ABSTRACT
The position of Archbishop John Ireland on the use or non-English languages in the education of children came to the surface as a result of an experiment in his diocese of St. Paul which has come to bear the name “The Faribault School Plan.” In brief, this was an attempt made between August, 1891 and May 1, 1892 by Archbishop John Ireland of St. Paul and Father James J. Conry of the Immaculate Conception parish of Faribault, Minnesota to secure a form of state support for parish schools in dire financial straits. 1 Ireland made a similar arrangement for St. Michael’s parish at Stillwater, Minnesota. In both cases the public school authorities would furnish the equipment and pay the salaries of the teachers. There would be no religious instructions during the regular school day, although such were permitted before or after regular hours.
