CHRISTIAN BROTHERS’ SCHOOL DUNEDIN

New Zealand Tablet, 23 September 1915, Page 23

CHRISTIAN BROTHERS’ SCHOOL DUNEDIN

ELOQUENT ADDRESS BY ARCHBISHOP REDWOOD THE NEED OE RELIGION IN EDUCATION. On Sunday afternoon took place the blessing and opening of the Christian Brothers’ new school, Dunedin, when the occasional discourse was delivered by his Grace the Archbishop of Wellington. For a considerable time it was recognised that the old wooden building, with a frontage to Rattray street, had outlived its usefulness and was altogether out of keeping with modern requirements, but other matters of pressing interest had interfered with the erection of a more suitable building. Good work had been done in the old school, and the devoted teachers can look back on a long roll of young men who were trained by them, and who now occupy prominent positions in the sacred ministry, the learned professions, business, the public service, and in the army of the Empire, several of the last-mentioned having already met their death on the battlefields of Europe, fighting for their King and Country. The building of a new school was a heavy undertaking, but thanks to the generosity of our CathT~olic people, and kind assistance of non-Catholic friends, a start was made with the work about ten months ago, and the foundation stone was laid on the second Sunday

of November last by his Lordship Bishop Verdon, the occasional address being delivered by the Most Rev. Dr. O’Shea, Coadjutor-Archbishop of Wellington. The architect was Mr. H. Mandeno, and the builder Mr. McLellan, both of whom have carried out the work

in the : most satisfactory manner, and-.have completed a school which, in every possible detail, is second -to none .in New Zealand. , Everything that science could suggest for the successful working of ..an, educational establishment, and for the health, comfort, and convenience of teachers and pupils, has received the most careful attention. ... The. site, with a frontage, to Dowling street, a quiet thoroughfare, is a very fine one, views of the harbor. Peninsula, Mount Cargill, and surround - ing hills being obtained from nearly all the class-rooms. It is to be hoped that the present . pupils, as well as those of the future, will appreciate the sacrifices that' have been made on their behalf, and that they will, as past generations have done, do credit to themselves and their teachers. Punctually at the hour appointed for the ceremony (half-past two o’clock) his Grace Archbishop Redwood, his Lordship Bishop Verdon, and Very Rev. Dean Smyth, S.M. (Provincial) arrived, and were received by the Very Rev. Father Coffey, Adm. In addition to the Cathedral clergy the following were present: —Rev. Father Kelly, C.SS.R., Rev. Fathers Delany, D. O’Neill, and Tobin (South Dunedin), and Rev. Fathers Morkane and Collins (Holy Cross College, Mosgiel). The following occupied seats on the platform: Mr. G. C. Israel (chairman of the Otago Education Board), Chief Inspector Richardson, Mr. T. Scott (chairman of , the King Edward Technical College Board of Governors), Mr. T. W. Kempthorne, Mr. Angus Marshall, Mr. Talboys, and Mr. D. L. Poppelwell (Gore).

ARCHBISHOP REDWOOD’S ADDRESS.

His Grace Archbishop Redwood, who was the principal speaker, delivered the following eloquent address:

‘ Going therefore teach ye all nations . . . teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you ; and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world ’ (Matt, xxviii. 19-20).

