The Post-War Period 237

are often disappointed to discover that this is not what happens. They are unable to listen to a prayer or a sermon in French in their own churches and yet Acadian priests are sent to serve in English parishes. We believe that our complaint is legitimate. (TR)?!

At the end of the 1960s and during the 1970s, there was finally more allowance made for French in the diocese. Not only did some Acadian parishes receive an Acadian pastor for the first time in fifty years, but also several diocesan services were offered in French. We examine these in the section on the consequences of Vatican II.

RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION AND OTHER RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES

In most Acadian communities throughout the province, at least until consolidation, religious instruction took place in the classroom even though public schools on the Island were offically non-denomi- national. This was possible because Acadians went to district schools that were attended almost entirely by Catholics. The catechism was taught either before or after the school hours set by the Department of Education or, if all the pupils were Catholic, during school hours. In the latter case, prayers could be said also during the course of the school day and the crucifix and religious pictures could be hung in classrooms. The occasional complaint against these practices, made to the Department of Education by Protestant taxpayers, was usually sent back to the district school board in order to avoid any political controversy”?.

These practices were disrupted somewhat by the educational reforms that began in the early 1960s because, more often than in the past, a single school now housed pupils of various denominations. Today religious instruction is therefore given outside regular classes, except in almost entirely Catholic districts like the Evangeline district (Unit 5) where it is still part of the school curriculum.

During the 1950s, clubs for young Catholics were formed in several parishes. They were run by chaplains and continued operating until the beginning of the 1970s. The young people who were enrolled in these groups organized a variety of educational, cultural and recre- ational activities. In Egmont Bay, the Youth Club was particularly active under the leadership of Father Philippe Cloutier, assistant priest