Step Inside the Mullock Episcopal Library Exhibit
Tucked within the Palace Commons is one of the most remarkable rooms in St. John’s: the Mullock Episcopal Library. Built between 1857 and 1859, it houses the personal book collection of Bishop John Thomas Mullock, a Franciscan bishop fluent in seven languages whose curiosity ranged from theology to astronomy. The oldest volume in the collection dates to 1524.
The current exhibit brings that curiosity to life. Visitors can see liturgical vessels gifted to Mullock by Pope Pius IX, along with rare books and artefacts Mullock collected throughout his life in Ireland, Spain, Italy and Newfoundland, among them a rare 1840 French edition of the Koran and the telescope he once used to observe the stars from the library roof. Nearby, in the Palace Commons hallway, sits the wooden trunk he used to send for the very books that fill the shelves today.
Here is what many visitors do not realize: a tour of the Episcopal Library is included with general Cathedral Basilica admission. For five dollars, guests can explore the Cathedral Basilica and then simply let one of our guides know they would like to see the library. A guide will accompany them over for a closer look at this quiet, remarkable space.
Next time you are downtown, take a few extra minutes to ask. The finest room in the colony is waiting.