Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1919-05-10
PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY.


There can be no question that one
of the grayest responsibilities as
sumed by Catholics who enter the
holy state of matrimony is the relig-
ious training of the children with
! whom it may please Almighty God
to bless them. Unfortunately, too,
there is little doubt that the respon-
incur without due thoughtfulness,
and which in consequence they are
inclined to minimize. if not practi-
cally to shirk altogether.
True, when the dawn OF reason
first breaks upon the childish mind
Catholic mothers as a rule are faith
full in sowing the seeds of elemen-
tary religious truths in the hearts
of their little ones The children
are taught to make the sign of the
cross. to recite short prayers; to
speak and think with reverence of
God the Father, our Divine Lord.
and the Blessed Virgin; to distin-
guish the broad lines of right and
wrong. Once the child has grown
old enough to be sent to school,
however, too many parents appar-
emily think that the responsibility
of his religious education is shifted
from their shoulders to those of his
teachers or of the parish priest
This is radical mistake. Home
training in the theory and practice
of Christian doctrine can not be SUI
perseded by the instruction of even
the most conscientious teachers or
the most Jealous priests. The les
son impaired by pious and loving
mother and conscientious father
makes a far more vivid and lasting
impression than can be given by any
other human agency whatever.
Even where the boys and girls
attend parochial schools, in which
catechism forms one of the regular.
textbooks. the Preside Instruction
can not safely be dispensed with,
Much less can il be neglected in the
case of the thousands OF our Catho-
lie children who perforce attend the
public schools in which religion is
tabooed To imagine that the re-
ligious training of such children is
sufficiently provided for by their att
tendance at the weekly Sunday
school is to cherish a fallacy that As
patiently absurd. And it is ques-
tionable whether the Sunday-school
session can even do the negative
work of quite neutralizing the bane-
full influence of the non-Catholic at
mosphere to which the children are
habitually exposed. 1t certainly can
not do very much more.
The only parents who may hope
to have rid themselves, in a very
large measure, of their personal re-
sponsibility for the effective relig-
iOus training of their sons and
are they who have con-
fded the education of those sons
and daughters to Catholic colleges
and converts. The authorities of
such institutions really assume par
entail obligations toward those COM
mitted to their charge, and hence
relieve the fathers and mothers to
great extent of one of their most
essential duties to their offspring
The overwhelming majority of Cath
olics of this country, however, are
precluded by circumstances from
sending their children to college Of
convent, so their personal accounfa-
bility for the Catholic trainingf Of
these children can not be shirked.
Children who attend the public
schools manifestly need peculiar at
Lention. The supernatural being to-
tally excluded from their minds dur
ing school hours, it becomes imper-
alive that at home God and the soul |
grace and prayer. penance and good |
works. sin and death and judgment |
should be the subject of frequent |
Family prayer, the |
Rosary in common, for instance. can |
n such cases scarcely be considered |
/ negligible act; and no pains ,
should be spared in forming these
to other devotional prac-
ices. It is elementary that their
are strictly bound in com
science to see that they also attend
he Sunday-school lesson with due
diligence.
For Catholic children attending
he public schools, good reading is
almost a necessity. Periodicals and
BOOKS should be provided for them
is soon as they have acquired
aste for reading. Catholic litera-
ure is now so abundant and cheap
hat there can be no excuse what
yer for failure to provide it-New-
rk Monitor.
xrr,EvrT1Cf. ONr NFONnaU