These are the words of our Blessed Saviour which clearly state the reason why the Catholic Church is determined to have Catholic schools for Catholic children. Because she is loyal to her mission to teach all nations, she must not and will not accept the secularised school as the fit nursery of childhood and youth. No one is more perfectly aware than she, after her age-long experience, that it is impossible to overrate the influence of the school upon future manhood and womanhood. The school, indeed, is the nursery where mind and heart are moulded for a lifetime. That is the rule which exceptions serve but to confirm. The lessons of the school, whether direct or indirect, will eventually dominate the child’s intellect; and the impressions there implanted will sink into the deepest fibres of the soul, never to depart with coming years. For five days of the week the school is in supreme command, and these are the days of serious application and reflection. The other days yield to the urgent claims of play and rest. It is impossible for a school to be effective, unless it be authoritative. The child’s law is the master’s word, the master’s rod the child’s steering compass. As the master speaks and breathes, 'so does the pupil. Nay, the very silent atmosphere of the school is a strongly formative element in education. It acts on the mind and heart like the air we breathe acts on our material body. All the world over, the ablest teachers emphatically and unceasingly proclaim that whatever does not enter, one way or another, into the curriculum of the class-room, will be no part, or only a minimised part, of the subsequent career of the pupil. Accordingly, it has become a truism that the classroom is the training-ground of manhood and womanhood. This being so, comes the questions : Is the secularised school the place for the Catholic child ? Can the Catholic Church, with loyalty to her principles and to the requirements of her faith, countenance the secularised school ? - The answer to both questions is an emphatic negative. Let us take the secularised school at its best, as its fair-minded advocates would

fain have — absolute neutrality with regard to religion, to each and every form of religion, to each and every Church, or religious association. Well, first of all, it is easy to show that the secularised school, by its exclusions, does violence to secular knowledge itself and hampers its development. The dearest interestsof the human mind rise up and protest against it. Take, for instance, science. Physical science has for its object to investigate and scrutinise the universe, to discover its processes and its laws. But the cause of the universe, the guidance of its movements, the purpose of its craving aspirations, must not be mentioned. To speak of the everlasting God, as Creator and Ruler, would be rank sectarianism, offensive to the atheist and the agnostic. On the other hand, to speak of the unlimited potency of self-existing matter would equally offend the theist and the Christian, and raise their cry of alarm. Again, take history, that marvellous drama of men and ideas. What is history ? What are the forces that gave it shape, that inspired and determined its developments ? The providence of an All-Knowing God must not be invoked, nor the blind evolution of matter, for either assertion suggests sectarianism, violates religious neutrality. History passes in review those deathless heroes whose names spell magic influence, and whose hands wrought mighty deeds; their motives, the sources of their strength, the result of their labors challenge dispute and examination. But One there is, the mightiest of all in word and work, Who escapes inquiry —‘ Jesus of Nazareth. Who is lie ? No one must ask, no one must answer.’ It would be sectarianism, whether the reply were affirmation or negation. Once more, take the literatures of the world. Their pages are potent to feed the mind and fire the heart. But the book of books, the most sublime in beauty, the one which above all others has swayed the civilised world— the Bible—shall not be read, nor even seen; because around it . controversies rage and its exclusion from the schoolroom •is the price of peace. What else, then, is the secularised school but the woeful mutilation of the field of secular knowledge, within the most influential and vitalising range of its own teachings? But I am dealing with Catholics whose oft declared principle is the Catholic school for Catholic children. Here we find the exclusions of the secularised school fatal to religion. Can any one adequately realise the glacial, the soul-chilling nature of the secularised school, from which God and His Christ and his Church are hidden away? How could any Catholic parent worthy of the name have the hardihood to thrust into the vast void

his tender-minded, tender-hearted child? Think of it for a moment. To have the whole supernatural world forgotten, nay designedly and professedly ignored, is a sacrilege, a violence to God, a violence to the soul of the child. Is not God the creator, the alpha and omega of all things? Is not Christ the Saviour through Whose name there is salvation to, men and nations? Is not religion the ascension of the soul to God and to Christ Is it not the all in all of the life of the human soul? Yet, during school-hours —the very time of serious thought and diligent application—God, Christ, and religion are not spoken of, the entire span of school-time being devoted solely to the earth and the things of earth. What must be the compelling effect upon the pupil ? Why, the impression that, amid the multitudinous activities of man, earth

and the things of earth are predominant, that Heaven and the things of Heaven, if at all worthy of serious notice, must confine themselves to odd moments, the nooks and corners of human life. Wherefore, the ex-

clusion of religion from the schoolroom is fatal to religion, to the sense of its importance, to the vigor of its influence, which ought to radiate from it across the whole sphere of man’s thoughts and actions. Furthermore, the memories of youth are life-long. But what must be the memories of an adult whose forma-

