Bishop Paul McAleenan visits Museum of the Home

Bishop Paul visits Kathleen and Jack's bedsit before Midnight Mass 1956

Source: Archbishops House

Bishop Paul McAleenan recently visited the Museum of the Home in Hoxton, east London, to explore their 'Rooms Through Time' exhibition.

The museum's purpose is to examine and discuss the concept of home. They achieve this through exhibitions, events, collaborations, research, and debates that highlight significant issues, all in pursuit of their mission to reveal and reconsider ideas about home.

During his visit, Bishop Paul explored one of the museum's new galleries, which features a reconstructed living room from 1956. This room represents the home of Irish newlyweds, Kathleen and Jack, who had recently arrived in London after leaving Ireland in search of work.

In the lead-up to Christmas, the exhibition has been specially curated to imagine the couple's first Christmas Eve together, before attending Midnight Mass in 1956. Bishop Paul was delighted to share his in-depth knowledge and curiosity about the social history surrounding the Irish living room of the era.

Sonia Solicari, Director at Museum of the Home said: "Home is constantly evolving and so do our traditions. From Huguenot Noël in the 1740s to a Chosen Family Christmas in 2005 to imagining the festive season 25 years from now, our interactive exhibits provide a space for reflection on how we celebrate, both in the past and in the future."

Read more about the exhibition: www.museumofthehome.org.uk/whats-on/rooms-through-time/winter-past-2024-2025/midnight-mass-in-1956/