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Letters from Bishop Bernard Cornelius O’Riley (1868-1956), Vicar Apostolic of the Cape of Good Hope, Western District, and Fr. John Morris, editor of the Southern Cross, to Fr. Edwin Fitzgibbon OFM Cap., Fr. Kevin Moynihan OFM Cap., Fr. James O’Mahony OFM Cap., Provincial Ministers, and Fr. Kieran O’Callaghan OFM Cap., Provincial Secretary, regarding the prospects for establishing Irish Capuchin missionary foundations in the Athlone, Parow and Langa parishes in the Cape Province, South Africa. Fr. John Morris wrote: ‘There are only about thirty priests in the whole vicariate. This number includes three Jesuits, two Redemptorists, and some six Salesians. … Alas, there are no Franciscans in South Africa. You will therefore be real pioneers’ (16 May 1927). The Bishop wrote: ‘There are pagans and heathens in abundance in my Vicariate which covers some 17,000 sq. miles and I can assure there is endless scope in the Vicariate for the missionary efforts of your good Fathers’ (30 Mar. 1928). Later, he affirmed that the ‘poor people of “Athlone” (which is the name of the place of your first mission in South Africa) are nearly all coloured, a good simple lot, who have been working hard for some months past in their spare time to build with their own hands school-rooms’ (6 Dec. 1928). Reference is also made to the provision of a school for coloured children at Claremont (16 Feb. 1931) and to the financial state of the Vicariate (20 July 1932). The file includes a memorandum and agreement for sale from Bishop O’Riley to the Irish Capuchins of sites at Claremont, at Athlone, and at Parow (1 Nov. 1931), and a letter from Fr. John Morris requesting the Irish Capuchins supply a priest for the Philippi mission in the Vicariate (17 Mar. 1950).

Letters from the Most Rev. Owen McCann (1907-1994), Archbishop of Cape Town, to Fr. James O’Mahony OFM Cap., Fr. Conrad O’Donovan OFM Cap., Fr. Berard Creed OFM Cap. (1923-2004) , Fr. Eustace McSweeney OFM Cap., Provincial Ministers, and Fr. Jarlath Gough OFM Cap. (1902-1983) reporting on the missionary efforts of the Irish Capuchins in Parow (Parish of the Immaculate Conception); Matroosfontein (Parish of the Holy Trinity); Athlone (St. Mary of the Angels); Welcome Estate (St. Theresa’s); Langa (St. Anthony’s). The Archbishop also requests that an Irish Capuchin priest (Fr. Jarlath Gough OFM Cap.) be sent to St. Helena and Ascension Island – part of the Cape Town Archdiocese. He writes: ‘There are 5,000 persons on [St. Helena] Island but only 3 to 4 Catholics at present … the prospect of conversions is uncertain. The Anglicans are well established. The schools are under the Government, as also the hospital’. Reference is also made to an application of Ronald Hinrichsen, a convert from the Dutch Reformed Church, to join the Capuchin Franciscan Order (24 Sept. 1952); to the death of Fr. Oliver O’Hanlon OFM Cap. and the resulting vacancy in Parow parish (16 Aug. 1957); to a draft agreement with the Capuchins re Belgravia parish which has been separated from Parow (1 July 1961); to the need for new priests to meet the growing population in the Cape Flats district (20 June 1966); to Archbishop McCann’s desire to see Fr. Carthage Ruth OFM Cap. return to South Africa (4 Nov. 1968). Later, Archbishop McCann expresses his condolences on hearing of the death of Fr. Christopher Crowley OFM Cap. (22 Mar. 1984).

Letters from the Most Rev. John Colburn Garner (1907-1993), Archbishop of Pretoria, to Fr. James O’Mahony OFM Cap. and Fr. Colman Griffin OFM Cap., Provincial Ministers, offering missionary work to the Irish Capuchins in the Archdiocese. The Archbishop offers the district of Rustenburg (5 Nov. 1948); Zeerust, near the boundary with Bechuanaland. He encloses a copy of an agreement between the Archdiocese and the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptortists) re work in the township of Rustenburg (5 Apr. 1953); the district of Groblersdal (1 Aug. 1955).

