Even bishops need a holiday!

Photographs Special Collection, PH09G/13P

Visiting Cardinals from Sydney and Westminster enjoy a glacial walk in Lake Louise, Alberta, as part of their Canadian Tour, 1947.

Summer is a great time for travel within our epically beautiful country. The opportunity to cross Western Canada by train is a hard one to resist - even for some hard-working bishops.

In August 1947, their Eminences Norman Cardinal Gilroy, Archbishop of Sydney, Australia, and Bernard Cardinal Griffin, Archbishop of Westminster, England, honoured Canada with a visit. They travelled by C.P.R. to Vancouver, Lake Louise, Banff, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, and Winnipeg before leaving for events in Toronto.

Along the way, local clergy joined the the party to serve as guides and for photo ops, of course. Our own Cardinal McGuigan accompanied the visitors from Vancouver to Toronto.

In making preparations for these esteemed guests, Cardinal McGuigan wrote to the various host bishops: "It is the wish of the Cardinals to make this something of a holiday and to avoid all ceremonial except when perhaps it might seem natural, as on Sunday."

We wish you all happy and safe summer travels that don't stand on ceremony!

Photographs Special Collection, PH09G/15P

Bernard Cardinal Griffin, Archbishop of Westminster, England, poses with some hoofed friends.

Photographs Special Collection, PH09G/11P

Their Eminences Bernard Cardinal Griffin, Archbishop of Westminster, England, and Norman Cardinal Gilroy, Archbishop of Sydney, Australia at Lake Louise

Photographs Special Collection, PH09G/08P

Labelled: At the Great Divide 5630' - Bishop Carroll at Western Boundary of his diocese

Left to right: Archbishop of Calgary Francis Carroll; Cardinal Griffin; Archbishop of Toronto James Cardinal McGuigan; Cardinal Gilroy; Bishop of Kamloops Edward Jennings

Photographs Special Collection, PH09G/14P

Cardinal McGuigan Fonds, MGFA13.71(a)

August 1, 1947: Cardinal McGuigan sent this letter to all the local bishops whose dioceses they would be passing through, outlining the visitors' itinerary. He notes that,
 It is the wish of the Cardinals to make this something of a holiday and to avoid all ceremonial except when perhaps it might seem natural, as on Sunday.

Roman Holiday

Need to escape the cold November rain? Rome's weekend forecast calls for sunshine and highs of 21° celsius. Plan your itinerary with some suggestions from Monsignor James M. Clair, who visited the Eternal City with Cardinal McGuigan in the late 1930s.

Admire Roman engineering at the Sant'Angelo Bridge, which has spanned the River Tiber since 135 AD.

Sant'Angelo Bridge on the River Tiber

1930s
Monsignor Clair Collection

Crossing the bridge, you will find the Castel Sant'Angelo, which was completed in 139 AD as the Emperor Hadrian's mausoleum. Since then, it has been connected to St. Peter's by a protected passage, and has been a place of refuge for popes. It is topped by a statue of St. Michael, which recalls the vision that Pope Gregory the Great had in 590 AD of the archangel that signified the end of the plague. The Castel is now a museum.

Sant'Angelo Bridge, Castel Sant'Angelo, St. Peter's Basilica entrance, and the group outside the Vatican

1930s
Monsignor Clair Collection

Walk in the path of ancient Romans on the Appian Way, which is a road that was begun in 312 AD to connect Rome to regions south. 

Next take a stroll past Porta San Paolo (St. Paul's Gate). It now houses a museum, but was built in 275 AD as an entrance to the city through the Aurelian Walls. Beside it you will find the Pyramid of Cestius, which is a 12 BC burial chamber.  

The Appian Way, St. Paul's Gate, the Pyramid of Cestius, and the Papal Basilica of St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls

1930s
Monsignor Clair Collection

A short distance south, you will find the Papal Basilica of St. Paul Outside-the-Walls, which is a church built over the grave of St. Paul and consecrated in 324 AD. It has been extensively added to over the centuries.

Perhaps one of the most famous sites in Rome is the Colosseum, an amphitheatre which opened to Romans in 80 AD and could accommodate 50,000 spectators. Close by you will spot the Arch of Constantine, which is a 315 AD monument to the eponymous emperor. 

Monsignor Clair poses outside the Colosseum and at the Arch of Constantine

1930s
Monsignor Clair Collection

No visit to Rome would be complete without a stop by the Vatican and the famous St. Peter's Basilica. It was consecrated in 1626, and is the largest church in the world. 

A postcard depicting St. Peter's Basilica

For a little R&R, check out Castel Gandolfo, a former Papal retreat on Lake Albano which is now open to the public.

The gardens of Castel Gandolfo

1930s
Monsignor Clair Collection

 Don't forget to get a group shot with your friends!

Fr. E. O'Hanley, Fr. J. Crossland, Cardinal McGuigan, Fr. T. Cahmpoux, and Monsignor Clair

1930s
Monsignor Clair Collection

 Buon viaggio!

Record of the Week: Greetings From Sunny Egypt!

It's the time of year when we are remembering fondly what we did on our summer vacations. If you look on Facebook or visit with friends you are sure to see lots of travel photographs. Recently, we opened a box and found these great snaps of Cardinal Carter in Egypt. Though we don't know the context of the trip, we can still enjoy these retro images.

Cardinal Carter shows off his camel-riding skills in front of the Great Pyramid at Giza, with the Pyramid of Khafre in the background.

[ca. 1964-1978]
ARCAT Photographs Collection

What's better than a stroll by the Nile? Though we usually see bishops in black cassocks, they are permitted to wear white in hot climates.

[ca. 1964-1979]
ARCAT Photographs Collection

The Great Sphinx of Giza and the Great Pyramid are imposing figures in the background.

[ca. 1964-1979]
ARCAT Photographs Collection