The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1953-06-19

orphaned and distressed children.
It has been a monument OF love
and hope throughout all those
years to the citizens of Columbus.
Even those who never entered its
yard or crossed its door believed
instinctiyely that homeless young
sters were we'll cared for there by
the humble, devoted Sisters of
Saint Francis. For many genera
tions our people have loved Saint
Vincent's and they have made that
love practical by generous sup
port Of the Sisters and the thou
sands Of boys and girls who found
a home there. But buildings wear
out in the lengthening years and
even the almost limitless ingenuity
of the Sisters and Priests, who
served Saint Vincents, could no
longer cope with the accumulated
infirmities of the dear old build
ings. Everyone has known for a
very long time that something had
to be done to insure a safe and
healthy home for the little chill
dren who we're obliged by hard cir
cumstances to seek the protecting
care of the Church.
Certainly, no one has acted has
tily in seeking from charitable citi.
zens of this community the means
to build a safe and healthy new
Saint Nincent's. One-half million
dollars of the present fund will be
increased by equal donations from
the parishes OF the Diocese out
side Franklin County to solve this
problem. Ii is my duty and joy to
thank the friends of Saint Vim
cents and especially the Sisters
and Priests of the staff for their
constant care of our little friends
at the orphanage The benefactors
of other years are remembered in
our daily grateful prayers.
What else compelled us to have
this Campaign for two and one
half million dollars? | think tn
reason for Saint Vincent's appeal
is unanswerable. 1t is an absolute
necessity. The present organization
to collect two million dollars for
high schools is based on the same
compelling need We just cannot
avoid the conclusion to these few
statistics | shall recite. They I'M
derscore our present urgent school
problem.
Our high school plant now ac-
commodities 2450 students. That
is the total capacity of the eight
Catholic high schools of Columbus.
No high school rooms or facilities
have been built in the past twenty
years. Keep that capacity figure of
2450 in mind while you hear what
has happened in the elementary
school plant. In the last seven
years we have built sc new and
additional classrooms in the parish
schools of the city. These new
rooms accommodate 2700 children.
We shall need all the presently
available and suitable high school
rooms accommodating 2400 stu
dents plus rooms and desks to take
care of the new army which is now
moving along in the grade school
classes. We can bring out the need
by looking at other statistics. In
1910 the first grades in all our
city parish schools enrolled 800
students. From enrolment lists for
next September we shall receive
$500 youngsters in the first grade
of our schools.
We need high schools to take
care of the rapidly increasing en-
rollment in our parish schools. To-
day there are 10000 pupils in the
30 elementary and 8 high schools
operated by the Church in Colum-
bus. By 1860, according TO our
present parish statistics, there will
be 1900, and perhaps 10000, if
Columbus maintains its rate of pop
ulation increase.
In order to keep pace with this
increase in the Catholic school
system on the secondary level, it
will be necessary to build three
large high schools. each to accom-
modate 900 students, at cost of