and re.
spect.
The Home and the sunday.sehooI
insufficient to Religious Training.
Need discuss the home and the
Sunday-school as factors in the re-
ligious formation OF the child? AS a
matter of fact, religion is not taught
in the home. Few parents are capable
to teach religion; fewer yet take the
time, or have the will to teach it. If
they fain would teach religion, when
and where the opportunity? The days
harassing labor over, fathers and
mothers cOvet rest and recreation;
the wearisome drudgery of the school
room sloughed off, children are loath
to listen. Parents do not trust in
the lessons of the home to teach to
their children the sciences of earth.
Are lessons in religion less valuable,
or more easily dealt with than lessons
in music and grammar, in chemistry
or history? The Sunday-school! For
multitudes of children the Sunday.
school does not exist; they do not,
they will not, come to it. To those
who do come, what is the Sunday
school? One hour in the week, hur-
rled rehearsal of words, specious
makeshift, harmful inasmuch as it
excuses from the thorough study that
alone suffices in matters of religion.
The Sunday-school taking the place of
the regular school of five days in the
week, is not to be thought of among
Catholics. Were the Catholic Church
In America to confide in the home and
the Sunday-school for the religious ed
ucatfon of her children, she were pre-
pairing a death-blow to herself and to
the sacred message of Which she was
made the voice-bearer and the defend
| err quote the examinations in re.
lfgion, over which preside when l
visit parishes for the administration of
the Sacrament of Confirmation. Few
the glances, few the questionings need
ed to differentiate the pupils of the
Catholic school from those whose re.
ltgious training is presumed to have
come from the home or the Sunday
school. AS the pupils of the Catholic
school pass in review, prompt IN reply
and calculation, beaming in counte-
nance with the joyous rays of spiritual
grace and piety, 1 feel that in the flu.
ture years the Church is sure to have
from them its throng of loyal soldiers,
in whose hands her destinies are
safe. But as observe and question
those children who. for their religious
training, have relied to other agencies.
tremble for the faith of those chill
dren, for the fortunes of the Church
SO far as they may be her champions.
never arise from a confirmation ex.
animation without an act of praise to
God for our Catholic schools, without
an act of deep regret that still there
are Catholic children outside their til
telage.
No Faith, No Morals.
Religion barred from the school-room
the all-important question arises:
What is done to ground the pupil in
good morals? The effective founda.
tion of good morals is faith in the liy.
Ing God, supreme ruler of men. faith
in the overriding Christ, Saviour of
mankind. faith in the sacramento
graces flowing from the merits of
Christ and distributed to souls through
the agencies of His Church. The SUI.
pernatural is the birthplace of human
virtue; thence the rays to enlighten
the reason of man. thence the inspira.
ton to awaken and fortify his con.
science-thence, too. the sanction of
love and of fear to impel his will to
the observance Of righteousness, to de.
ter 1t from evil-doing. But all this is
religion, Of which no mention ia al
lowed. What remains? Pitiable an.
peals to counsels of reason, to i'm.
pending punishments of human law.