Extracts from a letter from William J.B. Macaulay to
Joseph P. Walshe (Dublin)

In accordance with your telegram No. 2 of 28th February¹ the following report on the activity of the legation during the financial year 1935/36 is submitted.

Missions accredited to the Holy See are in consequence of the peculiar nature of that institution somewhat restricted in their scope as they may not approach Departments of the Italian Government directly and information is normally available only through Vatican channels. In addition to this source I have endeavoured to find outside ones through journalists and others not connected with the Vatican and whose viewpoint would be inspired from different angles. During the year 42 reports have been sent.

I have kept in constant touch with the Cardinal Secretary of State whose receptions I attended practically every other week, and entertained at luncheons or dinners the higher officials of the Vatican. Very many religious services took place including ordinations of Irish students and funerals of one or two. I went to all of these. Appropriate notes of congratulation or condolence were sent to the Holy Father on his feast days and anniversaries and to the Cardinal Secretary, and on each of the recently created Cardinals I called to present my Government's congratulations. I also attended the ceremonies at which these new Cardinals took over their titular churches. The list of functions at the many institutions here, Gregorian University, American College, Benedictine Monastery etc. seems to be too long to enumerate.

The volume of consular work was inconsiderable.

[matter omitted]

The volume of entertaining was considerable. There were 77 dinners or luncheons given at which 564 persons actually attended. These included 28 Irish Priests, 17 others (mostly Americans), 12 Bishops (Irish, Americans, Australians, New Zealanders and English) and 8 Prelates of the Holy See. These 65 ecclesiastics had 162 meals. These figures refer only to more or less formal parties and do not include casual meals or teas and in any event they understate the position as complete records were not kept.

On Sunday 15th March a St. Patrick's Day dinner was given to which 20 priests, all the heads of the Irish institutions and Rector of the American College, were invited. A reception for the Irish Colony was held on 18th instant to which came 75 priests and students and 2 elderly women and one layman. Normally the Rector of the Irish College gives a dinner on St Patrick's Day but this year, presumably on account of the sanctions, Monsignor Curran gave none so for this reason I gave the dinner on the Sunday preceding. On St Patrick's Day I went to High Mass at St Patrick's at 9 am and to another High Mass at St Isidore's at 10.30 where I stayed to dinner. Cardinal Caccia Dominioni who gave the Benediction was there too.

The South African Legation asks us to arrange audiences for its Nationals and I frequently do so also for Americans. There are no Catholics in the American Embassy. I have much intercourse with it and with the American College.

I think I can say that the most friendly relations exist between the Legation and certainly every important Irish priest in Rome. I went repeatedly to dinners at all the Houses which may have guests and also to the American, Beda, English and Scottish Colleges and to a few Italian institutions.

The house is too small and the allowances insufficient to provide adequate entertainment for the diplomatic corps and for Roman society. With the exception of a few high dignitaries of the Papal Court like Prince Orsini I have had to confine my attentions to the resident and visiting clergy and the officials of the Holy See and those few diplomatic colleagues who invited me to their houses.