Sees Future of All Schools Closely Linked
WASHINGTON (NC) Catholic education's future is inextricably linked to ~,what is happening today
throughout American education, particularly in the troubled public school system. That's the evaluation of Msgr. James Donohue, director of the U.S. Catholic Conference ElemEntary and Secondary Division. Noting that public schools are beset by several crises-including a loss of community <;onfidence, lack of finances and "at !f°ast a mini-revolt by parents who are wondering whether this is all they can expect"-:"the Catholic educator believes the problems will cause dissatisfied parents to demand a positive altt:rnative to public education. "In the next decade more and more parents will demand a greater freedom of choice in ed· ucation, and when they do,. other options are going to open up," the prelate asserted. Those options, he predicted, will take the form 'of viable ncn-public schools operated by private and religio.us institutions, with parents receiving some pub·
Pope, Bishop Facing Busy
H@lyWeek
lie assistance - perhaps through tuition vouchers-to enroll their chHdren. Msgr. Donohue noted that Catholic schools, which account for 83 per cent .of the total number of students enrolled in non-public schools, are in a unique position to present 'that alternative. But instead of merely compt-ting with the public schools, he feels Catholic schools should strive to become educational pacesetters, experimenting with innovative methods aimed at promoting the individual development of each pupil. "I hope the Catholic schools of the future will throw out the rule book and have the couragE- to experiment," said Msgr. Donohue, a former school superintendent of the Baltimore archdiocese. . Catholic schools, he' said, have failed to use their freedom to
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Vol. 14, No. 12, March 19,1970
In view of the recent public meeting held by- the Fall River School Committee, the Board of Educaion of the
ferent functions in churches around Rome. In the Fall River Diocese, Bishop James L. Connolly will also undertake a grueling schedule of pastoral activity characteristic of Holy Week. On Palm Sunday the Pope will bless the palms and celebrate Mass in St. Peter's at 10 A.M., a function open to the public. At noon the same day he will give his customary blessing from his window overlooking the square. On Holy Thursday, Pope Paul will journey ·across town to the major basilica of St. John Lateran, where he will say the Solemn Mass at 5 P.M.· and participate in the traditional "mandatum," the washing of feet, following the example of Christ washing the feet of the Apostles. Another of Rome's major basHcas,. St. Mary Major,' will be the scene of the Papal ceremony at 5 P.M. of Good Friday. The
Diocese of Fall River would like to issue a statement which it hopes will clarify some of the issues: The Shared Resources Plan compiled by us as members of the Board of Education and presE"nted to the Fall River School Committee by Reverend- Patrick J. O'Neill, Superintendent of Schools, includes the following: 1. We are requesting that the School Committee approve of an experiment of the plan in one school in Fall River for one year. 2. No child enrolled in the public school system of Fall River is involved in this plan. 3. The plan was prepared to assist the 'School Committee in arranging for continuity in the education of children who must bfl absorbed into the public school system as parochial schools in the city continue to close. 4. The plan will ease the tax burden that must be assumed by the taxpayers of Fall River as more children enter the public school system.
5. The plan would still retain the services of the religious t{oachers within the city and al-
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Council Requests Pope h)' Review Cases of Disciplin·ed - Priests SAN DIEGO (NC) ' - The Nat ion a I Federation of Priests' Councils concluded its annual meeting here by electing new officers and setting a deadline for an answer on its request that Pope Paul VI review the case of 19 disciplined Washington priests. Father Frank Bonnike, pastor of St. Mary's Church in D~ Kalb, Ill., was chosen president of the federation. He is past president of the Rockford diocesan priests' senate. In their final plt:nary session, the delegates set April 20 as the deadline for a response to their
tional picture in the United States. "If the private schools can develop modern methods and new concepts, and become leaders in education, this should make the public schools examine their own house and, in turn, reorganize their system," he observed. "This certainly would help American education to become more healthy." Msgr. Donohue said public schools are currently facing an erosion of confidence over the quality of education offered their students. He noted that some of the nation's educational and political leaders including' former Health, Education and Welfare Secretary John Gardner and President Nixon - are posing hard questions about the effectiveness of public schools. Nixon, he said, asked in his recent message on education: "Do we
Board Clarifies Issues On Shared Resources
VATKCAN CITY (NC) The Holy Father will have a busy schedule during Holy Week as he attends 10 dif-
