School Decline Still Leaves Four-Million. Student Body .
The ANCHOR yo
WASHINGTON (NC) - The number of children attending' the nation's private schools has dropped about 23 per cent since 1965, according to the U. S. Census 'Bureau. "School Enrollment in the United States: 1971"-released here by the Census Bureau-reports 5.4 million American chilAn Anchor of the Soul, Sure and Firm-St. Paul dren are attending private elementary and high schools this . year-compared to 7 million in River, Mass., Thurs., ·March91 1972' 1965. PRICE 10, Estimates from the National 16, No. 10 © 1972 The Anchor $4.00 per year Catholic Educational Association indicate 3.9 milli.on of those children are enrolled in Catholic schools. In 1965, the Catholic school enrollment figure was 5.6 million.' An NCEA projection released this Fall also estimated that about 460-financially-pressed Catholic elementary and second-' ary schools did not reopen in September. ,.--
Fall Vol.
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Very Rev. John J. Regan, rec-
tor of St. Mary's Cathedral in Fall River, announced to parishioners last weekend that the parish school, oldest in the Fall River mocese, will close in June. '"
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The Census study noted that enrollments at public schools have increased 12 per cent since 1965-with 41.5 mil.Jion public school students then and 46.5 m~11ion today. Public school enrollments have grown-and private school enrollments declined-in both inner city and suburban areas, according to to the study. "It's pretty hard to say why
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.Mid;"Lent Charity Dearly beloved in Christ, of our nation one excellent opThe traditional Lenten prac- portunity to exercise. self-denial tices are three: prayer, f~sting, in the traditional penitential form and almsgiving. All entail a' de- of almsgiving. nial of self; motivated by a 'deIn a recent Apostolic Letter sire to make atonement and rep- . to the Hierarchy of the United aration, to be purified and States, Pope Paul VI called atcleansed in.. anticipation Of the tention to the fittingness of congreat Feast of the Resurrection ducting during the Lenten Seaof Christ. The beautiful Preface son the appeal which makes posfor the Sundays of Lent alludes sible greatly needed works of asto this traditional Lenten pro- sistance for the poverty-stricken and indigent of so many coungram, praying: tries around the world. Mankind, "You bid your faithful people Our Holy Father tells us, is seekto cleanse their hearts and pre. ing a new .earth of justice and pare .with joy for the ,paschal love in which those who have feast. More fervent in .prayer, been blessed with much will more generous in 'Works ef;'char- share what they have with those ity, more eager ,in celebrating who have less. the mysteries by which we are I urge you all, in the Lenten reborn, may we come to the' attitude of penitence, to confullness of grace that belongs, to tribute generously to the special the sons of God." . .-. .. '. Bishops' Overseas Relief CollecThe mid-point of Lent -has long tion next weekend. With the been the occasion for the Bish- prayerful wish that we all may, ops' Overseas Relief Collection. indeed, come to the fullness of The proceeds of this annual col- grace that belongs to the .chille<;ti~n ·are carefully dIstributed . drlm of God, I remain by .the Catholic Relief Services Devotedly yours in Christ, Office to areas and people in ffi DANmL A. CRONIN great need. The collection gives Bishop of. Fall River Catholic faithful in all dioceses 1111tmmmmmllllllllll1"I1UlUlIllmn"",,,,,mmmllIrtIIlIlI1l1l111l111IllllllllllUtllllllmmmUm"lIIll1llltnlI11nllllllllll,tUlumm"",m"m'l,nmtllIIllIIllUllllllllllumm11""1111111111111111
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people don't come," said Dr. Preliminary indications are that George Elford, NCEA research SUCh. costs are contiritiin~;·to indirector, about the Catholic crease while enrollments are deschool enrollment decline. But creasing. Paying the salaries of the he theorized that increased costs, population shifts, and attitude growing number of-lay teachers changes about Catholic schools in Catholic schools-who last on the part of some parents have year Qutnumbered teaching Religious for the first time - has all contributed to the decline. One reason for the attitude been one c·ause of the cost inchanges, the NCEA official said, creases. Catholic' schools are "in a is a "lessening of Church pressure on (Catholic) school attend- shifting situation, and they're 'ance." He noted that; in years going to have to find themselves past, sending children to the ,in this situation," Dr. Elford parish school was almost re- told NC News. But he added he does not think the schools are quired of parishioners. NCEA estima,ted that tuition on their way out. "We're still talking about four and fees at Catholic grade schools averaged $70 past year, million kids'" he said. "That's with a corresponding diocesan . not going to'disappear. tomorrow ' high school figure of' about $285. 'morning."