Letters from Archbishops Arthur Hinsley, Antonio Riberi, David Mathew and James Robert Knox, successive Apostolic Delegates in Mombasa, Kenya, to Fr. Casimir Butler OFM Cap. and Fr. James O’Mahony OFM Cap., Provincial Minister. The letters refer to the work of the Irish Capuchin missionaries in Northern Rhodesia. Archbishop David Mathew also refers to his hope that the Irish Capuchins may be prevailed upon to take charge of the College of St. Louis in the Seychelles (23 Apr. 1947). Archbishop Knox expresses his hope that an assistant will be appointed for Monsignor Killian Flynn OFM Cap. to assist in his work with the Conference of Northern Rhodesian Bishops (24 May 1957).

A collection of prints including many of Fr. Timothy Phelim O’Shea OFM Cap. (Bishop of Livingstone from 1959-74). Most of the prints are un-captioned. The file includes prints collected for publication in 'The Capuchin Annual'. The captioned photographs include:
• Fr. Timothy Phelim O’Shea OFM Cap., Fr. Killian Flynn OFM Cap., Fr. Casimir Butler OFM Cap. and Fr. Seraphin Nesdale OFM Cap. in Northern Rhodesia in c.1931. The images were probably taken during a trip to Victoria Falls.
• Group of Irish Capuchin friars in Northern Rhodesia. Front row (from left to right): Fr. Timothy Phelim O’Shea OFM Cap., Monsignor Killian Flynn OFM Cap., Fr. Oliver O’Hanlon OFM Cap. Back row: Fr. Christopher Crowley OFM Cap., Fr. Seraphin Nesdale OFM Cap., Fr. Timothy Connery OFM Cap., Fr. Casimir Butler OFM Cap., Br. Alexius Paolucci OFM Cap. and Fr. Jarlath Gough OFM Cap. The photograph was probably taken after the installation of Monsignor Killian Flynn OFM Cap. as Prefect Apostolic on 25 Nov. 1936.
• Bishop O’Shea OFM Cap. at a Parish Council meeting at the new church, Shimano, Mangango Mission. c.1970.
• Bishop O’Shea with Fr. Jude McKenna OFM Cap. in 1967.
• Fr. Agathangelus Herlihy OFM Cap.
• Bishop O’Shea at a retreat in Mongu in Aug. 1974. The group includes religious sisters and Fr. Jude McKenna OFM Cap.
• Bishop O’Shea OFM Cap. with the Little Sisters of St. Francis.
• Bishop O’Shea OFM Cap. with Sr. Colmcille and three new novices.
• Bishop O’Shea OFM Cap. with the President of Zambia, Kenneth Kaunda.

Copy correspondence of Fr. Melchor a Benisa OFM Cap., Fr. Clement Neubauer OFM Cap., and Fr. Paschal Rywalski OFM Cap., General Ministers, to Fr. James O’Mahony OFM Cap., Fr. Conrad O’Donovan OFM Cap., and Fr. Berard Creed OFM Cap., Provincial Ministers, re the status of the Irish Capuchin missions in Africa. Reference is made to the request made by Bishop John Colburn Garner, Vicar Apostolic of Pretoria, seeking more priests to work in South Africa (see CA AMI/1/6/7). Fr. James O’Mahony OFM Cap. wrote: ‘We felt that this arrangement with Bishop Garner will lead to an expansion of our work in South Africa’ (21 Dec. 1948). The possibility of separating the mission in Cape Town from that in Rhodesia is also discussed (31 Oct. 1950). Fr. Clement Neubauer OFM Cap. later referred to the establishment of Cape Town as a ‘separate mission’ and to the appointment of a Regular Superior (25 Nov. 1968). See also CA AMI/2/5/7.