Untitled article

Pacific Press Publishing Company · New York · March 8, 1894

“The garb of the Sisters of Charity was conspicuous in the Thirty-fourth Ward public school to-day,” says a Pittsburg dispatch of the 26th ult. The reason given is that four nuns who had been previously employed in the parochial school of the ward begun teaching in the public school. The priest in charge of the parish states that this was necessary because of lack of accommodations for the parochial school children in his building. Instead of erecting an edition to the parochial school he installed nuns as teachers in the public school. “The nuns passed the school- teachers’ examinations with high percentages.” The school board is composed of Catholics, and they readily agreed to the proposition. It is said that there will be no religious instruction given in the school hours, and that the nuns will not wear their rosaries, but will wear their religious garb. Commenting on the facts stated, the Independent, of this city, says: “Of course a nun should not be excluded from qualifying as a teacher if she can. But we should draw the line at her wearing any specially religious garb: and if we are not mistaken, General Draper, who was superintendent of schools for this State, decided that such a dress could not be allowed in public schools.” If General Draper ever made such a ruling he was clearly right. Distinctively religious garbs must be excluded from the public school rooms unless the schools are to be completely Romanized.