AN APPEAL.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume V, Issue 264, 24 May 1878, Page 5

AN APPEAL.

We, the Catholics of Oamam, in obedience to the dictates of conscience and the teaching of the Catholic Church, are making efforts to establish Catholic Schools for the education of our children according to Christian and Catholic principles. With this end in view, we have entered into an agreement _ with the Society of the Christian Brothers to provide for them a suitable residence and scliool-halls, and to maintain them until in the future the school fees will give them ample means of support. To secure this object, so useful — nay, so necessary — we rely on our own unceasing exertions, and on the generous support of all classes. We ask for this support, because the Government of New Zealand heavily taxes us Catholics for the maintenance of becular schools, and at the same tiftie refuses any aid, even the smallest, towards the support of our own schools. This we consider to be a grievance, a great injustice, and oppression. ' On this account we ask the Catholics of New Zealand, our fellowsufferers, to give us their sympathy and generous assistance. We ask all others in New Zealand, for the education of whose children we are taxed, to aid us, and, by so doing, make amends to us for the money forced out of our pockets by the Government for their exclusive benefit.

Finally, we ask all who may see this circular to send us some help, for the sake of a great and good cause. By coming to our aid they will enable us to establish truly Christian schools, the greatest blessing and the greatest necessity of our time. All subscriptions of £1 and- over will be gratefully acknowledged in the New Zealand Tablet, unless the donor forbid it, and local subscriptions will be acknowledged in the Oamaru papers. Contributions may be made by Post Office Order or by cheque, payable to Bishop Moran, Dunedin, or to the Rev. Win. Coleman, Oamaru, Otago, New Zealand. We shall be prepared at a future time to help in similar efforts those who now render us generous assistance. Signed on behalf of the Catholics of Oamaru, Wm. Coleman. I approve of this appeal, and recommend it to the charity of the Faithful of this Diocese. >J<P. Moran, Bishop of Dunedin. Dunedin, 6th April, 187 S.