THE CHURCH IN NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand Tablet, 24 October 1912, Page 15

THE CHURCH IN NEW ZEALAND

IN THE PATH OF THE PIONEERS (Contributed.) . :'*'*' - ' '" ■; ROSS. .:- ...,., ;■ ~ (Continued.) '/Tor a short time Ross was attended from the parish of Hokitika. The first resident priest came in 1869. A school was soon opened and was conducted by secular teachers until the bisters of Mercy took charge in 1889., In 19.01, the Sisters opened another,school at Rimu. The pupils in the two schools, which are new buildings, receive a sound religious and secular education from their devoted teachers. In 1907, a new church was erected at Waitangi, and a large section of land was recently purchased at Rimu. A magnificent high altar and' two beautiful side altars adorn the church at Ross. The palmiest days of Ross have passed with the wealth of its goldfields. The race of brave, faithful, unselfish pioneersexamples and models for imitation— fast disappearing. Catholics number more than a fourth of the entire population of the parochial district. The sodalities of Children of Mary and of the Sacred Heart are established in the parish. The priests who have served the parish are Rev. Fathers Goutenoire, Chareyre, McCaughey, McGuinness, Claffey, Pertuis, Ahern, Browne, McManus, Hyland, Bogue, and' O'Connor. / HAWARDEN. Within the parish of Hawarden five districts are comprised, these being Hawarden itself, Brackenfield, Cheviot, Waiau] and Hanmer. The church at Brackenfield (Church of the Passion) is of historic interest, and is built on a site given by Sir Frederick Weld. The Rev. Father Binsfeld built and opened the church at i Hawarden (St. Raphael's) in 1886. The Very Rev. Father Price, when pastor of the parochial district, showed his zeal by building churches at Cheviot (St. Joseph's), Waiau (Our Lady of the Rosary), and at Hanmer Springs. He also enlarged the church at Hawarden at a cost of £3OO, and built a presbytery, which with furniture and laying-out of grounds, necessitated an outlay of £IO4O. The expenditure on the other three churches, with furniture and sacristy requisites, were—Cheviot, £1000; Waiau, £400; Hanmer Springs, £6OO. The following priests have successively labored in the parish of Hawarden: —Very Rev. Dean McKenna, Rev. Fathers Browne, O'Connor, Laverty, Bowers, Treacy, Price, and Richards. THE EDUCATION QUESTION. In view of the present-time agitation for Biblereading in State schools, and the general dissatisfaction expressed by the principal denominations at the shortcomings of the system of education in New Zealand after a trial of 35 years, it may be interesting and instructive to briefly touch upon the subject in these articles. To show the consistent attitude of the Catholic Church from the very beginning of the system to the present time, as represented by her chief pastors, I give herewith the evidence of the late Bishop Moran of Dunedin, stated before a Parliamentary committee, of which the late Hon. Colonel Brett, M.L.C., was chairman, in August, 1883, and formed to consider a largely signed petition for what our present Prime Minister would describe as a ' fair deal': Wednesday, Bth August, 1883. Bishop Moran Examined. 249. Hon. the Chairman: What is your recognised position in the Catholic Church? —Catholic Bishop of Dunedin. 250. What is the extent of your diocese?—lt comprises the Province of Otago, including Southland of olden time, and Stewart Island. 251. What is the area, do you suppose, in miles?— Probably two hundred miles square.