tion days were spent in a secularised schoolroom ? The memories of a humanity without God, without Christ; because the secularised school is the expulsion of God and of Christ from the mind and the heart of the

child, with the result of the expulsion of them' from the mind and the heart of the adult. But-we- must -gofurther, and look facts fairly in the face as they are; * There is no such thing as neutrality -in the secularised ; school. Often text-books misrepresent and -slander the # Catholic Church; teachers, non-Catholic, non-Christian, •’ do not refrain from expressing their, own views. ’ Those * views, even when not openly uttered, exude from the very atmosphere which the teacher creates, consciously or unconsciously. In the eyes' of the pupil the teacher sits in the chair of knowledge; he is naturally listened to with respect and obedience; his opinions and judg-V meats, whether he will ,or not, cannot be concealed; Hence for the child, untutored and tender-minded, the neutral school does not exist : it is Catholic or Protestant, Christian or Hebrew, Theist or agnostic, or baldly materialistic. Not taught in the schoolroom, where will religion be taught ? ‘ Remember that the Catholic faith is a science in itselflengthy and complex in its propositions, precise and dogmatic in its demands. Nor is it learnt in brief moments, with easy expenditure of attention. It is W general mental assent easily ' prompted by the will no vague aspiration uplifted by a passing word or example. . It is a well-coordinated and explicit system of divinely-received truths; it is the firm grasp of these truths by mind and heart. It is the plenary yielding of the energies of life to the consequences of these truths. Any attempt to teach Catholic faith, short of long time and thorough drilling, is profitless beating of the air. The proper place to teach religion is the schoolroom, where time and circumstances permit and demand thought and work, where each theme and study takes its proper rank," religion first and foremost, permeating and inspiring all else, while other themes still are loyally treated to their due share of attention and respect. Need I discuss the home and the Sunday-school as factors in the religious formation of the child ? As a matter of fact, religion is not taught in the home. Because few parents are capable to teach religion ; fewer yet take the time, or have the will to teach it. Were they willing and ready to teach religion, where have they the opportunity ? When Hie day’s harassing labors are over, fathers and mothers covet rest and recreation. The

wearisome drudgery of the schoolroom thrown off, the children are loath to listen. Parents take good care not to trust in the lessons of the home to teach their children the sciences of earth. Are lessons in religion less valuable and more easily dealt with than the lessons in music and grammar, in chemistry and history ?’ The Sunday-school forsooth ! Why, for multitudes of children the Sunday-school does not exist; they do not, they will not come to it. To those who do come, what is the Sunday-school? One hour in the week, a hurried rehearsal of words, a specious makeshift, harmfid inasmuch as it excuses from the thorough study which alone suffices in matters of religion. The Sun-day-school, as taking the place of the regular school of five days, is. not to be thought of among Catholics. Were the Catholic Church to confide in the home and the Sunday-school for the religious education of her children, she would be preparing the deathblow to herself and to the sacred mission which she has to voice and defend. At the examinations made by the Bishop, prior to conferring the Sacrament of Confirmation, how different the answering of the candidates trained in the Catholic schools and those trained in the secularised school, with whatever possible religious home and Sunday-school training added ! When the Bishop interrogates those children who, for their religious training, have relied on other agencies than the schoolroom, he trembles for the future faith of those children, and for the fortunes of the Church if such as they must be her champions. I never rise from a Confirmation examination of Catholic children trained in Catholic schools without an act of praise to God for our Catholic schools, without the deepest regret that there are any Catholic children not taught their religion - in them. When religion is barred from the school-room, the all-important question arises: What is done to ground the pupil in good morals? The effective founda*

