Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 6-B—THE BULLETIN, September 19, 1959.
TWO FOCAL POINTS
(Continued from Page 2)
UNIQUE CONTRIBUTION
There is a danger of placing
too much emphasis on Baltimore
since the historical foundation
of Christian education can be
traced as far as the institution of
the Church itself. It is hardly
necessary at this date to re
mind anyone of the great
schools of learning established
by the Church in the Middle
Ages. The reformation of a bar
baric society was, in a word,
its achievement.
The first opportunities for
education within the boundaries
cf the present United States
weie provided by tire Spanish
friars in Florida and New Mex
ico. The common practice of
creating a school in connection
with a church began in the very
earliest days of Catholic mis
sionary activity in the New
World. In my own home town
of Wabasha, Minnesota, St.
Felix School which I attended
for 12 years and from which I
graduated was established long
before Baltimore and well be
fore the erection of a church
building.
But Baltimore is the historical
focal point of Catholic educa
tion in the United States be
cause it applied in a practical
way to this country the Catholic
doctrine regarding education
which had anticipated it for
over 1C00 years.
The glory of Catholic educa
tion in this country is not in
numbers. It is not in the tax
money it might save nor is it
to be appraised exclusively in
Catholic terms. The society
whose basic laws encourage re
ligious beliefs and practices has
the right to expect a positive
contribution from religious
groups in return. And Catholic
education has made and will
continue to make, in an increas
ing degree, as its school system
improves, a valuable and unique
contribution to our country.
The unique contribution of
Catholic education to American
life and welfare lies in its end—-
the education of the whole man.
It seems to me the perennial
philosophy is expressing itself
more and more in our national
thinking. There appears to be
more of a recognition of late
democracy in this country, and
perhaps the country itself, can
not survive in this new age with
a society of specialists. That
apart from survival, a great
culture is not produced in a
society grounded exclusively in
individualism.
BROAD AREA
“No man is an island” — this
is true in any society, but never
more true than in a democracy.
The very idea of democracy sup
poses a broad area wherein in
dividuals not only adjust but
contribute their separate inter
est, abilities, and tastes for the
common good. To be sure, the
human ascent is constantly sub
ject to the gravitational forces,
so to speak, of conformity. But
for a democracy to survive and
advance, it is incumbent that
its citizens contribute a part of
themselves — the better part
-— to the whole.
In an age following upon the
greatest slaughter of human
lives in human history, in an
age when man is awed by the
atom and stunned by Lunik,
in an age when man is dis
illusioned with the fruits of his
freedom; in such an age, is
there the greatest need for
liberal education. Liberal in the
sense of that which liberates the
individual from all that is base,
and impure in his makeup and
which points him towards the
higher reaches of his nature.
The whole man educated —
mind open to all sources of
truth, heart open to all peoples,
his entire being activated by
those forces that separate him
fro mthe rest of created nature.
For the Catholic graduate, of
course, the ultimate liberation
will come in the union with
Him who created us for Him
self; “and our heart is restless,
Lord, till it rest in thee.”
love Ahead
(Continued from page 5-B)
for Catholic interests when cir
cumstances demand. The Asso
ciation also serves as an impor
tant contact between Catholic
and non-Catholic education.
.Another area of national re
cognition is the participation of
Catholic educators in national
programs. There is hardly a na
tional commission or committee
or an international body for
that matter that does not have
in its membership one or more
prominent Catholic teachers or
administrators.
Major issues facing Catholic
schools may be grouped under
five headings; the State, cost,
teaching staff, curriculum, and
junior colleges.
Although the State, National
or one of the 49 has so far re
cognized the rights of the Cath
olic Church in education, there
is present the danger of state
interference through taxation,
standards, investigation of autho
rity, and political partisanship.
An alert leadership and con
stant study of proposed legisla
tion provide one answer.
The financial support of Cath
olic education is a tribute both
to the contributed services of
the Religious teacher and the
sacrifices of the Catholic par
ent. Increased expenses of edu
cation on the parochial school
level are now being further ad
vanced for high school and col
lege. In a way the parent is be
ing called upon to meet three
educational expenses where be
fore the cost was confined
chiefly to one. Should not all
Catholics, parents and non
parents, be asked to aid all
three levels of Catholic educa
tion? The reply to this question
may be the solution.
