Rejoice! Christmas in a Catholic Seminary
Through a display of objects, photographs, books and archive material, Rejoice! illustrates some of the traditions and events that marked Christmas during Ushaw’s time as a Catholic seminary.
The exhibition includes a letter reciprocating Christmas greetings from Napoleon III, shown alongside a note to his parents from one of Ushaw’s pupils conveying his disappointment that he won’t be home for Christmas. For most of Ushaw’s time as a seminary, pupils remained at Ushaw over the festive period. Separated from their families, they put on plays and musicals, composed carols and poems, attended Mass and, if weather conditions allowed, skated on the frozen pond.
The exhibition reflects these activities and invites visitors to consider whether, for Ushaw’s pupils, Christmas truly was a time for rejoicing.
Rejoice! Christmas in a Catholic Seminary is on display from Saturday 7 November, entry included with admission and membership.
