SCHOOLS
563
SCHOOLS
by the voluntary contributions of the faithful —
church collections, concerts, bazaars etc. — and the
gratuitous labours of the religious. The classes in
the Catholic primary schools are graded in a system
somewhat similar to that in the Government schools.
In some of the states, notably in New South Wales,
the Catholic school authorities have been able to issue
special Cathohc school readers and periodical school
papers. As an offset to the Government scholarships,
which unhke those in England are tenable only at the
Government high schools, the Catholics have founded
scholarships in Cathohc secondary schools for their
primary school children. Technical instruction is
usually included in the curriculum of the larger schools,
but is more systematically organized in Catholic
institutions for orphans and industrial work.
MoBAN, History of the Catholic Church in Australasia (Sydney, 8. d.); Australian Year Book of the Commonwealth (1911); the Year Books of the various states (1911); Australasian Catholic Directory (1911); Birt, Benedictine Pioneers in Australia (Lon- don, 1911); CoGHLAN, Wealth and Progress of New South Wales (Sydney. 1898).
Wilfrid Ryan.
In Canada. — Canada is a self-governing dominion of the British Empire consisting of nine provinces and some territories not yet erected in provinces. Its pop- ulation is partly French in origin and language, partly British. It will be necessary, in order to be accurate, to speak of each province separately.
A. Province of Ontario. — The beginnings of Catho- lic education in Ontario may be said to date back to the year 1615, in which the Recollect Joseph Le Caron, making a journey of exploration in the countries of the Algonquin and Huron tribes, decided on the founda- tion of missions in their midst. Writing to the Court of France, he said: " We must first make men of these Indians, then Christians." During the years 1622- 26, his first efforts were assisted by the arrival of Fathers Guillaume Pouhn, Nicholas Viel, and de La Roche d'Aillon, of his order, and the Jesuit Fathers Br^beuf and de La None. Their work was facihtated by the aid of interpreters who were good Christians and valiant auxiliaries. By 1638 the Jesuit Fathers, now ten in number, had established two residences on the banks of Georgian Bay. These outposts speedily became centres of Christian and Catholic civihzation. Until 16.50 the missionaries, with their devoted lay brothers and coadjutors from France, were the only Catholic teachers of Ontario. Their first lessons of catechism, of book-knowledge, and of agriculture, given amidst the greatest privations, and often at the peril of their lives, owed much more to their unhmited zeal than to any generosity on the part of their pupils. In 1649 the Huron and Algonquin neophytes were ex- terminated by the ferocious Iroquois, who burnt or destroyed seven flourishing missions, which had been directed by no fewer than sixty missionaries and help- ers, many of whom perished with their flocks. The surviving heroes of the Gospel found a new field of action among the Outaouais, who inhabited the pres- ent County of Bruce, the islands of Georgian Bay, and Great Manitoulin Island. The work that had been done for the Hurons and Algonquins of Eastern On- tario was now renewed on behalf of the Western tribes. Nothing that human zeal could accomplish was spared to make of them civilized people and fer- vent Catholics. When Antoine de La Mothe CadiUac founded the important post of Detroit (1701), he was accompanied by missionaries, among whom was the Rev. Father Lhalle, who became rector of the pion- eers of Essex. The Iroquet tribe, belonging to the large family of the Algonquins, settled in the farthest eastern end of the province in the present Counties of Stormont, Glengarry, and Prescott, received at an early date the joyful tidings of Cathohc doctrine and the benefit of Cathohc education.
After the War of American Independence, a great number of settlers, faithful to the British flag, took
refuge in the Province of Ontario. The first immi-
grants estabhshed themselves at Indian Point, in the
vicinity of Kingston, in 1784. Later on, other loyal-
ists took up homesteads at Toronto and Niagara.
The few French f amihes who had followed de La Mothe
Cadillac to Detroit survived to constitute the colony
of Essex, and their descendants rapidly invaded both
the Counties of Essex and Kent, where the French pop-
ulation now almost forms a majority. In 1786 and
1802 Scotch emigrants settled in large numbers in the
Counties of Glengarry and Prescott. From 1816 to
1825 British officers and furloughed soldiers, mostly
Irish, colonized the districts of Carleton, Lanark, and
Peterborough. The construction of the Rideau Canal
caused a large number of workmen to take up their
residence in Ontario. An enthe colony of Scotch
Catholics, expelled from the United States after the
War of Independence on account of their attachment
to the British Crown, settled in Canada near Niagara,
in the Counties of Lincoln and Welland. A vigorous
stream of immigration from Germany in 1835 over-'
flowed the western end of the province, in the present
Counties of Bruce, Huron, and Perth. Meanwhile
French Canadians poured into the Counties of Russell,
Prescott, and Glengarry. Raftsmen and French Ca-
nadians of various occupations ascended the Ottawa
River, exploring the regions now known as New On-
tario, Algoma, Nipissing, and Thunder Bay. They
are now in a majority in these three counties, and have
churches, priests, and schools of their own.
This Catholic immigration, .so abundant and sud- den, incited the ardent zeal of Mgr Plessis, Bishop of Quebec, to send missionaries to Upper Canada. Priests from the seminary of Quebec, others from the foreign missionary organization of Paris, and a small number of priests who had immigrated with their Scotch or Irish countrymen ministered to the spiritual wants of these courageous colonists. They joj'fully accepted their share of the great poverty of these pioneers. They thought more of preserving the Faith, of administering the sacraments, and of reforming abuses than of founding schools. Not that they con- sidered schools as of little importance, but because, from lack of resources and teachers, tlie establishment of schools was an impossibility. From is;5(), however, Toronto had its Catholic school; then Kingston, in 1837, and Picton, in 1840, were likewise provided for. The hierarchy of the Cathohc Church, ever anxious to foster the education of the people confided to its care, was soon established in the province. This was the signal for the opening of educational establishments at divers points. Ottawa had its Catholic schools in 1844; Brantford in 1850; Goderich and Peterborough in 1852; Hamilton, Oshawa, and Barrie in 1855; Perth and Alexandria in 1856;Orillia in 1857; Berhn, Dun- das, and St. Thomas in 1858; Belleville in 1860, and so on. The venerable Bishops A. McDonell, R. Gau- lin. Power, Guiges, O.M.I., de Charbonel, Pinson- nault, Jamot, Farrell, and Phelan; Fathers J. Ryan, Proulx, Grand, Maloney, Carayon, Grattan, Bissey, Jeffrey, Bilroy, Lawler, Faure, the Jesuit Fathers du Ranquet, Hanipaux, Ch6n(5, Fr^miol, the Oblate Fathers Tilmon, Dandurand, Tabaret, Soulerin, Man- roit, and the Basilian Fathers — these were the pio- neers and defenders of Catholic education in Ontario. They found very able helpers in the various relig- ious communities of women, and in the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. Many sin- cerely Christian persons among the laity also devoted themselves to the cause of Catholic education in the province. Among the earliest and most remarkable may be mentioned, at Toronto, J. Harvey and J. Sey- ers; at Ottawa, Dr. Riel, Friolle, and Goode; at Dun- das, Miss Sweeney; at Brantford, J. d'Astroph; at Oakland, Capt. Fitzgerald.
The Catholic schools have become numerous and powerful. Their organization, from the points of view