There is a teaching shortage
in the elementary schools of
major proportions. More vacan
cies are expected in the high
school and college by 1965.
More vocations to religious life
and permanent and well paid
lay teaching staff are needed.
Steps are being taken in both
directions but the problem is
not near a solution.
The curriculum is undergoing
new developments. There is the
danger that technology and ap
plied sciences and also modern
languages may outweigh the
basic liberal arts program in
cluding religion. A balanced
curriculum is sought.
A fairly recent threat in the
making is the rapid develop
ment of public community jun
ior colleges. Such institutions
may compete against enroll
ments in the freshman and
sophomore years of existing
Catholic colleges and universi
ties. So far no comparable
Catholic junior college program
has been initiated. There is
need for more discussion and
study of the problem.
It is heartening, indeed, to re
cord here the progress and the
problems of Catholic education
in the United States. They both
show the highlights of Ameri
can Catholic schools, the leader
ship of the hierarchy, the dedi
cated services of the teachers,
Religious and lay, and the sac
rifices of the parents, all joined
to prepare our youth to be loy
al American citizens and God
fearing men and women.
ST. LEO COLLEGE
PREP SCHOOL
Accredited High School
Conducted by the
Benedictine Fathers
Ideal Location
St. Leo, Paceo County, Florida
11 High Masses Daily
Redcmptorist
Purgatorian Society
Flu* Other Benefits
1225 E. Eager St.
Write Baltimore 2, Md.
Bed Wile,
j~ iiiiieij J
Fashions for the Entire Family
Best Wishes
in
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fra m
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5 iilisas!!
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OF
SAVANNAH
:Si
iLLONS
|P a n § |p 3 |p ft; m
la ife 1 tfe ® &
126 Broughton Street, East
Savannah, Georgia
Established 1870
Phone 8972
Sullivan - Fleetwood
Realty Company
RENTALS - SALES - LOANS
224 E. BAY STREET
SAVANNAH, GEORGIA
READY TO FACE THE WORLD
The world of the first grade, that is. These graduates of Catholic
kindergarten don’t know what they are in for—the ALPHABET
and even reading simple sentences before the year is over! And
they will even have a bit of real preparation for facing the world
-—Catechism.
Parents And Faculty Associated
(Continued from page 4-B)
is constantly available for oth
er assistance. The programs are
recommendations. Stimulation
is provided at the national lev
el, with each affiliate electing
that phase it wishes and adding
any diocesan or pastoral pro
gram directives.
A field-tested manual is an
other service provided by the
national association. Its primary
purpose is to foster the organi
zation of new home and school
associations; to assist already
existing groups to evaluate
their activities; to dissipate any
hesitancy of school officials and
of parents in the formation of
properly oriented home and
school groups; and to encourage
within Catholic education the
recognition of the essential need
for cooperation between home
and school, especially through
organized effort. The manual
; provides a sample constitution
and bylaws, installation cere
mony, and suggested agenda for
meetings.
In the functional home and
school association one notes the
purpose of coordinating the ef
forts of parents and teachers in
the process of education, with
no mention of fund raising. The
national association sees the
support of the school as a paro
chial function and not solely
that of parents with children in
school.
REPORTS PROVE WORTH
That home and school associ
ations have fulfilled their ob
jectives may be gathered from
some of their reports this year.
■Activities include the writings
of teen-age codes after study of
common behavior problems
among students; scholarships
for lay teacher training and es
tablishment of teachers’ aide
programs; cooperation in Stay-
in-School campaigns and in
safety drives; participation in
community projects such as the
Mayor’s Committee on Human
Relations and the Mothers’
March; service as critics in pro
grams for decency in print;
check on neighborhood theatres
and recreational facilities; es
tablishment of health councils;
provision for summer libraries;
and sponsorship of “vocation
vacations” at convents and sem
inaries for young hopefuls; and
restoration of family liturgical
practices. These program fea
tures were initially the subject
of survey, discussion, workshop
or group study and demonstra
tion at home and school meet
ings.
Correspondence relating to
t'he needs of home and school
associations may be directed to
the headquarters of the Nation
al Council of Catholic Women,
1312 Massachusetts Avenue,
N.W., Washington 5, D. C.
TO THE MEMBERS OF
THE CATHOLIC
LAYMAN’S
ASSOCIATION