The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1920-12-11

ON THE ARCHBISHOP IRELAND
EDUCATIONAL FUND-THIs PA
PER WAS WRITTEN BY MISS
MARIE MATT, ST. JosEPH's
ACADEMY, ST. PAUL. .>-
Why the Educational Campaign
Interests Me.
? The school is the great battlefield
on which will be decided the question
of what forces shall determine the
future. This is true of our own coun-
try as well as of any other civilized
country on earth.
Originally religion held high place
in all our American schools. In the
course of time separation of Church
and State with all it's advantages for
the freedom of the Church, led to the
establishment by the State of so-called
non-sectarian schools, that is, schools
in which religion is not taught. The
Catholic Church never has been, nor
is at present antagonistic to these
schools, for the diversity of religious
beliefs renders it impossible to have
public schools in which religion IS
taught to the satisfaction of all. How
ever, the Catholic Church, the teacher
of men and nations, firmly and stead
lastly continued her educational pol
icy followed in our country for two
hundred and fifty years, deeming it her
duty to provide schools for Catholic
children, in order to supply them not
only with material education but also
with the knowledge of God and His
commandments. Unfortunately there
are people who deny the rights of
Catholics to have a school system of
their own. Thus in Michigan the peo-
pie last Tuesday voted on the question
whether parochial schools shall hence
forth be permitted in the state. While
not all the friends of the public school
gan fanatics, while fairminded Prot
estants sympathize with the attitude
of the Catholics the signs of the times
all over the country point to organ
lied attempts to suppress our Catholic
schools. 1t will become imperative to
strengthen and develop our schools so
that they are in every respect equal,
if not superior to all other schools
Therefore every true Catholic know
ing the situation, gladly welcomes the
grand program of His Grace, Arch
bishop Bowling, embodied in the Arch
bishop Ireland Educational Fund. 1t
is impossible for young girl to grasp
the extent and full meaning of the pro-
gram. However, shall try to express
in words the thoughts rising in my
mind, when l read the different adj
dresses of His Grace the Archbishop
and listened to the explanations given
from the pulpit.
When recall my eight years in the
parochial school, the teachings I re-
ceived, the benefits I derived for my
material well-being, the wonderful ex-
ample of the good sisters, the pure
Catholic atmosphere, then I feel that
owe much to the parochial school,
then I rejoice in the thought that the
work of these schools will be even
more efficient in the future, that the
parochial school system of the Arch
diocese will be unified and strength
ened, that means shall be provided to
erect schools even in the smallest par.
ishes, that the difficult task of the sis
tiers will be rendered more easy by
the establishment of normal school.
However, the development of the
parochial school system is only part
of the work His Grace, the Arch
bishop, has in mind. Explaining the
necessity of providing a fund Of five
million dollars His Grace, the Arch
bishop, has pointed out the disadvan-
tages of the American Catholics in
competing with their non-Catholic
felloW-citiZens. For some reason the
latter in the past seem to have bet
ter understood the advantage of a
higher education. They have col
leges and other institutions of learn
ing which are richly endowed, thereby
offering a chance to boys and girls of
less means to aspire for better posi-
lions in life and thus becoming lead
ers in their communities as well as in
the state and nation. Reading in the
books of men like Archbishop Ireland
and Bishop Spalding we find that
years ago they repeatedly urged the
Catholics of America to pay more at
tention to higher education lest they
lose their influence in public life,
leaving it to the non-Catholic fellow
citizens to shape the social and po-
htical ideas of our nation. Guided
by the same views our present Arch
bishop intends the establishment of
more Catholic high schools, as well as
the development and endowment of
the existing high schools and colleges.
We pupils of a Catholic Academy
surely are alive to the Importance of
a Catholic education What I have
said of the blessings of the parochial
school is true in regard to higher in
situations of learning. knowledge
alone is not sufficient. 1t must be
combined with the formation of a ster-
ling Christian character An educa-
ton which avoids to speak of God and
His commandments, an education de-
void of Christian principles cannot
claim to reach it's object. Without
the guidance of the Church, higher
- 60