The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-07-12
DOES 1T APPLY TO CATH
OLICS?

delegates representing the Mime
sofa district of the Lutheran
Church met in convention at Con-
cordia College, Northfeld, Mimi,
for the discussion Of problems eff
fecting the welfare of Lutheran
ism. According to the testimony
Of the leaders of that denomina-
ton the Lutheran Church is fac
ing a great dearth Of ministers
and teachers, of spiritual guides
for the people and of leaders in
educational work. To encourage
young men to seek a liberal edu-
cation with a view of fitting them
selves for these positions, the
Lutheran colleges Of the country
have decided to forego tuition
fees and all other charges, except
the actual cost of board and lodg-
ing, as a means Of increasing the
attendance of ambitious young
men and women at institutions OF
higher learning. This means that
the funds for maintaining these
institutions will come out of the
treasury of the church instead Of
out Of the pockets of the students
themselves, and that the cost Of
education for the individual will
be reduced to minimum. 1t re-
mains to be seen whether or not
this will increase the attendance
or bring the right kind Of young
men into the professional work OF
the church.
May it not be that the cause Of
this falling off in attendance at
Lutheran colleges is due to some
thing else than the high cost Of
education? Are not these young
men in their youth trained away
from notions Of the ministry? 1t
is a we'll known fact that the
Lutheran is the only non-Catholic
sect which maintains parochial
schools along lines similar to those
of the Catholic Church. In a re-
cent issue of a Lutheran paper
published in the West it was
stated that last year Lutheran
parochial schools decreased in
number by over three hundred.
More than one hundred Of these
were closed because of war condi-
tons, the rest, according to this
publication, on account of the in
difference of clergy and laity, the
lack Of desire to make sacrifices,
the difficulty Of obtaining compe-
tent teachers and paying them a
living wage, and the decrease in
the number of children. The pa
per goes on to say that the future
Of Lutheran parochial schools is
jeopardiZed not so much by the
encroachment Of the state through
obnoxious law as by the indiffer-
ence of Lutherans themselves who
forget the advantages of parish
schools and are unwilling to &C
cept the responsibility Of main
tanning them. The author Of the
article appeals for renewed inter
est on the part Of his co-religion-
lists in favor of the parochial
schools in an effort to raise them
to such a standard that they may
be able to meet any kind of state
inspection and provide the right
kind of teachers.
1t is in large measure, at least
from these parochial schools that
the future leaders of Lutheranism
must be drawn; and if the demon
nation has to depend upon the
graduates of public schools for re.
cruits for the ministry, one car
we'll understand that the acces
sions to the ranks Of preachers
and teachers will be few.
The foregoing facts would seen
to have an interest for Catholics
and a bearing upon the future Of
the Church. In this country there
is a dearth Of vocations to the
priesthood which has made itselt
felt during the past few years
more than ever before. We mus
| look to our parochial schools fol-
the future leaders in the domain
of religion. If the schools do no
produce them, the Church will b.
handicapped in her apostolic min
istry.. Unlike the Lutheran
schools, Catholic parochia
schools, thanks be to God, are in
creasing in numbers and in en-
rollment every year; but the.
would be more numerous and tn
attendance far greater than it is
if all Of our Catholic people woul'
take an interest in them. To
many Catholics fail to send thei
, children to parochial schools; to
: many Catholics make very little
if any, attempt to foster vocation
to the priesthood among their chi
dren; too many Catholics are in
) different to the crying need of tn
} Church for recruits to the priest
/ hood and the Sisterhoods; to
: many Catholics are unwilling t
, paica a boy,d RI cava o11r. Yarochls