OPENING OF NEW CONVENT AND SCHOOL, MORVEN.

New Zealand Tablet, 8 February 1917, Page 13

OPENING OF NEW CONVENT AND SCHOOL, MORVEN.

The opening of the new convent and school at Morven (writes our Waimate correspondent) took place on Sunday, January 28, his Lordship Bishop Brodie performing the ceremony. The weather was perfect, and fully 500 people assembled in the grounds. The Rev. Mother-General of the Sisters of St. Joseph, to--gether with Sisters from Temuka, Kerrytown, and Waimate, were present, and among the visiting clergy were Very Rev. Dean Regnault, Very Rev. Dean Tubman, Right Rev. Mgr. Mackay, Rev. Fathers Gilbert, Kerley, . Burger, and Gondringer. After the blessing of the buildings by his Lordship the Bishop, . Rev. Father Aubry congratulated the contractors upon their work. The cost of the work was somewhere in the region of £2OOO, and there was £l2O still owing on the building and £l6O for the furniture; to say nothing of fencing, etc,, that remained to be tackled. He looked for such a good collection that day that the place would be opened free of debt. He spoke of the early work of Father Goutenoire, who held a catechism class in the little buildings on the Waihao, and the succeeding labors of Dean Regnault. He also mentioned the work of Father Burger, Chaplain Macdonald, Father Quinn, and Dr. Kennedy in furthering the Morven Convent. Dean Regnault said he wished to right one neglect of the previous speaker. That was Father Aubry’s own important part in the work. (Applause.) He praised the services of the Sisters of St. Joseph, whose trainees were in request in Canada, and elsewhere, and of whom the Australian bishops spoke in terms of the highest praise. Thirty or forty years ago the four or five Catholic families of Waihao liberally supported the convent school at Waimate. Names like those of John Hanley, Nicholas O’Toole,,, Ed ward Crone, and P. Burke, would not be forgotten. He felt sure the Morven people would not only house the good Sisters, but would keep the wolf from the door. The pupils of St. Joseph’s Convent, Waimate, were known among business men in Waimate, Timaru, and Temuka for their thorough training. Moreover,' people told him that they were always to be trusted. (Applause.) ;f Is not the State providing for the youth of New Zealand that we should be obliged to erect such buildings as these? (asked the Dean). I say No.’ The system is not a national system. It does not cater for *in matters of religion themselves, or careless as to the religious education of their children. Since the year 1876 the non-Catholic child in this Dominion is educated entirely at the expense of the State. No fees to pay; even school books are supplied, to a certain extent; to that child. Therefore that is done out of moneys

