Member o f 'Audit Bureau o f Circulations Contents Copyrighted by tife Catholic Press Society, Inc., 1852 — Permission to Reproduce, Except on REPLY TO DR. KENNETH OBERHOLTZER'S Articles Otherwise Marked, Given After 12 M, Friday Following Issue ATTACK ON OUR PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM The Denver Post Wednesday thought is exactly what the Found­ acquire these, which come as God’s are not formally requesting it for •tion except direct aid to religion, evening carried a first page article, ing Fathers of America wanted, gifts, but which demand free ac­ theirs. The Catholic press .has such. as.paying catechism or Bible DENVER CATHOLIC “ Oberholtzer Denies Parochial for ours is a democratic republic, tion also on our part. If eternity asked for auxiliary aids, such as teachers or furnishing such text­ School Blast,” in which he blamed devoted to the preservation of in­ were not important, and faith and bus services for students, health books. Though nuns are under fire the news on inflammatory reports alienable human rights. We can­ morals were not important, it services, and free non-religious as public school teachers even in by a Boston reporter and “ slanted not have the kind of nation we would be all right to close Catho­ textbooks. The U. S. Supreme wholly Catholic districts today, the ;and inaccurate reporting” by the have had in the past if-there is de schools; but nothing is more Court has made clear that all these U.S. Supreme Court has never out­ United Press and a Boston re­ to be a monopoly of education. important than religion and services can be constitutionally lawed this practice, which is cer­ porter. The case is not so simple. If Oberholtzer believes parish ^orals, and all fundamental Amer- given. Despite later court decisions, tainly not any more illegal than the Read the following article: schools should be abolished in ican principles are religious in the it is extremely doubtful from his­ reputed hiring as teachers of sev­ REGISTER order that secularistic men like sense that they rest on a recogni­ tory whether any aid to religious eral hundred Protestant ministers By Monsignor Matthew Smith the American Association of tion of the natural law. schools is forbidden by the First in Colorado schools, a practice to VOL XLVIl. No. 35. THURSDAY, APRIL 17, 1952 DENVER, COLO. The attack on private and pa­ School ^ministrators may fit Oberholtzer made one of his Amendment to the U.S. Constitu- which we do not object.) rochial schools at the Boston meet­ every stuaent into their own mold, chief jabs at us when he said, ac­ ing last week of the American that is the end of this republic. cording to Laura Haddock o f the Association of School Administra­ The “ ideas or philosojJhy” be­ Wri■istian Science Monitor, April tors, a department of the National hind the Catholic schools cannot 9, 1952: “ We cannot have paro­ Education association, has left be made illegal in the U.S.A., un­ chial schools to any lafge extent Catholics aghast. Colorado Catho­ der our Constitution. Our schools and still have democracy in our lics are particularly disturbed by exist to train good Catholics, and school system.” Church in Buffalo to Be Dedicated ...... V . the remarks of Dr. Kenneth E. good American citizens. They are My comment on this is that if Oberholtzer, president of the As­ not at all inferior in their scholas­ Oberholtzer -wants democracy he sociation of School Administrators tic achievements in Denver, as had better work to get school , Archbishop to Officiate June 22 in Resort Town on South Platte and • superintendent of the Denver Oberholtzer is in a position to elections on regular election days public schools. - know. They are also interested when the public, not a machine- + + + ' + + + The new Church of St. Elizabeth in Buffalo, a resort . Oberholtzer has previously met in the salvation o f the children's herded few, can vote, and he must town on the South Platte 45 miles southwest of Denver,-will Catholic educators on friendly souls, and they teach the Catho­ avoid as a plague such things as be dedicated by Archbishop Urban J. Vehr on Sunday, June terms. His attack last" week came lic religion. How this could be secret meetings of school direct­ 22, at 11 a.m. The Very Rev. Monsignor Elmer J. Kolka, asso­ as a terrific shock to them. It was obnoxious to others is beyond our ors, etc., such as have been so outrageous that many public comprehension, except those held in recent years. He must ciate director of Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of school teachers believed he had others were bigots whose opposi­ see