:" 252; What is the number of both sexes attending the Catholic schools within your diocese r 1530. [.'-_■. 253. Are you aware of the proportion of Catholics in New Zealand to the whole European population? — The last census showed it was about one seventh. ;■■" 254. Have the Catholics any conscientious objections to availing themselves of- the State system of.-. education; and do you believe that the Catholic parents, : sooner than send their children to the State schools, would rather forego their being educated at all?—With regard to the latter part of the question, I-wish to put that aside for the moment. With regard to the first part of it I think the efforts, made to establish schools for themselves, and the numbers who have signed the petitions, prove that they have conscientious objections to sending their children to Government schools. With regard to the latter part, it is difficult for me to give a decided answer so as to meet every individual case, because people when placed under the necessity will ,• endeavour to do the best they can under the circumstances—doing what their conscience permit them to do, under protest. It would be very difficult for me to say whether they would allow them to go uneducated altogether or send them to Government schools; under protest. That question I could not undertake to answer. I think some would prefer to do it, and a good many, too. ' :.- . 255. What do you mean by protest protest from the priest ? —A protest on their own part. They would do it unwillingly, under the influence of coercion. 256. What is the number of Catholics in your own diocese? —The last census showed 16,400, and I calculate now there would be 18,000. 257. How many State schools are there, in your diocese? —I cannot exactly say, but I think there are about two hundred altogether, but I could not be certain; I have not counted. . '.-.. ~ .. 258. All these are supported by the Government ? All the State schools are. 259. How many schools have you solely supported by the Roman Catholics in your diocese? Eighteen. 260. Are the schools attended by other than Catholic children, and, if so, please state the probable percentage ?There are very few of other denominations attending our schools, perhaps between two and three dozen; not more. Some of them have none at all. The great majority have none except Catholic children. 261. Do these Catholic schools receive any endowment or assistance from the Government of the colony; if so, please state what they receive?:They receive no assistance whatever, and never did. 262. What is the annual charge made for each of the pupils at the schools? —It varies according to the means of the parents. If they can afford to pay Is a week, we expect them to do so in our primary schools. 263. Do you give free instructions to those who cannot afford to ? —Yes. 264. And have you any of this class attending your schools ? —We refuse no one in our primary schools. 265. Has any attempt ever been made to influence the religious opinions of the pupils of other denominations in your schools?—None what ever. 266. How are the funds provided for establishing your schools?—On the voluntary principle; people contribute.' " • ; 267. Do you consider the parents of other Christian denominations have objections to their children attending Catholic schools ?Decidedly, they have. 268. Do you find the Catholic children have a better knowledge of Scripture than children of other denominations, and in other branches of education are they quite up to the current standard of education ? say Yes to the latter part; the former I am not able to give an answer to as to what the religious knowledge of children of other denominations may be; I have not examined them. 269. Have you any objection to Catholic schools being under the supervision of Government Inspectors? —Not the least. , * i 270. From what source do you receive schoolteachers —We receive them from the school public generally.

271. Are they solely educated by themselves for that purpose 2 we get many that come" from Home, from the' Old Country, and we sometimes advertise for them. Sometimes; teachers come and offer their services, and if we find them eligible, and they suit our, circumstances, we employ them. , . * appoint them as teachers Not a formal examination. We inquire as to their qualifications. They have generally letters of recommendation from persons whose opinions we respect; but we have no formal examination. '• - , _ - 273. Do you disapprove of the State secular system of education, and, it so, please state your reasons I disapprove of it entirely. I think it is calculated to injure the community at large very seriously. I do not look on it as really a system of education. I regard it as 'a'system of instruction in secular matters, which is the smaller and less important, part of education. 274. Do you approve of denominational education; if so, upon what grounds?—l approve of denominational education on the ground that there only real education can be given, and cannot be given anywhere else. 275. Will you please state to the committee the Government system of education, its machinery, ramifications, explain its workings, and give all the details possible of its efficiency and cost ?—lt is rather a general question, and not very easy for me to answer. 1 do not know what precisely you mean by the Government system of education. If lam to answer the general question in a general way; I say the Government system of education is really not a system of education at all. It does not deserve the name, because it excludes the most important part of education. I mean the exclusion' of religion. We found all education on religion, whilst we teach secular subjects to the best of our ability: we always hold that in subordination to the teaching of religion. We take special care to train our children in morality, under the guidance of religion also, because we hold that without dogma there is no sanction for morals whatever. 276. Do you give daily religious instruction in your schools?We do. 277. Do you disapprove of the Bible being read in schools, excqpt by a priest or minister of the denomination to which the child belongs ? distinguish between our own schools and other people's. With regard to other people's schools I have nothing to say. If they wish to read the Bible, very well; that is their own affair. We do not allow the Bible to be read without note or comment in our schools. 278. What guarantee can the State have that the schools are furnished with the necessary educational material; that is, that the masters are competent, and that the pupils receive the standard of education current in the State? Their Inspectors will find out that. Of course, the Government have nothing to do with our schools now. 279. Who are the principal examiners of. your schools in your diocese now?—l am myself. I examine them all in the course of the year. 280. What alteration would you suggest in the State system of education to remove the alleged grievance, of the Catholics I— Put the Catholic schools on a footing of equality with the Government schools of the country. I hold as a principle that, as the Catholics are citizens and taxpayers, they have the same right to the expenditure of the education money least a share of it—as other citizens of the country, and that the Government are bound to do for Catholic children what they are doing: for other people's, children. • "(To be continued.)