to which the Catholic people contribute their * full share. H What about the , Catholic child I:; .Owing; to the objec* tions j to , the 'system, ;; the ;• Catholic child 4 cannot avail ;i itself of I State/ education; because we Catholics |do not believe in a secular system of education. W believe that; the child 1 must .be educated “in a religious and not ■/ in a secular atmosphere. . The Catholics, in view of . this, have erected their own schools; they • have provided their own teachers', • They have done everything purely at the dictates of their conscience, and at the same time provided a system in no way inferior to that given by the State. Our grievances are these—that we not only have to pay for our own i education, but the tax for the general education-in which we have no share. We have to pay even for the School Journal. Now, these Journals are supplied in such numbers that the unused copies alone would suffice to supply the Catholic schools. ' We would be satisfied with the crumbs which fall from the rich-man's —the rich man being the State, of course. No Catholic child is entitled, according to the State, to take out a free place at a Catholic secondary school. These free places ' are only tenable at a State secular high school or college. We have proved that we can educate our children so that they can obtain proficiency certificates, but the Catholic child is debarred, because of his refusal to continue his education in a secular school, from taking any advantage of the State’s expenditure on secondary education, for which the Catholic people are taxed. We are penalised, therefore, because of our faith. The State also looks after the health of the Protestant children. They are. medically examined for defective eyesight, nasal organs, teeth, etc. But when we Catholics ask for medical inspection, it is to be granted only at so • much per visit. Also, in the question of swimming capitation. According to the Minister of Education, we are not entitled to this, although, our scholars qualify. What does this mean Apparently that the lives of Catholic children are not considered to be worth saving in this country. ’ Why are we treated like this? We are surely as good and efficient citizens as other people! Surely we pay up our taxes as well as others do! And we are the most loyal of the subjects of the King. Our Catholic boys were amongst thd first to land in Samoa, on Gallipoli, and in Flanders, and they are doing their duty now in Egypt. Our Catholic boys are devotedly loyal to their country, because of the civic education they receive in their schools. ‘ Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and the things of God to God.’ Why, then, should they not receive as fair treatment as others? Now, some time ago at a meeting of the Teachers* Institute, one of the delegates said that the Catholics were out to destroy the State system of education in New Zealand. Now, I say ‘No.’ We have nothing to do whatever with that system of education in New Zealand. We know it is necessary in New Zealand. It is necessary for those who are Agnostics, for those who are Atheists, and for those who are indifferent. But it is abhorrent to the Catholic community; and it is abhorrent to : a large section of the non-Catholic community. Bishop . Julius lately gave expression to the Anglican complaint, arid at a meeting of the Presbyterian Assembly recently a similar attitude was assumed. There is no true education that is not based on religion. Therefore, my friends, as long as that unfair treatment is extended to us I ask you to organise and agitate for justice and fair play. Bishop Brodie also referred to this question. He said: We are assisting at a function at which one is tempted to speak somewhat on the subject of Catholic education. I would like to say this to those who wish to destroy religion in this young country: An attempt was made to banish religion from France a hundred years ago. Christian schools were banished;' They said: Let us have neither master nor God.’ If the enemies to any form of Christianity wish to destroy that Christianity, let them start on the school. We have no quarrel, with the. teachers of the State system of education. We have no ,quarrel with the system itself. I say that this

•• • ’ ■ . - • State svstem of secularism is bringing about a condition of anarchy. These I.W.W. men in Australia, wno went the ( length of ; committing murder, were a j product of this secular -system^ ‘i& Clod has said; ‘Thou shalt not kill.’ This system of godlessness is coming over the whole world, ; bringing anarchy in its wake. It is : a serious statement to make. But I was at Waihi at a time of very serious trouble, and I can say from experience that the State system of education is blotting out the fear of God. An inspector of schools lately told me that there is a certain district in this country in which State schools hold sway and in which there were no Christian schools at all. Not many months ago a clergyman went there, and he found the whole community were pagans. They did not want a clergyman at all. The man came away disheartened. The State svstem of education is undermining not only religion, but society itself. And the people will live |to regret the day that the State took up the programme of banishing religion. from our schools. , The Church would sacrifice all it possesses for the sake of the soul 'of one little child. We are very much encouraged by the fact that the members of other, denominations are joining with us in starting schools of their own. The Anglicans and Presbyterians -are rejoicing in the ; success which is attending the establishment of their secondary colleges. But let them not overlook the fact that there are 180,000 children- receiving education in the primary schools of New Zealand, and only 12,000 receiving education in the secondary schools. Thus, of all the- children in the schools, S|4-15ths ■ are without Christianity. We hope • that the day will come, as it came in England, when the other denominations will fully realise that we are fighting their battle as well as our own; when the sects will stand shoulder to shoulder and the party dissensions^ which have made us distrust one another will be removed, and a common danger will teach us to trust one another. The Very Rev. Dean Tubman was the last speaker and he also reminded the people of the good work done by the Sisters, ■ Afternoon tea was provided in the schoolroom. The ’ Waimate Brass Band' played several selections during the afternoon. The collection for the day totalled over £2OO. In the evening his Lordship Bishop Brodie preached at the devotions in Waimate on the necessity of parents giving a good example to children.