Letters of Fr. Killian Flynn OFM Cap. (1905-1972). Correspondents include Fr. Kieran O’Callaghan OFM Cap., Provincial Secretary; Fr. Edwin Fitzgibbon OFM Cap., Provincial Minister; Fr. Colman Griffin OFM Cap., Provincial Minister; Fr. James O’Mahony OFM Cap., Provincial Minister. Most of the correspondence relates to developments in the Irish Capuchin mission in Northern Rhodesia and to a lesser extent in the Cape Province, South Africa. The subjects include: the arrival of Fr. Jerome MacQuillian OFM Cap. and Fr. Marcellus Carroll OFM Cap. in Northern Rhodesia. (18 Aug. 1935); the establishment of the Lukulu Station in Barotseland. (1 Sept. 1935); Fr. Casimir Butler’s desire for chaplaincy work in Parow Parish, South Africa. (10 Dec. 1935); co-operation with the Holy Cross Sisters. (20 Dec. 1935); work on the Sancta Maria (Lukulu) training school and the need for each Rhodesian Mission Station to have spiritual books for ‘retreats and ordinary reading’; arrangements for the arrival of Fr. Jarlath Gough OFM Cap. and Br. Alexius Paolucci OFM Cap. (5 May 1936); the establishment of a Prefecture for the Barotseland Mission (13 July 1936); enclosing a copy of the annual report on the Irish Capuchin Mission in Northern Rhodesia. (28 July 1936); the appointment of Fr. Killian as Prefect Apostolic of Victoria Falls. (11 Aug. 1936); Fr. Killian’s investiture as Prefect Apostolic (25 Nov. 1936); negotiations with the Paris Missionaries regarding the limits of the Sancta Maria Mission at Lukulu. (1 Jan. 1937); enclosing a copy of the 1937-8 report for the Victoria Falls Prefecture. (14 Sept. 1938); the boundaries of the Parow and Athlone parishes, Cape Town, South Africa. (6 Nov. 1939); the health of Fr. Livinus Keane OFM Cap. (9 Nov. 1939); an outbreak of the bubonic plague at Sancta Maria Mission and the dangers of transferring priests from Europe to South Africa due to the U-Boat threat (18 Mar. 1940); the proposed new status for the Irish Capuchin houses in the Cape Province, South Africa. (13 Oct. 1940); the position of interned ‘alien priests’ in Northern Rhodesia (25 Apr. 1941); the arrival of Polish refugees in Livingstone. (12 Aug. 1941); the ill-health of Fr. Damascene McKenna OFM Cap. in Northern Rhodesia (5 June 1942); the provision of doctors in Catholic Mission Centres. (23 June 1944); the Katima Muliho mission station. (11 Dec. 1944); copy report on the state of the Northern Rhodesia mission sent to the Prefect of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith. (28 Jan. 1945); a proposal to circulate a local mission magazine. (19 May 1945); the jubilee letters of Fr. Phelim O’Shea and Fr. Oliver O’Hanlon (24 June 1945); extending an invitation to the Irish Sisters of Charity to establish a ‘foundation for coloured work in this Prefecture’ (31 Dec. 1948); the pressing need for more priests to be sent to the Northern Rhodesian Mission (28 Aug. 1949); the arrival of Fr. Colga O’Riordan OFM Cap. and Fr. Carthage Ruth OFM Cap. (22 Nov. 1949); on the need for priests to take ‘sociological courses’ before departing for Africa. Fr. Killian wrote ‘I am becoming more and more convinced that not by Baptisms alone is Africa going to be converted and that priests must be thoroughly versed in sociological principles. How can anyone keep the Commandments in a modern African compound hut?’ (11 Feb. 1952).
A small collection of prints relating to the South African mission assembled by Fr. Benjamin O’Connell OFM Cap. (1938-2010) for historical research purposes. The file includes: • The exterior of St. Theresa’s School in the Welcome Estate, Cape Town, South Africa. The annotation reads: ‘This part was built in 1933. Two moveable partitions made it one large room for Mass (3 classrooms). The third room (back part) added to the original 2 classrooms’. • Capuchin friars with Fr. James O’Mahony OFM Cap. on the occasion of his visitation to South Africa in 1957. The friars include Fr. Jerome McQuillan OFM Cap., Fr. Carthage Ruth OFM Cap., Fr. Damascene McKenna OFM Cap., Fr. Raphael Curran OFM Cap., Fr. Agathangelus Herlihy OFM Cap. and Fr. Didacus McGrath OFM Cap. • The exterior of Parow Church and Presbytery in Cape Town. • Fr. Raymond Dillane OFM Cap., Fr. Albert Hayes OFM Cap. (1915-2005) and Fr. Bernard Cronin OFM Cap. in the Welcome Estate, Cape Town, in c.1980. • Fr. Albert Hayes OFM Cap. and Br. Kees Thönissen OFM Cap. in the Welcome Estate, Cape Town, in c.1980.