tion of good morals is faith in the living .God, supreme ruler of men, faith in the everlasting Christ, Saviour of Mankind, faith in the Sacramental graces flowing from the merits of Christ through the agencies of the Church. The supernatural is the birth-place of human virtue; thence come the rays to enlighten the reason of man, thence the inspiration to awaken and fortify his conscience, thence, too, the sanction of fear and of love to impel his will to the observance of right conscience to deter it from evil. But all this is religion, of which no mention is allowed in the secularised school. What remains? Nothing but pitiable appeals to counsels of reason, to impending punishments, to human law, to frowns of public opinion, to policies of worldly expediency. Society has an imperious need of good morals, and all the vain devices as substitutes for- religion have failed, do fail, and always will fail to stem the angry sea of sin and the peril of sin in which are immersed the masses of our common humanity. God and Christ are the masters, the guardians of morals. Wherefore, O fathers, O mothers, beware of choosing for your little ones schools that vow their sacred names to silence and oblivion. It is impossible, therefore, that the Catholic Church should either approve or countenance the secularised school, or by inaction on her part, authorise Catholics to confide in it for the education of their children. Consequently, she has established her own schools in this Dominion and throughout Australia, not to speak of other lands. The enterprise was alike arduous and costly. It demanded great courage and great generosity on the part of the Catholic clergy and people, and unbounded sacrifices in the Catholic teaching staffs of the Brotherhoods and Sisterhoods of the Catholic body. All honor to them ! They have won the battle of education in these fair lands; they have set our schools, primary and secondary, on a par with the best Government schools in secular knowledge tested by examinations, and they have preserved the principle that religion shall permeate and vivify the education of childhood and youth. I congratulate heartily the Catholics of Dunedin on the erection in their midst and by their means, of this noble, up-to-date school, hard to surpass in all Australasia. I congratulate the same Catholics of Dunedin on having so competent and devoted a staff of teachers as the Christiaan Brothers, whose fame and success as educators in Europe and Australasia are unsurpassed. To the Sisterhoods and Brotherhoods of New Zealand I bow in reverence and gratitude. Sublime is their life, magnificently illustrating the life of the Founder of the Church, their master and model, Jesus Christ. Nothing but a divinely-founded Church could produce them, nothing but the Sacramental grace of the Almighty could have nurtured

the virtues that brighten their labors. To our Brotherhoods and our Sisterhoods our Catholic schools owe their existence. They are prodigal of their services for the merest shade of pecuniary remuneration. Without them the financial burden of our schools would b© insupportable; without them Catholic schools would have long ago closed their doors. To our Brotherhoods and our Sisterhoods we also owe the high degree of efficiency which is the glory of our schools, and which is the best reward in this world to the Catholic body, foi their great, long, and untiring sacrifices. I am happy to be here to-day to open this splendid school, and I fitly interpret the sentiments of the whole Catholic body in the Dominion by tendering to it and its teachers and its pupils my heartiest congratulations and best wishes. I say with all my heart, and I know you join me: ftoreant, floreant semper. I also tender my sincerest congratulations and my unstinted praise to Very Rev. Father Coffey, who has been the very soul of this great enterprise—the erection and financing of this splendid and perfectly appointed school— and who has brought it to the state of completion and efficiency which in a few moments you will be admitted to inspect and admire. (Loud applause.) His Lordship Bishop Verdon said he was sure all present would join with him in thanking his Grace Archbishop Redwood for coming here to assist at the opening of this magnificent new school. His Grace had come from Wellington at great inconvenience, and he (Bishop Verdon) was greatly indebted to him for his kindness on this and also on similar occasions in the past. They had listened with the closest attention to the eloquent address of his Grace, and he (Bishop Verdon) endorsed every word of it. Every Catholic was prepared to make sacrifices on behalf of Catholic education. It was a happy day for the Catholics of this city, and for himself in particular, to have the opportunity of taking part in this function, as the opening of the school was an evidence of the progress which they were making. It was a happy day for the Christian Brothers, who had labored most earnestly in Dunedin for many years, and whose reputation as teachers was well known. Two years ago the Brothers were asking for a new school, but then there was no money for its erection. However, Father Coffey undertook the work, and in tlie course of two years he had erected this magnificent building at a cost of £BOOO, which it was hoped would be opened free of debt. They were greatly indebted to Father Coffey for what he had done, and they highly appreciated his work (applause). His Lordship thanked the people most sincerely for their interest in the good work and for their generosity, and he felt sure they were all very pleased at having such a fine school to send their boys

