Features/Features

Stella Johnson is known in the Diocese of Mackenzie-Fort Smith as a ray of sunshine, which is significant when Yellowknife can get as little as four hours of daylight in the middle of winter. 

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:

WINDSOR, Ont. – They’re called Climate Crusaders, and they’re part of what’s being described as the largest program of its kind in North America.

VATICAN – Catholic universities are "called to be workshops of dialogue and encounter in the service of truth, justice and the defense of human dignity at every level," Pope Francis told a delegation from Pennsylvania's Villanova University.

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: