At the beck of Pope Pius XI are dossiers on all the dioceses, all the archdioceses in the Catholic world. The better to keep him informed, all the Pope's bishops periodically report to him in person.* Thus when, four years ago, the archdiocese of Regina, Saskatchewan fell vacant, Pius XI could handily acquaint himself with names of candidates for that windswept Canadian post. But instead of selecting some seasoned churchman the Pope picked a simple priest whose years—36—made him the world's youngest archbishop. The priest was Rev. James Charles McGuigan (pronounced Mick-gwiggan). At 40, Archbishop McGuigan is still younger than the 22 U. S. archbishops, the 13 Canadian archbishops. Last week Pius XI once more jumped this plump-faced, pince-nezzed prelate over innumerable heads, appointed him to the long-vacant archdiocese of Toronto, second largest (165,000 Catholics) English-speaking see in Canada.
Priest McGuigan got his start as secretary to Bishop O'Leary of Charlottetown in his native province, Prince Edward Island. When his Bishop became Archbishop of Edmonton, Alberta in 1920, the youngish priest went along, still as secretary. Successively chancellor and vicar general of the archdiocese, he demonstrated his particular bent as rector of St. Joseph's Major Seminary. When in 1930 he went to Saskatchewan, Archbishop McGuigan found a fine archiepiscopal palace, no seminary. He gave up his palace, went to live with his priests, founded a seminary. Likewise he commended himself quickly to his Church's attention by financing his see through a long drought; by holding western Canada's first regional Eucharistic Congress; by organizing religious vacation schools for prairie children, a Catholic Youth Movement and an efficient Catholic Federated Charities.
*During 1934 the Pope received three U. S. cardinals, six archbishops and 50 bishops. Most brought him the proceeds from collections for Vatican work. The year's TJ. S. total, estimated last week: $1,000,000.