Brian Condon: Diary of James Alipius Goold, 1848-1886

Thursday 2nd December. The Tiber is overflowing, and has encroached on the convent and street in front. Received this morning the invitation for the audience with His Holiness; the time fixed is 10 to-morrow. The overflow of the Tiber is on the increase; left the convent by a boat for a carriage that was waiting in another street to take me to the Vatican. The audience was all that I could desire. At the conclusion I presented His Holiness with a small bag of gold of the value, at the diggings, of £200.

Saturday 4th December. Had a visit to-day from the Archbishop of Dublin. In the evening called at the Irish College to pay my respects to the Archbishop, Dr. Cullen. The river has fallen to its level, having left a good deal of mud after it.

Wednesday 8th December. Dined at the Irish college. In the evening visited the ruins of St. Stephen's Church lately discovered close to a magnificent old Roman tomb, a few miles outside the gate of St. John Lateran.

Saturday 11th December. Had a visit from the Archbishop of Dublin. Speaking of the National School system he said when the Catholics were the majority and the priests had influence over the schools, little danger was to be apprehended, and vice versa.

Sunday 12th December. Wrote several letters of importance to the Cardinal Prefect; demanded amongst other things a positive and decisive opinion on the important subjects of education and lay interference in the temporal affairs of the Church.

Tuesday 21st December. I received this morning a letter from Dr. Polding dated Brisbane, 2nd of October. Was presented with a magnificently bound edition of the Pontificale in the name and from the Holy Father.

Tuesday 23rd December. Wrote two letter, one to the Cardinal Prefect and another to the Archbishop Secretary of Propaganda, acknowledging the letter in which were communicated several favours conferred by the Holy Father, one of which was the nomination of Mr. O'Shanassy to the dignity of Cavaliere of the Order of St. Gregory.

Christmas Day, 1858. Dined at the Irish College; after dinner drove to St. Paul's.

Monday 27th December. Left for Bracciano. The old castle of the Orsini family, now the property of Prince Odeschalchi, is a strong imposing pile of building indicative of the feudal power of the Lords who occupied it in olden times. In it a Pope had been detained prisoner, and died, the Orsini family being then all-powerful.