VERY REV. WILLIAM QUIN, V. G. ON PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume V, Issue 237, 16 November 1877, Page 13

VERY REV. WILLIAM QUIN, V. G. ON PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS.

In announcing the opening of tlie Parochial Schools in St Patrick's Pro-Cathedral, New York, on Sunday, September 2d, Very Rev. Father Quin referred to the great advantage of religious instruction over mere secular instruction. " Secular instruction without religion," said the venerable Vicar-General, "i 9 very pernicious and very dangerous, if we look to the great crimes that are being committed, and that are threatening the business and commercial interests of the country, we will find that they are by no means committed by ignorant or illiterate men. It may be said that some who have received both a religious and a secular education commit Buch crimes, but the cases nic very few. The time may j-et come when men will see the necessity of combining both, and give to each denomination a portion, at least, of what all alike have now to pay for. Until then — if the time ever comes — Catholics will have to provide for the education of their children. Schools for such as cannot atteud on week days, will be open on Sundays, both in the forenoon and in the afternoon, The schools are inadequate to the wants of the parish, but at the present time a new one cannot be built."

People, said he, would be surprised to see the number of Catholic children in the various institutions of the city. In the mole portion of the Catholic Protectory alone are over fifteen hundred boys, and in the female seven hundred girls. It is remarkable how bright, obedient and willing to work these children are when they go there. What, then, can be the matter with them 1 It must certaiHly be the fault of the parents who have neglected them. He took pains to inquire the proportion of those committed by the various police justices who have attended the public schools with thogo who have attended the parochial schools, and found that in the institution not more than three out of the vast number attended the latter. That surely was indicative. He was informed on good authority that three-fourths of those in the House of Refuge were children of Catholic parentage. The priests have done all in their power to try to induce those children who attend the public schools to come to religious instruction, but they have failed for the reason that the children, when dismissed, are too tired out after studying their lessons and being confined so long do not feel like studying their catechism. From the numbers daily committed by the police justices the Catholic Protectory could not afford the requisite accommodation. To obviate the difficulty, two very worthy and competent men are employed to visit every section of this State, in order to find out proper homes for the boys, so as to make room for others. Two others are employed to go around the city, in order to find, out if the parent or parents of those committed to the institution are able to bear any of the expenses incurred in the care and education of their children.