4 - Some Suggestions as to Desirability of Improving the Seraphic School

4

Some Suggestions as to Desirability of Improving the Seraphic School

15 pp; manuscript

A memorandum, prefaced by the Latin motto ‘Paulo speroque meliora’, outlining a series of structural, curricular, and administrative recommendations aimed at reforming the Seraphic School at Rochestown College. The memorandum was seemingly authored by Fr. Benignus Brennan OFM Cap. Addressing the school’s then-unsatisfactory condition, the report presents an itemized blueprint to the Capuchin Definition to align the institution with modernizing national standards, specifically referencing the reorganization of the Intermediate Board and the anticipated establishment of a national Catholic University.

The memorandum proposes a rigorous, standardized five-year course of studies mapping student progression through the Intermediate Preparatory, Junior, Middle, and Senior grades, alongside the Royal University of Ireland (R.U.I.) Matriculation and First Arts examinations. The proposed curriculum is categorized into essential disciplines (including Latin, French, Mathematics, Experimental Science, and Irish language and history), optional subjects (such as Greek, Italian, music, book-keeping, and drill), and core religious topics.

To implement this successfully, the report suggests securing the services of French and Italian Capuchin priests for language instruction. Finally, the memorandum advocates for a selective admissions policy, mandating that entry be restricted to boys of proven intelligence and refinement, verified either through existing certificates or a formal entry examination overseen by a Definition-appointed examiner.

ISAD(G) 2nd edition