The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-08-24
THE WORLD EDUCATOR,

At a Sunday school meeting of
the Welsh Baptists, says the Sa-
cred Heart Review, Mr.. Lloyd
George declared: 81 feel that the
great problem Of the reconstruc-
ton of the world is safe if the
churches begin to take charge of
it, and [ am glad that they are
thinking Of it in time.
This is a land that boasts that it
is Christian, but it is not" Quot
ing these words in an address to a
Liverpool audience, on the Fisher
education bill, the Rev. James
Hughes pointed out that the edu-
cational question lay at the very
root Of reconstruction. Fifty
years of undenominational teach
ing had resulted in the premier s
admission that England was no
longer a Christian land.
Not Catholics alone, but thought
full NOn-conformists, noted the re-
suit. Thus the editor of the Brit
ish Weekly lamented the steady
diminution Of the attendance of
children at public worship. ocean
we not learn a lesson from the pas
toral care Of the Roman Catho-
lics?" this editor asked. The
Catholic authorities saw that the
Sunday school could not take the
place of daily and definite re-
ligious teaching in the elementary
schools, for only fraction of
those attending council schools
ever went to Sunday school and a
fraction of this fraction remained
faithful. "Only one in five Sun
day schools comes into the COM
muniOn of our churches" the ed
itor asserted. A careful census of
the Non-conformist churches of
Liverpool, taken on a Sunday
morning, showed seventeen empty
seats out of every twenty sittings.
Undenominational education and
rapid decrease of attendance
at any religious worship went
hand in hand. Yet religion is the
rock upon which character must
be built.
Reviewing these sentiments and
convictions of men outside the
Church, Father Hughes emphasiz-
ed what the Church is doing for
her children-a work that ELECTS
from nOn-Catholics the question
Can we not learn a lesson from
the pastoral care of the Roman
Catholics?" And while religion is
performing it's vital function, the
children are acquiring also a thor
ough grounding in the branches of
secular education necessary for
their success in the world. Faith
err Hughes instanced the record
made by the pupils Of the Cath
Ole schools in Liverpool in con
tests for scholarships offered to
all the children of the city. In
one year the Catholic schools car
ried off seven Of the eight schol-
arships. This is conclusive proof
that secular education is not be.
ing neglected.
Father Hughes contended that
when the secular teaching of the
Catholic schools was fully salts.
factory, to refuse to these schools
equal financial support, was to
keep Catholics, even in the TWEEN.
tieth century, still under the penal
laws because they were giving
complete education Of mind, heart
and soul, giving that formation
of character that builds up the
perfect man.
The testimony Of this English
priest and the Protestant author.
tiles he quotes is commended tC
the attention of Catholics, who are
not fully alive to the advantages
they possess in our splendid par.
ish schools. The same success in
preparing children for the world
and for heaven attends the la.
bors of our devoted teachers as
with those in England, yet there
are parents even now wondering
if little John or Mary will learr
as much from the Sisters" as il
the public school, Such parents
are.nqt among the most intelligent