iy to. In that school the boys would receive a secular : education equal to that imparted in any school in the 'l* 'Dominion. In conclusion, his Lordship again congratulated the people on the erection -of _ such a magnificent school. On the invitation of the Very Rev. Father Coffey, | Mr. D. L. Poppelwell (Gore), an old boy of the Christian Brothers’ School, gave a short address. He offered his congratulations to the Catholics of Dunedin on the erection of such a fine building for educational purposes. When he looked back, he felt proud of what the school had done, and there came to his mind the ppi; names of many who had received their education there, and had since made their mark in the world. Their school was equal, if not superior, to any in the Dominion. There the Christian Brothers would give their pupils a splendid education, as they had done in the past. He thought that one of the best means of imiti pressing our legislators with the determination of Catholics to give their children a Christian education f-y* was to get them to see this magnificent pile, which was C a monument to the faith and generosity of the CathIp olic people. This was no fad on the part of Catholics, nor was it done in a spirit of exclusiveness it was due ipsolely to a desire that their children should have a sound religious education, combined with a secular fb training equal to that imparted in any school in the £ Dominion. The erection of such a building for educaW. tional purposes could not fail to convince others of Mr; our earnestness. He did not think that any words of f ; his could adequately express what they owed to the V Christian Brothers. Mr. Poppelwell here paid a | tribute to the worth and work of Brothers Bodkin, p- Egan, and McMahon, the pioneers of the Order in y Dunedin, and concluded by again, congratulating the : Catholics of Dunedin on the erection of such a fine * school, and on having in their midst such successful y teachers as the Christian Brothers (applause). Very Rev. Father Coffey, in the course of his address, said that in the first place he had to thank the architect (Mr. Mandeno) for his excellent design, (y and the builder (Mr. McLellan) for the manner in £■ which he had carried out the contract. Both of these y gentlemen had done their work well. He had also to ; thank the priests of the parish for their assistance £ during the erection of the school. His colleagues had ! : relieved him of a good deal of the work of the parish ■ during the time, and left him more freedom to devote y to matters in connection with the building. He thanked especially his Lordship the Bishop for his generous donations towards the work. He thanked the people, f who had done their duty in contributing generously. Ten months ago, when the foundation stone was laid, he placed before the people the financial position, and pointed out how far they had to go before the goal was reached. Up to the present they had spent about £B6OO on the building, furnishing, etc., and so far they had received £BOOO, so that it would require about £6OO to enable the school to be opened free of debt. He had received messages from several friends in the country intimating their intention of assisting to bring about that happy result. Two years ago they had not a penny in hand for the school, so that prac--5v tically the raising of this sum of £BOOO was the work b of that period. If the same spirit animated the congregation as animated some of the contributors there would not be much difficulty in getting the required amount. He then asked the collectors to go amongst the people and receive subscriptions. The Blessing. Whilst the collection was being taken up, his : Grace Archbishop Redwood and his Lordship Bishop y Verdon blessed the building. p At the conclusion of the ceremony of blessing, £ the school , was thrown open for inspection, and all expressed their appreciation of its lofty, airy, and spacious class-rooms, and of the completeness of the y, appointments. Already some of the school requisites, such as maps, etc., are in place, and on the walls of S'- the upper corridor are hung a number of valuable I': pictures, among these being a very fine photo-engraving,

