Last Tuesday, we marked the anniversary of the death of the Bl. Ildephonse Schuster, who served as archbishop of Milan for just over a quarter of a century, from 1929 to 1954. When his appointment was officially announced on June 26, 1929, he was abbot of the Benedictine monastery attached to the Roman patriarchal basilica of St Paul Outside-the-Walls. In a consistory held in July, Pius XI (who had been archbishop of Milan for just under 8 months before his election to the papacy in February of 1922), raised Schuster to the cardinalate, and a week later, consecrated him bishop in the Sistine Chapel. Schuster’s official entry into the diocese, however, was delayed until September, no doubt so that he could set the affairs of his previous position in order, but also so that it could coincide with the feast of the Virgin Mary’s Nativity, the titular feast of the cathedral of Milan. Our thanks once again to Nicola de’ Grandi, for sharing some photos of this event with us.
Schuster’s episcopal consecration, July 21, 1929.
A group photograph in the cloister of St Eustorgius, with the mayor and the provost of the basilica. Pius XI granted Schuster the special privilege of wearing the ordinary cardinalitial dress, rather then the Benedictine prelatitial dress, saying “My Milanese people will see their Cardinal Archbishop wearing red!”
A more formal portrait.
Unedited footage of Cardinal Schuster’s installation as archbishop in Milan cathedral, unfortunately without soundtrack. Note at the beginning the Latin plaque set over the door of the cathedral, which starts with the words “Enter (‘Ingredere’, in the imperative,) Alfred Ildephonse Schuster.” Starting at 1:20, one sees the extraordinarily large crowd in the famous Piazza del Duomo, far too large for them all to enter the cathedral for the ceremony itself, many of whom have climbed up onto the large equestrian statue of King Victor Emmanuel II. From the YouTube archive of the Italian film company Istituto Luce.
