The Irish standard., 1915-09-25
PAROCHIAL SCHC< &C.
AND IRISH HISTu> :

Prepared by a committee of the Chi
cago Irish Historical Society and pub
lished by the chairmen of Irish His
tory of the Ancient Order of Hiber-
mans and Ladies' Auxiliary of Illi-
nois.
Irish history should be taught in
the parochial schools for the follow
ing reasons:
Because it would be more beneficial
to children of Irish parentage to learn
about st. Patrick, who converted the
pagan Irish to Christianity, rather than
learn about the six wives of Henry
VIII, kind of England. This kingly
model of virtue divorced three of his
wives and cut the heads off two of
them.
Because it would be more beneficial
to the children to learn about the
piety and virtues of st. Brigid, who
founded converts in Ireland to teach
the young Irish girls and lead them in
the ways of virtue and morality,
rather than learn about Queen Eliza.
beth, the English queen who was sar.
castically styled the VIRGIN Queen"
on account of her immortality.
Because it would be more beneficial
to the children to learn about the life
and labors of st. Columbcille, whose
piety and learning earned for him the
title of 1.-THE Dove Of the Cells" than
to learn untrue statements about the
greatness of Cromwell, who butchered
1000 women and children at Drogheda
and massacred the priests on the al
tars at Cashel, and committed other
uncomfortable crimes during his con.
quest in Ireland.
Because the children in the paro'
chial schools In which Irish history
is not taught will be deprived of the
opportunity of competing for the nu
merous Irish history scholarships
which are now given in the high
schools and colleges by the Hibernians
and Ladies' Auxiliary and their
friends.
Because the best Catholic colleges
for men, such as Notre Dame Univer'
sity, and the best colleges for women,
such as Mount St. Joseph's of Du'
buque, Iowa, the head house of the
Sisters of the B. V. NJ, are teaching
Irish history in their curriculum; and
those children in the parochial schools
who aspire to a higher education in
the future must have a knowledge OF
Irish history in order to compete with
those educated in these colleges.
Because thorough knowledge OF
Irish history will enlighten the minds
of the children on the purity, sanctity
and virtue practiced in the ideal Irish
home, and induce them to model their
homes accordingly and emulate the
virtues of their ancestors.
Because knowledge of Irish his
tory will enlighten the minds of the
children upon the sacrifices which
their forefathers made on behalf OF
the Catholic faith and the sufferings
they endured for conscience sake, and
this knowledge will make them bet
ter Catholics and better American citi
zens.
Because in the study of Irish his
tory the children will not find the
models of infamy and immortality that
they will find in the study of English
history, such as Henry VIII and Crom
we'll and the so-called "Virgin Queen;
but they will learn of st. Patrick, the
Apostle of Ireland, St. Brigid, the Nun
of Kildare, and St. Columbcille, the
Missionary of Iona; and thereby will
be induced to practice the virtues OF
the latter in preference to the vices
of the former.
Because in the study of Irish his
tory the children will learn of the
wiles of the British government and
the efforts it makes to rule other PEG
pies against their consent. They will
learn of the broken treaties of Eng
land, the perfidy of this pirate of ma
tons; and when they grow to man
hood and womanhood they will be bet
ter equipped American citizens to un
derstand and defend against British
designs and efforts to incorporate the
United States of America as an in
tegral part of the British Empire, az
proposed by Andrew Carnegie and
Cecil Rhodes. ...
Because a thorough knowledge Of
Irish history is necessary for the chill
dren of Irish descent in America In
order to preserve in their minds Irish
ideals, love for home and family life
hatred of discord and divorce and alb
horrence of the socialistic tendencies
of the times,