The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1922-02-11
FOR RURAL CHILDREN
EFFORT TO BE MADE TO REACH
YOUNG THROUGHOUT coUN-
TRY-MGR. VICTOR DAYS CATE.
CHiSM FOR RURAL USE At
TRACTS WIDE ATTENTION. ar

Wide attention of ecclesiastics of
the Church in America has been
drawn to the catechism for children
in rural districts prepared by Mgr.
Victor Day, V. G., of Helena, and he
has been asked by the rural life bu-
reau of the Catholic Welfare council to
enlarge upon the work for national
circulation. After taking up the re-
quest with Ri. Rev. John P. Carroll,
bishop of the Diocese of Helena, Mgr.
Day anticipates permission to comply
with the bureaus request, after being
relieved by the bishop of some of his
present duties. In these circum-
stances, Helena is destined to become
an important national center for the
distribution Of literature of tho
Church.
Bishops Suggestion.
At the annual retreat of the do
cesar clergy last August at Mount
st. Charles college, Bishop Carroll
called meeting. of his priests to dis
cuss the ACCESSIBILITY OF publishing a.
Catholic correspondence course to
reach children of the age of seven
years. or thereabouts, whose homes
are distant from communities having
resident priests.
After considerable discussion Of
the details, the bishop appointed a
committee of four to report to him on
the proposition the next day. This
committee was composed of the Rev.
DR.. John j. Tracy of Helena, president
of the Diocesan board of education;
the Rev. w. M. O'Maley of Poison,
the Rev. Michael English of Hamil
ton and Mgr. Day.
The committee, in reporting to the
bishop, stated that Mgr. Day had been
requested to prepare the first unit of
the correspondence course, especially
for preparation of children for their
first communion, based upon the first
communion catechism adopted in the
diocese a few years previously.
Preparation of the course was COM
pleted in November of last year, and
before the Christmas season, over 400
had been sent to country pastors for
use in their districts.
Draws Nationwide Attention.
The course at once attracted ma
tion-wide attention. The National
Catholic Welfare commission, through
it's news service, sent description Of
the course to all the Catholic newspa-
pers in the country. From the rural
life bureau of the council, Mgr Day
has received the appended question
naire, about which he has conferred
with Bishop Carroll:
QUESTIONABLE.
/. Are there any conditions under
which the excellent work you are do
ing could be made available for the
rest of the country?
2. Are you willing to cooperate
| with the rural life bureau of the Ma
tional Catholic Welfare council in con.
| nection with the preparation and ex.
tension of such courses?
| 3. Are you willing to prepare a
course on the Apostles Creed; one
on the Seven Sacraments and one on
the Ten Commandments and the
precepts of the Church for children
of about the age of II or 1872
4. Are you willing to prepare OF
act as general supervisor foJ any
| further courses to be prepared or
bible history, church history, G.
/ cetera.
/ 5. Will you superintend the print
ing of these various courses and theil
distribution from Helena to the dio
cesar distribution centers in the va
rious dioceses Of the south and thu
| west, where we shall try to have then
adopted?
6. Please send specimen copies Q
the correspondence courses to thes'
bishops, to whom shall at once rec
ommend your course as a part of TIN
rural life bureau work
Il