giving a comprehensive view of Rome from the roof of St. Peter’s, which was kindly presented by Mr* A. Chiaroni, Princes street. : - t Before ' the proceedings commenced and also during the ceremony of blessing, the Christian Brothers' Choir sang several hymns in a finished manner. Mr. J. C. Gillies ably conducted, and Miss C. Hughes presided at the harmonium with her accustomed ability. ENTERTAINMENT BY CHRISTIAN BROTHERS’ PUPILS. A very enjoyable entertainment in honor of his Grace Archbishop Redwood was given in the assembly hall of the Christian Brothers’ new school on Monday evening by the pupils of the school, assisted by ex-pupils. There was a large attendance, including his Grace the Archbishop of Wellington, his Lordship Bishop Verdon, Very Rev. Dean Smyth, S.M. (Provincial), the Very Rev. Father Coffey, Adm., and Rev. Father Foley (Gore). Every item of the varied programme was highly appreciated. Messrs. Kelleher and Tarleton gave a fine rendering of the duet, ‘ Watchman ! what of the night,’ and later on Mr. Kelleher sang 1 invictus ’ in a finished manner, and for which he received a well-deserved encore. The Christian Brothers’ Choir were heard to advantage in the bracketed items, A spring song ’ and The dawn of day,’ which were particularly well rendered. Master C. Wilson was warmly applauded for his dancing of a Highland fling. Master P. O’Connor recited ‘ The charge of the Light Brigade,’ and Master C. Woods ‘ Shiel’s reply.’ In both instances the boys displayed much dramatic talent, whilst their enunciation was all that could be desired. The junior pupils gave a very neat exhibition with dumb-bells, the performance winning the warm approval of the audience. A pleasing item was the part song, 1 The boatmen’s song,’ by Masters M. O’Connor, L. Toomey, F. Cotter, F. Sligo, L. Salmon, F. Dawson, and L. Cantwell. The opening item of the programme was another part song, ‘ March like the victors,’ whilst the final was ‘ God save the King.’ Mr. J. C. Gillies was conductor, and Miss C. Hughes presided at the piano. On the whole the entertainment was highly creditable to teachers and pupils. Before the final item on the programme was given Rev. Brother O’Ryan took the opportunity of expressing to his Grace, on behalf of the Brothers and pupils, their sincere gratitude for his kindness in coming to open their new school. They welcomed his Grace in a special manner because he had always been a fearless advocate and able exponent of religious education. Many times and oft had he championed with voice and pen the noble cause. He could assure his Grace that ■ they greatly appreciated the fact that, notwithstanding his multifarious duties, he spared the time to come from Wellington to take part in Sunday’s ceremony. -Brother O’Ryan also thanked his Lordship Bishop Verdon for having provided them with such a magnificent school, which was second to none in Australasia. To Father Coffey their thanks were due in a special manner, for to him fell the active part of the work, and that it had been carried to completion in such a short time was, in a great measure, due to his untiring efforts and wonderful energy and perseverance. The building was certainly an ornament to the city of Dunedin. Their thanks were also due to the Catholic people in providing such a fine school, for were it not for their self-sacrificing spirit such a magnificent work- would be utterly impossible at such a time as this. And he could assure them that the Brothers would do their best to repay them for their magnificent generosity. His Grace Archbishop Redwood said he was grateful to Rev. Brother O’Ryan for his very kind words of welcome. It was always a great pleasure to him to take part in such functions, and especially in the opening of their magnificent new school, which might be justly called a miracle of organisation. He had always taken a great interest in Catholic education, and what he considered

the - great work of his life was the founding of St. Patrick’s College, by which Catholic boys may pass to the University without endangering, their faith. In conclusion his Grace paid a tribute to the zeal of the Christian Brothers, - for whose work he had the greatest admiration. His Lordship Bishop Verdon thanked the Christian Brothers for the very fine entertainment they had provided, and which was most successful. He . congratulated them on taking possession of the fine school , the erection of which was due to the organising power of Father Coffey and the generous assistance of the people. The people held the Christian Brothers in the highest esteem, and they owed them a debt of gratitude for what they had done in the parish. The Catholics of Dunedin had contributed to the work of erecting the school in a way which astonished people in other parts of the Dominion. He was grateful to the people for what they had done. He was sure the school would be a success in every way, and that the pupils would receive there a solid education which would prepare them for this world and for eternity. Very Rev. Father Coffey also thanked Rev. Brother O’Ryan for his remarks - and then gave some particulars regarding the building fund of the school.