Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor's memories of life at the English College

(Vatican Radio) A special celebration took place at the Venerable English College here in Rome this weekend as the seminary marked the 650^th anniversary of its foundation as a hospice for English and Welsh pilgrims visiting the Eternal City. Over a hundred guests – including the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester – attended Mass in the College chapel on Saturday, while Pope Benedict will meet with staff and students, past and present, at an audience in the Vatican on Monday.
Among the Catholic bishops who’ve travelled to Rome for this event is the current Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols and his predecessor, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, a student at the College in the 1950’s, before being appointed rector in the 1970’s. To mark this historic occasion, the Cardinal sat down with Vatican Radio’s Philippa Hitchen to reminisce about his days as ‘a young lad’ in the seminary and about some of the famous British figures who ‘came to lunch’ during his later years as rector of ‘Venerabile’…..

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