The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-06-30
THE HISTORY OF MEXICO.
(By Eber Cole Byam.)
Part TX.


every Catholic should know and be
proud. The history of its achievements
is not a dry-as-dust relation of unin-
teresting events, but, instead, it is
heart-gripping romance of true adj
venture among millions OF 1dolatrous
barbarians. Cold indeed is the Faith
of any Catholic that fails to warm
to the tales of selfsacrificing endeavor
of the hardy missionaries who follow
ed the torch of their enthusiasm Tor
the Cause over ten thousand miles of
towering mountains and vast reaches
of thirsty deserts stretching from Cal
ifornia to Cape Horn.
The Church in Mexico took some
sundry millions of idolatrous Indians,
and, after having cleansed them of
the blood of human sacrifice, raised
them from the unutterable depths OF
cannibalism to the ineXpreSSlble
heights of Christianity. If the Church
in Mexico had done nothing more than
this, it would have merited the rever-
ence of all civilized men. What the
Church did do besides it's evangelical
work has challenged the admiration OF
every fair-minded person who has
taken the trouble to search the yolum-
inous records of it's labors.
Missionaries and Schools.
The efforts of the missionaries were
not confined alone to spreading the
gospel among the heather, but, realiz-
ing full we'll that with education their
work would be fastened and made
more enduring, they early began the
establishment of schools wherein they
gathered the Indian children to the
number of many thousands.
The first missionaries to come to
Mexico were twelve Franciscan friars,
who arrived in May, 1924, and at once
opened four schools where they taught
the Indian children to read and write
and instructed them in the Christian
Faith. Seven years later the num-
Der of missionaries had increased to
the extent of permitting the conduct
of twenty schools with an attendance
of nearly ten thousand children.
Father Alonzo de la Cruz came
from Spain with sixty chests of books
and a collection of scientific instru-
ments, together with a lot of globes
and maps. In 1876 he founded st.
Johns College, buying the grounds
and personally experimenting the
erection of the buildings. This insti-
tuition was closed in 1S43.
The converts founded by the re-
ligious orders in Mexico were in real
ity educational institutions where the
youth of the land were taught not
only religion and department, but also
whatever worldly knowledge the
period afforded. In addition they
were instructed in the various arts
and crafts of the time, and it is i'm
portant to note that all this educa-
ton was furnished free.
The tremendous labors of these indie
fatigable and devoted teachers may
be imagined from the fact that Friar
Pedro de Gante had the unassisted
care of more than six hundred pupils!
Father Sahagun tells us that he met
with opposition and ridicule when he
proposed teaching grammar and Latin
to the Indians, but that this disappear
ed when he not only succeeded in his
purpose, but his pupils in turn became
instructors to the Spanish students
in the seminary. Wherever there was
clergyman there was a school
Towns of any Importance often had
several schools in addition to the mum
erous institutions of higher education
while the fame of the University OF
Mexico still survives to do it honor.
The examination of the history OF
any town of consequence in Mexico
will disclose the existence during Col
onial days of one or more schools Of
higher education. Numbers OF these
places that are today but miserable
remnants of the years gone by, pos
sessed famous institutions of learning
Nor were these establishments confin
ed to the populous centers about the
City of Mexico. In the far off Yaqu
country the educational work was
carried on to an extent that those
Indians said: 1--WE are all Spaniards.
In this particular field the Jesuit
labored with remarkable success unit
the unfortunate day of their expulsion
in 1867 compelled them to abandon
their charges who relapsed into bar
barism with the achievement of I'm
dependence"
Advanced Curriculum.
The curriculum in all these eduCa
tional institutions was as advanced a
in any contemporaneous schools II
Europe or America. The Universit
of Mexico was started in 1851 and off
cially opened in 1858. The study o
medicine was begun in 1878, two huI
dred and four years before Xix
study was begun in Harvard. TIL
study of anatomy and surgery was be
gun and dissection practiced in 1861
eighty-six years before William Hunte
opened the first school of dissection il
England.
Baron Won Humboldt visited Mexic
in 1903 and declared that the City Q
Mexico was foremost in the NeN
World for it's scientific attachments
the United States not excepted.
Did The Church Hamper Education?
The former existence in Mexico Q