that candidates for the school Denver, is administrator of the ne'w church. been misquoted. This does not tion to the Papal Church is never board are democratically chosen, Work on the structure, which was erected at a cost of seem to be the case, for his views reasonable and is built always on not hand-picked as in a dynasty were carried over the large press a twisted notion of what we be­ approximately $26,000, began last fall and the building has associations, appeared in a spe­ lieve and teach. Let me define democracy for now been completed. The chapel is him: It is a system of government cial dispatch to the New York Oberholtzer was quoted in the of log and frame construction, with by the freely elected representa­ Clergy Retreat Times written by Benjamin Fine, New }^ork Times as saying that tives of adult citizens, and has its a knotty pine interior finish and ex­ an expert on education who is “many educators were concerned July 14-18 basis in the law of nature. If known as super friendly to the at the charges made by those op­ terior fir log siding. Scissors beams public school system; and they posed to public schools that these either free elections or attention support the roof,^ and the pews to the natural lavr be lacking, there were published in the Traveler, schools were ‘godless.’ He added is no democracy, were made by the Hallack & Boston, April 8; the Christian that this is just not so.” I personally do not believe Dr. Howard Lumber Co., Denver, of Science Monitor, April 9, and else­ The inference here is that Cath­ Oberholtzer is a fool or an un­ Philippine mahogany. The pews where. olics are “ opposed to public reasonable man. I do not believe The onslaught on non-public schools”—something that we deny. have padded kneelers. he is a bigot. But I think he has schools was opened by James B. There is all the difference in the The first Mass will be offered fallen under the temporary in­ Conant, president of Harvard world between being opposed to in the new church on Sunday, May university. He “ warned that pri­ fluence of forces that strongly lack of religious instruction for demand, in the United States to­ 25, at 10 o’clock, and Mass will ke vate schools, operated aUng eco­ Catholic children and being op­ nomic or religious lines, were day, that Catholics pay and pay offered every Sunday at that time posed to public schools, which we and pay and be given nothing;' harmful to our democracy.” This know must exist, through September. statement, in view of the fact that thpy be second and third class The new St. Elizabeth’s came as that he heads a private university, Having edited the Denver Cath­ citizens, happy to grovel before which was founded as a religious olic Register since 1913, I am in their betters. j the result o f the donation o f a plot a position to know that-no respon­ institution, seems to depart from We happen to be first claks of land for church use. At a meet­ sible Catholic leader has ever re­ sanity. Conant’s entire higher citizens, who know our duty to ing o f the Catholic residents and education was obtained at Har­ ferred to the public schools God and our duty to our fellow here or elsewhere as “ godless.” those who have cabins in the area vard. men. We are not surrendering Denver public schools have, how­ a committee was appointed to or­ It is Oberholtzer’s views, how. our ideals or our rights, ever, never shown any desire for ganize for the new church. They evdr, that most concern us. He religious classes such as could Now would be a good tirhe to said the dual system is “ divisive probably be legally held. Released clean up the lack of democracy were Don Green, chairman; Henry in character— precisely the argu­ time has never been practiced in in the public school system, lind to Nadorff, Edward Spleat, John ment used by the Communist Denver, though it is used by .both see what could be done about re­ Rusche, Frank Buckley, and Dr. governments o f Europe against leased time, which we are as anx­ Protestants and Catholics in many Howard Swanson. As the result of religious schools. Reds’ open aim parts of the nation, and in some ious to get for the Protestant and is to drive out every kind of think­ parts of this state. It looks to us the Jewish children as for the New St. Elizabeth's Church, Buffalo the work of the committee, and ing except the current dictator’s. like clear divisiveness to turn Catholics. We are really worried several- substantial donations, the The annual retreat for the Again, according to the New York about the lack o’"' religion in Den­ school system'V over to those who new church has only a $5,000 debt.