Letters of Fr. Timothy Phelim O’Shea OFM Cap. (1902-1979). The correspondents include Fr. Kieran O’Callaghan OFM Cap., Provincial Secretary; Fr. Edwin Fitzgibbon OFM Cap., Provincial Minister; Fr. James O’Mahony OFM Cap., Provincial Minister; Fr. Colman Griffin OFM Cap., Provincial Minister; Fr. Conrad O’Donovan OFM Cap., Provincial Minister., and Fr. Clement Neubauer OFM Cap., General Minister. The subjects include: the progress of the Irish Capuchin mission in Barotseland and Livingstone, Northern Rhodesia; the Silozi catechism; the Loanja station; requests for financial assistance and loans for the Northern Rhodesian mission; missionary activities in Cape Town, South Africa; the recognition of five parishes in the Cape as coming under Irish Capuchin jurisdiction (1946); the Katima Mulilo mission station in the Caprivi Strip (1949); Fr. Phelim’s appointment as Regular Superior of the Victoria Falls Mission; the completion of the church at Langa (1949); the deaths of Fr. Eustace Burke OFM Cap. and Fr. Donatus Aherne OFM Cap. (1949); Educational matters in the missionary territories; the appointment of Fr. Killian Flynn OFM Cap. as Education Secretary General (1949); the need for more missionary sisters (Holy Faith Sisters, Sisters of Mercy, the Irish Sisters of Charity and the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Africa); the opening of the church at the Holy Family Mission, Katima Mulilo. (Mar. 1954); the building of a new convent and girls’ boarding school at Maramba. (July 1953); his proposal to resign as Bishop of Livingstone ‘in line with the gradual Zambianization of the Hierarchy’. (10 Aug. 1969). Reference is also made to the activities of the following Capuchin friars: Fr. Casimir Butler OFM Cap.; Fr. Oliver O’Hanlon OFM Cap.; Fr. Timothy Connery OFM Cap.; Fr. Agathangelus Herlihy OFM Cap.; Fr. Seraphin Nesdale OFM Cap.; Fr. Eltin Daly OFM Cap. The file also includes a manuscript copy of an ‘Approved Prayer for the Conversion of Africa’ and a typescript copy of a ‘Spiritual portrait of Bishop Timothy Phelim O’Shea OFM Cap.’ by Fr. Salvator Quinn OFM Cap. (Livingstone, 1992). 19 pp.
Photographic print of Mrs Belton, wife of Jack Belton, Lord Mayor of Dublin, opening the Capuchin Foreign Missions’ sale of work in Father Mathew Hall. The group includes Fr. Colman Griffin OFM Cap. and Fr. Virgilius Murtagh OFM Cap.
Copy circular letter from Fr. Kevin Moynihan OFM Cap., Provincial Minister, announcing the purchase of Ards House by the Capuchin Order. The letter reads:
'It is more than 350 years since the Franciscans laboured “for the glory of God, and the honour of Erin” in the historic Abbey of Donegal. Now they are returning and let us hope that this new Friary of the Order will be a centre of spiritual force, the influence of which will be felt, not only in Tirconaill, but in the whole of the north of Ireland'.
He also expresses his gratitude to Fr. Aloysius Travers OFM Cap. whose ‘untiring energy’ ensured the acquisition of the property. A note (added by Fr. Angelus Healy OFM Cap.) states that a meeting of the Provincial Definitory on 5 Mar. 1930 confirmed the plan to purchase of Ards House for a canonical foundation. It is also noted that Fr. Colman Griffin OFM Cap. was appointed guardian of the new foundation.
File of photographic prints of Capuchin friars (and students) at Ard Mhuire Friary in County Donegal. One of the prints shows Fr. Colman Griffin OFM Cap., guardian from 1930-7, with students in the community.
An image showing funeral procession of Terence MacSwiney on St. Patrick’s Street, Cork on 31 October 1920. Several Capuchin friars are identifiable in the procession including Fr. Cyril O’Sullivan OFM Cap., Fr. Edwin Fitzgibbon OFM Cap., and Fr. Colman Griffin OFM Cap.
Photographic prints of the visit by Fr. Virgilio da Valstagna OFM Cap., Capuchin Minister General, to Ard Mhuire Friary. The file includes a group photograph of Irish friars with Fr. Virgilio. A manuscript annotation on the reverse of one of the prints reads: ‘Ard Mhuire, 1937, Front, left to right, Frs. Andrew, Cassian, Colman (Provincial Minister), Sylvester Mulligan, Fr. Minister General, Frs. Killian Flynn (Prefect Apostolic of Victoria Falls), unknown, Felix and Columban’.
An image of a presentation from Fr. Senan Moynihan OFM Cap. to T.J. Kiernan to the mark the latter’s appointment as Irish Minister to the Holy See in 1941. Also present in the photograph are Fr. Gerald McCann OFM Cap., Fr. Colman Griffin OFM Cap., Dr James Ryan, and Delia Kiernan (née Murphy).
An image of a group of Capuchin friars on a excursion to Inistioge in County Kilkenny in about 1907. Identifiable individuals include: Third row, first on the left: Fr. Ignatius Collins OFM Cap. (1885-1961) Second row, first on the left: Fr. Colman Griffin OFM Cap. (1886-1971) Second row, second on the left: Fr. Sylvester Mulligan OFM Cap. (1875-1950) Second row, first on the right: Fr. Dominic O'Connor OFM Cap. (1883-1935) First row, second on the left: Fr. Cyril O'Sullivan OFM Cap. (1887-1921) First row, first on the right: Fr. Columbus Murphy OFM Cap. (1881-1962)
A group of Capuchin friars in the Kilkenny Friary garden. The group includes (seated, first on the left), Fr. Cyril O'Sullivan OFM Cap. (1887-1921); (seated, centre), Fr. Dominic O'Connor OFM Cap. (1883-1935); (seated, first on the right), Fr. Ignatius Collins OFM Cap. (1885-1961); (standing, first on the left), Fr. Colman Griffin OFM Cap. (1886-1971).
A group of Capuchin friars with musical instruments in the Kilkenny Friary in c.1905. Identifiable individuals include: Front row (seated): First on the left: Br. Edward Walsh OFM Cap. (1881-1961) First on the right: Br. Ignatius Collins OFM Cap. (1885-1961)
Second row (seated): First on the right: Br. Edwin Fitzgibbon OFM Cap. (1874-1938) First on the left: Br. Brendan O’Callaghan OFM Cap. (1880-1952)
Third row (standing): First on the right: Br. Albert Bibby OFM Cap. (1877-1925) Second on the right: Br. Cyril O’Sullivan OFM Cap. (1887-1921) Third on the right: Br. Bonaventure Murphy OFM Cap. (1880-1968) Second on the left: Br. Gregory O’Kelly OFM Cap. (d. 9 Apr. 1947) First on the left: Br. Philip King OFM Cap. (1885-1952)
Fourth row (standing): First on the right: Br. Dominic O’Connor OFM Cap. (1883-1935) Second on the right: Br. Malachy Hynes OFM Cap. (1879-1955) Third on the right: Br. Berchmans Cantillon OFM Cap. (1880-1942) Forth on the right: Br. Columbus Murphy OFM Cap. (1881-1962) Second on the left: Br. Adrian Sharkett OFM Cap. (1879-1965) First on the left: Br. Colman Griffin OFM Cap. (1886-1971