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PAGE EIGHT—Section Two
THE BULLETIN
Saturday, August 20, 1960
LAY VOLUNTEERS ARE TEACHERS
Confraternity of Christian Doctrine
Gives Nearly 3,500,000 Instruction
By James R. Walsh
A PPROXIMATELY 3,301,400 Catholic youths in public elementary and high schools in the U S
are receiving vital religious instruction in programs sponsored by the Confraternity of Chris
tian Doctrine. Though this figure does not include three important divisions of the CCD the total
indicates the gigantic scope of CCD efforts throughout the country.
In modern times the CCD traces its revival to St. Pius X. In his encvclical Acerbo Nimi*
(1905), On the Teaching of Christian Doctrine, he re- ,
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established on a firm footing the CCD and formulated
the principles on which it should be taught.
It is one of the few organizations that Canon Law
(Canon 7112) decrees should be. canonically erected
m every parish, and it permits every adult and youth
of the parish to participate in the teaching work of
the Church. In brief, the CCD enlists the laity to assist
in the teaching and propagation of Christian doctrine
and Christian life, particularly for youths not attending
Catholic schools.
At Every Stage of Lite
St. Pius X wanted the catechism to be taught at
every stage of life—for children, young persons, and
adults. He organized the teaching of catechism, inten
sified it, revised texts, and urged Bishops and pastors
to teach catechism so well that it might become a
means of spiritual rebirth in the lives of both individ
uals and nations.
Defined, the CCD is a society established in each
parish whose members assist in an organized, con
structive program of religious instruction. The pro
gram is for children attending public schools and for
adults, Catholic and non-Catholic, who wish to
broaden and deepen their knowledge of Christ’s doc
trines.
In the U.S. the Confraternity was begun in 1903
by Archbishop John M. Farley of New York. Five
years later the Pittsburgh Missionary Confraternity
was established to meet the spiritual needs of the
mining district of that diocese. And from 1922, when
Archbishop John T. Cantwell of Los Angeles intro
duced the CCD in his archdiocese, its growth in the
U.S. has been rapid.
In 1934 the U.S. Bishops at their annual meeting
underscored the importance of the CCD to the religious
life of the parish and the nation as a whole by appoint
ing an Episcopal committee of three members, Arch
bishop John T. McNicolas, O.P., of Cincinnati, Arch
bishop John G. Murray of St. Paul, and Archbishop Ed
win V. O’Hara, Bishop of Kansas City, Mo.
At the same meeting the Bishops established the
national center of the CCD as a bureau of the National
Catholic Welfare Conference. Archbishop O’Hara be
came the first Episcopal chairman of the committee,
which today is headed by Bishop Charles P. Greco of
Alexandria and includes 12 Episcopal members.
8,000 Without Schools
Until his death, Archbishop O’Hara was a guiding
light of the CCD’s national center. A peculiar circum
stance that prompted his promotion of CCD work was
the fact that of the 14,000 Catholic parishes in the U.S.
30 years ago some 8,000 were without schools and a
great percentage of these parishes had little or no or
ganized catechism instruction.
Grief was being expressed at the leakage in Church
membership, because Catholic population figures were
not balancing with natural growth and immigration
figures. Archbishop O’Hara recognized the logical con
clusion that, if a generation of Catholics is allowed to
grow to maturity with 50 per cent in Catholic schools
and only a small portion of the other 50 per cent being
given any religious instruction, then defections from
the Church would be considerable.
Modern Instruction
No longer is catechism tediously recited word for
word and line for line. In the modern religious instruc
tion classes, students are taught by trained, competent
teachers who have been skilled in presenting material
in the easiest possible manner by illustrations and vis
ual aids. Teacher institutes have been established in
many Confraternity centers.
At least one hour per week is devoted by mem
bers of the parish society in one of the six more im
portant divisions of CCD work. Enlisted as teachers,
fishers, helpers, discussion club leaders, parent-edu
cators, and apostles to non-Catholics, these volunteers
work as a team and persistently spread the word of
Christ.
