Scrapbook of Fr. Albeus McQuillan OFM Cap. (1912-1989) re the history and personnel of the Irish Capuchin mission in Africa. Fr. Albeus arrived in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) in 1942. The scrapbook includes cuttings from missionary periodicals including 'The Father Mathew Record', hand-drawn maps of mission stations and churches, and personal recollections and memoranda by Fr. Albeus re the Capuchin mission in Africa. The volume contains the following sections:
• Photographic prints of the early Irish Capuchins missionaries: Fr. Casimir Butler OFM Cap.; Fr. Timothy Phelim O’Shea OFM Cap.; Fr. Seraphin Nesdale OFM Cap.; Fr. Killian Flynn OFM Cap.; Fr. Alban Cullen Cap.; Fr. Oliver O’Hanlon OFM Cap.; Fr. Fintan Roche OFM Cap.; Fr. Livinus Keane OFM Cap.; Fr. Jerome McQuillan OFM Cap.; Fr. Christopher Crowley OFM Cap.; Fr. Marcellus Carroll OFM Cap.; Fr. Agathangelus Herlihy OFM Cap.; Fr. Timothy Connery OFM Cap.; Fr. Jarlath Gough OFM Cap.
• List of African missions of the Capuchin Franciscan Order (with the names of mother provinces).
• Calendar of priests in the Irish Capuchin mission to Africa arranged under year, number and total. The calendar runs from 1929-39.
• Personal and mission record (with photographic prints) for Irish Capuchin friars in Africa. Details are given of where the friars were stationed and the duration. Information is given in respect of:
Fr. Casimir Butler OFM Cap. First Superior of African Missions.
Fr. Alban Cullen OFM Cap.
Fr. Oliver O’Hanlon OFM Cap. (with postcard print of the Church at Parow, South Africa, dedicated on 8 Dec. 1935).
Fr. Killian Flynn OFM Cap. (with circular letter from Fr. Edwin Fitzgibbon OFM Cap. re the appointment of Fr. Killian as Prefect Apostolic of Victoria Falls).
Fr. Timothy Phelim O’Shea OFM Cap.
Fr. Seraphin Nesdale OFM Cap. (1897-1980)
Fr. Jerome McQuillan OFM Cap.
Fr. Fintan Roche OFM Cap.
Fr. Livinus Keane OFM Cap.
Fr. Christopher Crowley OFM Cap.
Fr. Jarlath Gough OFM Cap. (1902-1983)
Br. Alexius Paolucci OFM Cap. (1898-1983)
Fr. Agathangelus Herlihy OFM Cap.
Fr. Gerard Joyce OFM Cap. (died in Northern Rhodesia in 1944)
• Calendar of Irish Capuchin missionaries in Northern Rhodesia and South Africa from 1929-38 giving details of where stationed and the time spent at each mission station. (pp 42-3).
• ‘The religion of the Blacks’. Manuscript. Sub-title reads: ‘Paper read for the Bonaventure’s Philosophical and Historical Society, Tuesday, January 17th 1937’. (insert at p. 47). The article was possibly compiled by Fr. Declan McFadden OFM Cap.
Maps include:
• Districts of Northern Rhodesia showing density of population. (p. 9)
• Detailed manuscript map showing locations of various Christian missionary stations in Northern Rhodesia. (p. 11).
• Map of Northern Rhodesia showing areas of Tsetse-Fly and Sleeping Sickness infestation (p. 15).
• Map re population and infant mortality in Northern Rhodesia (p. 17).
• Printed map of Cape Town, South Africa (p. 22).
• Manuscript map of the Cape Province, South Africa, showing principal towns and the locations of Capuchin churches at the Welcome Estate, Matroosfontein, Parow, Langa and Athlone. Scale: 2 miles to 1 inch. The key also provides the distances between the aforementioned mission churches. (Insert at p. 27).
• Population map of Barotseland (arranged by district). With information re the number of Protestant schools in the region. (p. 45).
Photographic prints include:
• Fr. Fintan Roche OFM Cap. crossing the River Kafue, Northern Rhodesia, with a truck on a barge. Aug. 1937. (p. 27).
• Fr. Marcellus Carroll OFM Cap. with altar boys. (p. 27).
• St. Louis Mission School at Langa; Fr. Jerome McQuillan OFM Cap. (priest at Langa in 1935); groups of children at Langa, with Sister Romana and Sister M. Vianney. (p. 29).
• Missionary scenes at Livingstone, Northern Rhodesia (p. 33).
• The Friary at Livingstone and Fr. Christopher Crowley OFM Cap. (p. 34).
• Missionary scenes at Loanja, Northern Rhodesia. With Fr. Livinus Keane OFM Cap. and Fr. Seraphin Nesdale OFM Cap. (p. 37).
• Prints from 'The Father Mathew Record' of the ‘first Christians at Loanja, Easter, 1936’; ‘adult Christians at Loanja and a group at St. Francis’s School, Livingstone’. (p. 39).
• Br. Dominick O’Callaghan OFM Cap. (p. 44).
• The three Capuchin churches in Africa: Parow, Livingstone, and Athlone (p. 48).
• Fr. Jerome McQuillan OFM Cap. (full length portrait); Sr. M. Vianney at Langa in 1936; First communion group at Langa, 1936. (p. 49).
• Fr. Albeus McQuillan OFM Cap. (half-length portrait). (p. 50).
• Fr. Alfred O’Mahony OFM Cap. (half-length portrait). (p. 51).
The volume also contains newspaper cuttings re a Capuchin-organised pilgrimage to Knock, County Mayo, organised by Fr. Virgilius Murtagh OFM Cap. and Fr. Maurice Dowd OFM Cap. (p. 66).