Dollar to Catholic Relief Multiplies Many Times} NEW YORK (NC) - During the year which ended June 30, 1971, Catholic Relief Services distributed goods and services worth $154,398,791. They were enabled to do this by the Catholics of .the United States, who donated $5,696,079 during the annual CRS collection in mid-Lent. Question: How do you manage to give $154 million worth of service with a coilection box total of only five and a half million? Answer: you hustle. You take your basic cash income as a point of departure for your activities, not as the ultimate limiting factor in what you can
do. With the kind of organization you can build and maintain on that annual income, you become .eligible for all kinds of donations from governments,' private industry, foundations and other religious and charitable organizations. By working hard to develop other sources of supply, CRS manages each year to multiply the impact of its Lenten collection by more than 30.. Through 'the years, according to a spokesman for the agency, the average has been $32.50 in services for every dollar put in the collection by the Catholics' of the United States. Turn to Page Two
Part-Time Staff Workers of Anchor Produce JVeekly ,Paper with Aid of. Two-Girl Office "Somehow, it all works out." That's what one staff member says about the somewhat remarka,ble way in which The Anchor is put together every week. Except for its two-girl office force, every Anchorite is a part-time worker, and often months will go by between sightings ,of one staffer by another. Yet, punctual as Thursday, The Anchor appears. How is it done? An important factor in this weekly achievement is The Chair. iJt looks like any other, bl,lt it's the spot at the 410 Highland Avenue offices of The Anchor whereon repose all news and featllre stories to be taken "down to Le'ary's," otherwise known as the Leary Press, 10-' cated at 234 Second Street in downtown Fall River. A side note of consic:ierable interest is that the Leary Press blinding is . the original home of Lizzie Borden... Anchor readers may make what they will of this historical coincidence. At any rate, it is gravely'in-, cumbent upon whoever mig;.ht be traveling towards Leary's from The Anchor office to check The Chair and bear with him or her whatever might be aylaiting the good offices of the printer.
What might be on The Chair? There is material concerning Church activities throughout the world, .provided by the National Catholic News Service of Washington, D. C., which also supplies the assorted columns found weekly in The Anchor, with the
Doctors, Nurses Stress Va lue Of Chaplains PARK RIDGE (NC)-A higher percentage of nurses, doctors, pa. tients at Lutheran General Hospital here in Illinois consider chaplains an important· a'sset to hospital care, according to a recent survey. Father Raymond Carey, a Ca~holic priest and social psychologist on Lutheran General's pastoral care staff, reported th~t 87 per cent of nurses he su~eyed and 76 per cent of doctots said chaplains are of great importancce. Most of them also feltJhe chaplains' religion is not critical, Father Carey added. Forty per cent of patients surveyed put gi-eat value on the availability of a chaplain, the priest said, but they differed Turn to Pase TvvQ
exception of the fashion and home and, garden columns by Joseph and Marilyn Roderick, which are of diocesan origin and exclusive with this paper, and The Mooring, by Rev. John F. Moore of SS. Peter and Paul parish, Fall River. There are usually two or three feature stories'.on activities or outstanding personalities in the diocese. These are cont.-ibuted by free-lance writers in various sections of the diocese or by Patricia McGowan of The Anchor staff. Local photographs are taken by area free-lancers, while national and international pictures come from the Washington news service. Not to be forgotten is the very important corps of volunteer couespondents from nearly every parish and organization in th~ diocese, who keep Anchor readers posted on what is going on in guilds and societies,and often supply news leads that re~ suit in full-length feature ~ories. The Anchor had its beginnings in 1957, when former 'Bishop Co~no!ly decided the diocese need~ a unifying force "to let mem~ers of the family know whaf each other was doing." "We started in a one-room . Turn to Page Two