Copy of Br. Andrew O’Shea’s oral account of his missionary work in Northern Rhodesia (later Zambia). With a copy cover letter (and reply) from Fr. Edwin Flynn OFM Cap. to Fr. Theophilus Murphy OFM Cap, describing what they affirm is Br. Andrew’s 'Fioretti'. Br. Andrew served as a missionary in Africa from 1943-86. The script is given the following headings: • Father Alfred O’Mahony OFM Cap. and Brother Xavier Cox OFM Cap. going on a journey. • As a farmer sees it and as a city lad sees it. • Somili and the Mubishopo – that is Monsignor Killian Flynn OFM Cap. • Monsignor and the Maramba Girls Lapa (compound). • Monsignor and the Sisters’ washing. • Father Raymond Dillane’s Silver Jubilee. • Father Raymond Dillane OFM Cap. • Father Albeus McQuillan OFM Cap. and Linda Friary. • The visit of the Fatima Statue of Our Lady to Mongu. • The Holy Ghost and the oil stocks. • My friend Kadom (by Father Christopher Crowley OFM Cap.). • Tripe or fishtails. • Kadom and the radio. • The grand finale of Kadom. • Snippets from mission life. • Father Albert O’Mahony OFM Cap. • Father James O’Mahony OFM Cap. • Father Aquinas Carroll OFM Cap. • African Holy Cross Sisters. • Sister Rudolf. • Fr. Capistran Singleton OFM Cap. • Brother Xavier Cox OFM Cap. • Sister Martin. • Father Albert O’Mahony OFM Cap. on his first walking tour. • Archbishop Matthews. • Cardinal Spellman. • A man from the agriculture department visits Lukulu. • Father Ronan Herlihy OFM Cap. and Brother Andrew go fishing. • Father Luke Browne’s attempt to cross the Zambezi in a jeep. • Mission Buildings. • Father Flannan Buckley OFM Cap. and the jam pots. • Fr. Theophilus Murphy OFM Cap. • Monsignor’s typewriter and the donkeys. • Father Macanise, the donkeys and their scotch cart. • Father Brian Browne OFM Cap. and his method of winter heating. • Fr. Jerome MacQuillan OFM Cap. and the Divine Office. • Spenser flies his plane. • Father Albeus McQuillan OFM Cap. • Father Livinus Keane OFM Cap. • Brother Andrew O’Shea OFM Cap. • Another cook called Peter, and the marmalade. • Brother Gabriel McGillicuddy OFM Cap. and the bricks. • Bishop Timothy Phelim O’Shea OFM Cap. and cars. • The Thames trucks.
Letters of Fr. Alfred O’Mahony OFM Cap. (1912-1988). The file includes letters from teachers and from the local populace to Fr. Alfred relating to his role as principal at mission schools in Sancta Maria Mission (Lukulu), in Malengwa, and later at Maramba. The file also includes letters pertaining to his role as Regular Superior in Livingstone, to Fr. Colman Griffin OFM Cap., Provincial Minister. The subjects include: the possibility of Irish Capuchins working in the Port Elizabeth Vicariate in South Africa; Fr. Agathangelus Herlihy’s desire to return to Ireland. (25 July 1951); enclosing a list of personnel and statistics for both the South African and Northern Rhodesian missions. (16 Oct. 1951); the construction of churches at the Sancta Maria mission, and at Mankoya, and a friary at Kalabo in Northern Rhodesia. (5 Jan. 1952); developments in Athlone parish, Cape Province. (25 June 1953); the ‘education side’ of the mission in Livingstone. (20 Mar. 1954). The file incudes enclosed letters to Fr. Alfred from the Most Rev. Owen McCann (1907-1994), Archbishop of Cape Town. With a letter from Fr. Noel Brennan OFM Cap. enclosing a list of Zambian churches with resident Capuchin friars, and the names of the titular feasts associated with each church. Reference is also made to the activities of the following Irish Capuchin missionaries: Fr. Jerome MacQuillan OFM Cap., Fr. Anslem Griffin OFM Cap.; Fr. Alban Cullen OFM Cap.; Fr. Salvator Quinn OFM Cap.
