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I was quite amazed (and that word is actually a little weak to accurately describe how I reacted) to read some of the things I read!

I will quote some of them which come from a rabidly Anti-Catholic book entitled, America's Next War by a Horace Wilber Bolton and published in 1892. Although I am almost certain these quotations were taken out of context, they, nonetheless show clearly what the mind of the Church was in those days about public schools. Here are a few:

Second Plenary Council of Baltimore, 1866 wrote:[/b]
...charged the public schools with "...that corruption of morals which we have to deplore in those of tender years."

Second Provincial Council of Oregon, 1881 wrote:
...declared that "swearing, cursing, and profane expressions are distinctive marks of public school children." and the faithful were enjoined to keep their children out of such pest houses.

Archbishop Segher wrote:
speaking of the public school system, says: "It is grossly and monstrously immoral; a blot, a blemish, and a disgrace on this country; a living scandal and a disgrace which covers its promoters with shame and infamy."

b]Archbishop Williams wrote:[/b]
...said he, "considers himself insulted by the bare suspicion that they would find support from him as favorable to public schools."

Bishop Gilmore of Cleveland wrote:
in 1873, authorized confessors to refuse the sacraments to parents who persisted in sending their children to public schools.

Bishop St. Palais of Indiana wrote:
in 1872 says he, "objects to the public schools because of the infidel source from which they originated."

b]Father Walker of New York wrote:[/b]
says, "The public schools are the nurseries of vice. They are godless schools and they who send their children to them cannot expect the mercy of God. I would as soon administer the sacraments to a dog as to such Catholics."

Fr. Phelan, October 17, 1873. wrote:
says, "The children of the public schools turn out to be learned horse-thieves, scholastic counterfeiters, and well versed in all the schemes of deviltry." He frankly confessed that the Catholics were totally opposed to and bitter enemies of the public school system. He further said, "They would as soon send their children into a pest house, or bury them, as let them go to the public schools. They were afraid the child who left home in the morning would come back with something in its heart as black as hell."

And there are even more pointed statements from most excellent Catholic prelates and lay people.

I was astonished, but must say also that I most heartily agree with these statements, especially now-a-days. These are simply SOME of the reasons we home-schooled all our children.