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break the bonds of conformity and contribute to the real learning process. If the schools don't exercise this role in the future, he warned, "then I think they're dead." The Catholic' educator does not think the emergence of a nonpublic school system will signal the demise of public schools, however. He believes it will instead revitalize the whole edo'ca-
plea that the Vatican review the case of the Washington priests disciplined by Patrick Cardinal O'Boyle in 1968 for disagreeing with the Pope's birth control encyclical. The federation's proposal calling for judicial review 'was delivered to the Vatican Secretariat of State on Feb. 23. The federation's 'House of Delegates declared that if they receive no response, they will call an emergency meeting to plan their next step. The chairman of the committee which proposed the resolu- tion, Father Harry Arbanas of' Turn to Page Eighteen
IFR. PATRiCK J. O'NEill
Color Change The l{ltest liturgical directives, effective Sunday, March 22, have changed the colors' of vestments that were traditional for Palm Sunday (now called Passion Sunday) and Good Friday. General Instruction, Chapter VI, no 308b states that "red is used on Passion Sun.. day (Palm Sunday) and Good Friday * ,) ~,,,
low parents a freedom of choice in educating their children. It has been noteo that mlmy of the fears that people have of the. Shared Resources Plan are ba~ed on a lack of knowledge of non-public education. As the Diocesan Boatd of Education we invite the public to visit our schools, talk with our teachers and parents and become familiar with the parochial system. As we face equally the issues and challenges that confront us, the Diocesan Board of Education asks consideration of the following: I. That this proposal is not r~..king anything new of the School Committee of Fall River; such plans are already working in various states in America. 2. That the Federal Government programs in our own city are an example of a cooperative system. 3. That the many strengths in each system can be welded together to make for better quality in education. 4. That the weaknesses in each svstem can diminish as a closer \vorking relationship is fostered. 5. That the children in the city C'f Fall River are being educated i!I the best American tradition.
really know how children learn?" Most of the complaints, the priest added, are coming from the community at large. "The concept that there is something sacrosanct about the public school system is not true anymore," he remarked. He cited discontent among middle class and suburban parents who claim their children aren't receiving the kind of education they expect from public schools, and from minority groups in the city who charge the system doesn't relate to their special needs. "Dissatisfied parents feel the public schools are developing attitudes toward life that don't correspond with the attitudes that the parents would like their children to have," Msgr. Donohue said. . He noted parents are blaming the public schools for a permissive philosophy among youth plus a rise in teenage drug abuse. As a result, he said, the American public is begim;ing to ask if a monopolistic school system is good for the nation. Turn to Page Six
Seven Take Priesthood Steps The Most Reverend Bishop will ordain four seminarians to the Sub-Cliaconate in a private ceremony in the Bishop's Chapel of the Cathedral on Wednesday evening, March 25.
To be ordained are Messrs. Edward J. Byington of 38 Linden St., Fall River; Raymond P. Monty of 170 Elm St., New Bedford; Marc H. Bergeron of 80 Willis St., New Bedford; and Robert C. Donovan of 217 Walnut St., Brookline, Mass. On the next day, also at the Cathedral during the Memorial of the Lord's Supper, on Holy Thursday evening at 7:30, the Most Reverend Bishop will ordain the new Sub-deacons to thE" Diaconate. . For this ceremony this will be joined by Rev. Mr. William T. Babbitt of Taunton; Rev. Mr. Richard W. Beaulieu of Acushnet and Rev. Mr. Michael G. Methot of Fall River. They were earlier ordained Sub·deacons at the Theological College in Washington, D.C. The seven new clerics will later be ordained to the Priesthood for service in the Fall River Diocese.
Says People of God Need !Priests 'Not Involved in Secular Interests' VATICAN CITY (NC) - The people of God need priests who are "not involved in profane subjects and secular interests," Pope Paul told crowds in St. Peter's Square. Speaking from his window overlooking the square, the Pope told his listeners: "We would like you to pray now for priests, for their sanctity, for their loyalty, for their exclusive and total devotion to your service." The Pope also told the crowds: "The people of God need their priests to be shepherds and teachers, servants and. living saints, ,vho are all in and of Christ, not outside the ranks of
the people or of their needs and sufferings, but also not involved in profane subjects and secular interests." . Later the same day, the Pope went to a parish church on the outskirts of Rome to take part in his usual stational church observances . during Lent and to celeb'rate Mass for t.he workingclass residents of the area. In his sermon during the Mass, the Pope told the thousands gathered on the parish soccer fieid that he had been reflecting on the pieces of lunar rock that had recently been shown him by U. S. Ambassador t.o Italy GraTurn to Page Twenty