The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1922-09-23
NEED OF PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS

the Church to the false philosophy of
paganism, and in the Middle Ages the
monastic schools to give the moral
training which was necessary to es-
tablish the Christian home. So today
the Catholic school is needed to give
the answer of the Church to modern
unbelief and indifferentism, and in
time of loose family ties to inculcate
the virtues which will save the home
from utter extinction.
Religion and the Schools.
Up to 1910, all the public schools
of America were religious. 1t was
not opposition to religion that then
caused it's elimination, but merely the
practical difficulty of providing suit
able religious instruction for children
of different denominations. Catho-
lies met the difficulty by establishing
schools of their own. Most of the
Protestant Churches accepted the nom
religious school and attempted to pro-
vide for the religious instruction of
their children in the home and the
| Sunday school, The home and the,
Sunday school having failed adequate
| ly to do the work expected of them,
|. .Protestants are now quite generally
| trying to put religion back into the
public school-from which they see it
was unwisely. banished. Moreover
the fact that, according to recent re-
| ligious census, about twothirds of
~ Jo OF 10 f.1
with any Church, is admitted by all to
be due in some measure, if not in
great part, to the absence of religion
from the public schools Until some
plan can be agreed upon by which all
the children of the republic will re-
CT oice in the schools of the state,
Ca Catholics, while loyalty contributing
towards the support of state schools,
WI continue to make the sacrifice
Which the maintenance of separate
system of schools entails.
Church Emphasizes Schools.
The Church has other works besides
the school, but in her estimation the
school occupies the foremost place
Her institutions of charity and mercy
for the sick, the poor, the aged, the
orphan and the outcast, are indeed
most potent means of drawing to her
bosom the children of unbelief, just
as the miracles of the Master in be
half of suffering humanity created
3 faith in His divinity But, even as il
was the truths taught by Christ ant
l burned into the minds and hearts Of
: His Apostles by the fire Of the Holy
: Ghost that converted the world ant
g created Christian civilization, so i
r is the Catholic school with her divine
e philosophy of life and her sacramen
tai training that develops those bands
e of Christian men and women who fos
s ter and maintain all the Church.
J. work of charity and mercy. TIL,
e school is not the most eonstructiy,
r institution of the Church. 1t is th
g condition and basis of all her othe
L activities.
;, Canon Law on School.
The mind of the Church is gather
. ed from her legislation. Her cano
Flaw recognizes no parish as complet
= without school, and regards no pa:
e tor as worthy of the dignity of in
! movable rector unless he have
Il school in his parish.
% The growth of the Church is meas
q ured by the growth of her schools
u mo schools make empty benches
y the churches is an old saying. II
70 truth will be revealed by critics
lt survey of the creeds that have n
r. schools A prominent non-Cathol
10 minister one day complimented me Q
"a the growth and efficiency of OF
VI schools and regretted that his Chure
as made no sacrifices to build up sy
le tenn of religious schools. | said
A. him: what about the religious
&c ture of your children?" He sorro,
OF fully answered. you'll have the
e. e. all" ,co.t,...s J. ..x. !,