Without the aid of fishers and helpers, the
teacher would be of little importance. Going out into
the neighborhood of the parish, the fishers procure
the members for the class. Helpers prepare the ma
terials for the teachers.
Besides these three primary divisions—fishers,
helpers, teachers—there are three important divisions
concerned with adult Catholics, namely, the adult dis
cussion group, the parent-educators, and the apostolate
to non-Catholics.
Work of Parent-Educators
Parent-educators are sent into homes to appeal to
Catholic parents to revive and increase their sense of
religious responsibility toward even the pre-school
child. The apostolate to non-Catholics enters the high
ways and biways of the city and country seeking any
who will come to Catholic discussion groups and at
tend instructions.
As the Confraternity is becoming stronger day by
day and in each new parish new units are formed, the
need for lay persons to donate their services becomes
greater. The CCD offers a challenge and an immeasur
able reward to all lay persons—the young, old, crip
pled, blind to take part in the greatest lay-priest
hood the world has ever known.
Contraternity Teachers
Shown above is a typical class of Confraternity of
Christian Doctrine teachers, receiving special training
to prepare them for their work of giving religious in
struction to Catholic children who attend public schools.
A tremendous task is being accomplished by these
volunteers, but more are always needed.
Patron of Teachers
St. John Baptist de La Salle
INSPIRED WORK
Dignity of Teachers
Realized by Patron
By Brother A. Alban, F.S.C.
^ESTERDAY 80,000 PAGANS died. A stun-
-I 1 - ning percentage was made up of boys and
girls! TV, radios, and newspapers, however, took
little note of all this. In fact it was not even con
sidered news; it happens every day.
A 17th century priest saw a similar picture in his
day. The zeal of the Lord prompted him to reason: In
spite of me thousands must die, but they need not die
pagans.
Education became his means of saving souls and
boys became his special field. Almost 250 years later
he was named “patron saint of teachers.” He is St.
John Baptist de La Salle.
As today, there was a frightful teacher shortage.
There was no available supply of educators and no
training for them. The teaching profession was little
respected and poorly paid. Many people taught only
until higher wages attracted them elsewhere.
Founded Christian Brothers
Here was the raw material for sanctity. St. De La
Salle began to select from the human material avail
able. He attempted to inspire those engaged in school
work with the sublimity of their vocation. After a
formation in religious and professional matters, the
men he gathered were given stability by being banded
together into a religious congregation.
From his own experience in the classroom, he was
convinced that the Christian education of youths was
a full-time occupation that could best be served by
men dedicated to this single function. He dared ask of
his Brothers of the Christian Schools what no other
founder of an order of men before had asked: That no
member ever aspire to the priesthood. His vision of
education was so elevated that he wanted no other
dignities or occupations to interfere.
First Teachers' College
To help localities that could not be supplied with
Christian Brothers, he started the world’s first teach
ers’ college or normal school in 1684. Men prepared
here could go out to their schools filled with compe
tence and confidence. This indeed was an admirable
advance in professionalism.
Other achievements are attributed to the patron of
teachers. For one thing he insisted that children be
taught in the language they knew and used every day
rather than Latin. Classroom instruction was another
procedure he popularized. The saint insisted on dis
cipline but one that was humanized to serve real edu
cational ends. And there was real content in the edu
cational program. It was graded so that a sense of
achievement might stimulate progress.
Religion in the form of Christian doctrine, re
ligious practices, and the virtues was taught with a
better understanding of the educational process.
Accepted Challenge
Like the patron saint of teachers, present day edu
cators should accept conditions as challenges. Where
there was a shortage of personnel, he recruited and
inspired schoolmasters; where there was a lack of
training, he established the first normal school. When
there were no textbooks or poor ones, he composed
his own.
By emulating the patron saint of teachers, school
men can make their institutions molds for enlightened,
cultivated, and staunch Christians. People not of the
faith may learn to admire the education given by dedi
cated Catholic teachers, and be drawn to the Church.