The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1922-06-17

Inc CaCnOnc EQuCat1Onal congress
OF the Archdiocese of st. Paul, held at
the College of st. Thomas last Satur-
day. and Sunday, was a pronounced
success. His Grace the Most Rever
end Archbishop had planned to pre-
sent to the public closeup view, so
to say of the Catholic system of edu-
cation. That the results justified the
inspiration which led to this great
gathering is beyond all doubt The
Congress proved beneficial to schools
and public alike.
All day Saturday and Sunday
streams of people from the Twin
Cities and from many parts of the
diocese went to the College of St.
Thomas to view the many exhibits
and to take part in the interesting
sessions. It is estimated that at least
fifteen thousand persons attended.
The program as published last week
was carried out in every detail The
great chorus of five hundred voices,
chosen from among the best in the
schools of the Twin Cities, made a
OCCH upOu IuS pdChSu
audiences. The work of Father Missia
and of his assistant, Miss Mary
Downey. was evident in the rendition
of the many selections.
Fifty Beautiful Booths.
Fifty booths, representing the work
of the students in our parochial and
high schools, furnished a variegated
and multicolored picture in the great
armory which was decorated gorgeous
ly for the occasion. Friends and Wis
itors from far and near paused at the
various exhibits and examined care
fully the rich displays which We'd with
one another in diversity of beauty.
Teaching Sisters from all over the
Northwest attended the sessions and
studied attentively the results pro-
duced by the different schools.
The Congress opened on Saturday
morning with six numbers by the
Choral Club. Very Rev. Thomas
e. Cullen presided at the session
DR.. F. E. Harrington, City Health
Commissioner of Minneapolis, gave
a very instructive address on the
necessity of physical training for
the well-being of pupils in schools
These numbers were followed by the
Milk Fairy Play. which was given in
the st. Thomas College auditorium by
the pupils of st. Marks school.
Archbishop Downing Speaks.
The afternoon program opened at
2 o'clock with three delightful mum
bers by the Choral Club. His Grace
the Most Reverend Austin Bowling
d. d., Archbishop of st. Paul, delivered
a strong address before several thou
sand persons gathered in the Armory
His Grace spoke on the need. of re
ligious training in education, and he
emphasized the inalienable right ot
the Church to provide schools of hel
own in which her children could be
surrounded by the proper Christian
influences. Without these schools, he
said, irreparable damage would be
done to the Church. Children would
slip from us, as have the little ones
of other religions been lost to them
He warned of the dangers menacins
our schools in several parts of thi:
country, and declared that we must be
prepared to defend these schools t.
the last. The surest defense of ou
schools, he added, is to improve then
and let the whole world see what W.
are doing. We should invite ou
neighbors into our institutions and tel
and show how we are building goot
citizens, good Americans and goot
Christians. For in these schools no
only secular knowledge is taught, bu
the finest ideals of patriotism AM
Americanism are inculeated! Belle
In the public school system does no