Showing 58 results

Letters of Fr. Alban Cullen OFM Cap. (1902-1957). The main correspondent is Fr. Edwin Fitzgibbon OFM Cap., Provincial Minister. Other correspondents include Fr. Kieran O’Callaghan OFM Cap. and Fr. Colman Griffin OFM Cap. Provincial Minister. The subjects include: the progress of the Irish Capuchin mission in South Africa, particularly the ‘coloured localities of Athlone, Parrow and Claremont’; arrangements for the opening of the mission in Barotseland, Northern Rhodesia; the language difficulties. Fr. Alban wrote ‘The big drawback of the Church in South Africa has been the dearth of English-speaking priests. Cape Town has them. Port Elizabeth has some. Johannesburg has a few. But almost everywhere else, French, German, Dutch have possession’. (21 Mar. 1931); requests for mass stipends (18 Sept. 1931); information concerning the forty square miles of the Capuchin mission in South Africa including ‘Athlone, Crawford, Jamestown, Belgravia Estate, the Welcome Estate and Langa’. (6 Nov. 1931); the construction of churches, mission schools and orphanages; the establishment of a canonical foundation by the Irish Capuchins in Athlone, Cape Town. (14 Jan. 1932); the deprivations faced by the ‘native population’ in Cape Town. (26 Feb. 1932); the education of the coloured population of Cape Province, South Africa. (18 Mar. 1932); Fr. Alban’s attempts to hire John McCormack, the renowned Irish tenor, to perform in aid of the poor of Athlone Parish, Cape Town. (5 Aug. 1932); on the necessity of holding property in the Athlone Vicariate. Fr. Alban affirms that ‘the Athlone Catholics are poor, miserable coloured native people on the verge of starvation’. (25 Nov. 1932); the building of the Church of St. Mary of the Angels in Athlone, Cape Town. (9 June 1933); Fr. Alban’s work as a missionary since his ordination in 1925. He wrote ‘I have devoted my time exclusively to the missionary life – almost four years with the Californian Indians, and almost five with the coloured and native people of Athlone’. (27 July 1934); the visitation of Fr. James O’Mahony OFM Cap. to South Africa. (6 Sept. 1935); his desire to return to Ireland. He reminds Fr. Colman Griffin OFM Cap., Provincial Minister, that he is ‘the last of the first three [priests] who came here in 1929’. (6 June 1951). The file also includes a letter from Fr. Aloysius Travers OFM Cap. to Fr. Edwin Fitzgibbon OFM Cap., Provincial Minister, transmitting news from Fr. Alban re the number of communicants in Athlone parish. (19 Nov. 1931).

Power of attorney by Fr. Anthony (John) Travers OSFC, ‘formerly of Church Street, but now of Saint Helens, Tasmania', appointing his brother Fr. Aloysius (William) Travers OSFC (joint-owner and tenant) to execute deeds for, and receive rents for, certain fee simple, freehold and leasehold properties in Dublin. Fr. John declares that he is likely to be permanently resident in Tasmania. The deed is witnessed by Edgar William Lawrence, Launceston, Tasmania.

Costs of Thomas J. Furlong, 11 Eustace Street, solicitor, to Fr. Peter (Edward) Bowe OSFC and others for preparing a deed of conveyance to vest Church property in nine members of the community as joint tenants and for a power of attorney from Fr. Anthony (John) Travers OSFC (resident in Tasmania) to Fr. Aloysius (William) Travers OSFC. Total cost: £33 5s 4d. 2 copies. With letters from Thomas J. Furlong to Fr. Angelus Healy OSFC and Fr. Paul Neary OSFC referring to a deed executed by Miss Maher on 19 Aug. 1897 conveying the property bequeathed to her following the death of her brother (Fr. Patrick Joseph Columbus Maher OSFC, died 10 Sept. 1894) to the Capuchin community on Church Street.

List of members of the Capuchin community, Church Street. Sixteen priests and four lay brothers are noted. The list includes Fr. Peter Bowe OSFC, Provincial Minister, Fr. Paul Neary OSFC, Fr. Augustine Hayden OSFC, Fr. Sebastian O’Brien OSFC, Fr. Aloysius Travers OSFC, Vicar, and. Fr. Angelus Healy OSFC. The debt of the community is stated to be £746 1s 11d. It was noted that this figure represents a decrease on the figure of £1,314 6s 7d referred to in the Provincial Chapter of 1907. The property is listed as ‘church, monastery, garden (about 1 acre)’ with an annual rent of £166 9s 0d. Four lots are held freehold and nine lots under lease. Figures are also supplied in the respect of male and female members of the sodalities attached to St. Mary of the Angels including the Third Order of St. Francis, and the Sacred Thirst and the Scared Heart fraternities.

Memoranda regarding the history and work of the Conference of St. Francis (founded in 1905 by Fr. Aloysius Travers OFM Cap.) in the environs of Greek Street and the Church Street Friary. The note refers to the building of Assisi House adjacent to the Greek Street flat complex opposite St. Michan’s Church of Ireland in which a boys’ club was founded in 1940. The note affirms: ‘In 1963 the premises known as Assisi House had to be demolished to make way for the widening of Church Street and since then we have not been able to find suitable accommodation to carry on our work’.

The file includes:
• An article on the Report of the Commission on Youth Unemployment. The Commission included Fr. Aloysius Travers OFM Cap. and Archbishop John Charles McQuaid. 'Irish Times', 14 Aug. 1951.
• Clipping of an aerial view showing Smithfield and its surroundings. The landmarks include St. Mary of the Angels, Capuchin Friary, Church Street, and St. Paul’s Church on Arran Quay. 'Irish Independent', 26 Nov. 1954.