Canadian Jesuits Arthur Suski and Edmund Lo were presented to Archbishop Terry Prendergast for ordination into the priesthood. The archbishop handed each of them a book of the Gospels and said, “Receive the Gospel of Christ, whose herald you now are. Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach.”
The world’s most famous quintuplets, the five Dionne girls, were born May 28, 1934 to poor Catholic parents Oliva and Elzire Dionne on their farm near Corbeil, Ont. They were the first quints to survive infancy and were instant global sensations. Fearing they would be exploited, the Ontario government made the girls wards of the province with special legislation (the Croll Bill). It prompted a fierce debate over parental rights, which played out in the pages of The Register. Later, a fierce custody battle resulted in the girls returning to their parents in 1943 after an early childhood that saw them put on public display in a specially-built hospital and nursery called Quintland. In 1998, three surviving sisters won a $2.8 million settlement from Ontario as a result of their exploitation. In the April 11, 1935 Register, the parents made their case against the Croll Bill in a letter to the editor:
There was worldwide disbelief on May 13, 1981 as word spread that Pope John Paul II had been shot four times in an assassination attempt. The gunman was sentenced to life in prison, but was pardoned in 2000 at the request of John Paul. This is The Catholic Register’s report in the wake of the the attempt on the pontiff’s life, from May 23, 1981:
The Catholic Register won 15 awards and was named the No. 1 Christian newspaper in Canada at a gala banquet to recognize excellence in Christian journalism.
The Register Archive: Expo 67 brought Canada to world stage
It was 51 years ago, on April 28, that Expo 67 opened in Montreal, ushering in a summer of celebration for Canada’s 100th birthday. The World’s Fair featured pavilions from 60 nations showcasing “Man and His World.” More than 50 million visitors passed through the grounds over six months, including familiar faces like Queen Elizabeth, Jackie Kennedy and Bing Crosby. In this editorial from April 22, 1967, The Catholic Register put the expectations of Expo into perspective:
April 22 marks the birthday of Robert Oppenheimer, born 104 years ago and famously destined to become known as “the father of the atomic bomb” because of his work on the secret Manhattan Project during the Second World War. When news of the weapon of mass destruction became public with the bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, on Aug. 6, 1945, theologians jumped in on the moral debate over its use. Here is a report from the Aug. 18, 1945 issue of The Catholic Register:
The Register Archive: Tales of grace amid tragedy of Titanic
April 15 marked the anniversary of one of the worst maritime tragedies — the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, when more than 1,500 died. Our regular visit to The Catholic Register Archive reveals some of the lessons and heroes of that disaster from this edited report in the April 25, 1912 issue:
Fifty years ago this month, Pierre Elliott Trudeau took the reins of prime minister, eventually serving more than 15 years at the post and shaping much of today’s Canada (not to mention fathering today’s PM, Justin). From The Catholic Register Archive, in the April 20, 1968 issue, here is a perspective on the man just weeks after he was elected leader of the Liberal Party:
A new mandate from trustees of the Halton Catholic District School Board to allow its schools to give donations only to a specific list of charities that uphold Catholic values sets it apart from other nearby Catholic school boards.