The Sunday School or Catechism by Fr. Furniss

This book by Fr. Furniss is called, 'The Sunday School or Catechism' and contains his thoughts on organizing and teaching Sunday School or Catechism.

This rare find is a gift from God, which is not part of the 'Spiritual Readings' compilation volume currently being transcribed and read in the Book Study, but a separate volume, that happened to be added to one of the major book archival sites, and happily found is now available here too.

Here are quotations from 'The Sunday School or Catechism'

'The suggestions about Sunday School and learning Catechism which will be offered in this work are not theory. They are the result of hard labour in the Sunday Schools during several years, of watching children there, of seeing what is actually done, how anything might be done better, how anything useful might be done which is not now done.

These suggestions have been tested by experiment and practice. They are in actual operation in a number of Sunday Schools and have been found most successful.'

'If there be one thing which those who are familiar with children come to understand, it is this -- that there are multitudes of children who come not to Jesus, and they come not because they are not suffered to come, through the neglect of their parents, &c. The pious practices of holy religion, if offered to a child, especially a little child, meekly and gently in a way suitable to its capacity, will generally find their dwelling place in its heart. But how could a child love the exercises of religion if they should be offered to it in a way utterly repugnant to its whole nature?'

'Proselytizing schools have been established and spread like a network over the country, and starving children are invited to frequent them and barter their faith for food and clothing. When very young the children are invited to spend a few weeks in the ragged proselytizing schools, they are assiduously taught to hate everything Catholic, even the name of the Blessed Virgin and the sign of the cross.'

'It is necessary, says the Roman Catechista, to give children not only the knowledge but also the love of the truths you teach them.'

'St. Francis Xavier wrote from the East Indies, that "the children had such an affection for the things of God, and were so greedy to know the things of faith, that they gave him no time to eat or sleep, and that he was obliged to conceal himself from them to say his Office -- he sent the children to cast the devils out of those who were possessed -- the miracles he worked by the children were the admiration of Christians and idolators."'

'When faith or morality are weakened, they may be restored through the children.'

CLEANSE THE FOUNTAIN HEAD AND THE STREAM WILL BE PURE