Letters from Bishop Francis Henneman SAC (1882-1951), Vicar Apostolic of the Cape of Good Hope, Western District, later Vicar Apostolic of Cape Town, to Fr. Edwin Fitzgibbon OFM Cap. and Fr. Colman Griffin OFM Cap., Provincial Ministers. The letters refer to requests for the Irish Capuchins to take over missionary outstations including those at Matroosfontein and in the Welcome Estate.
Letter from Vincent Boulle, Linda Road, Claremont, Cape Province, to Fr. Edwin Fitzgibbon OFM Cap., Provincial Minister, re the establishment of a Third Order Sodality in the Cape Province, South Africa. Reference is made to receptions into the Third Order made by Fr. Declan McFadden OFM Cap. (1901-1979) and Fr. Alban Cullen OFM Cap.
Letters from Fr. Sylvester Mulligan OFM Cap., General Definitor, to Fr. Edwin Fitzgibbon OFM Cap., Provincial Minister, re the canonical establishment of the Irish Capuchin mission in Northern Rhodesia. He also asks for a list of potential candidates for the position of Regular Superior.
Copy report by Fr. Killian Flynn OFM Cap. on the mission of Livingstone-Barotseland in the Prefecture of Broken Hill, Northern Rhodesia. The report is divided into the following sections: I. Situation, area, population etc. II. Historical Survey I. Prior to the coming of the Capuchin Fathers II. Coming of the Capuchin Fathers Livingstone Loanja Loanja Out-Schools Momba Mulobezi III. Applications for New Stations Translations of Catechisms IV. Details and Statistics Babemba Church and School, Livingstone Church of the Little Flower, Livingstone Barotse Church and School, Livingstone Loanja Momba Mulobezi V. Sphere of Influence of each Station Loanja Kabompo Lumbi VI. Method of Converting the Locals Results Secured VII. Working of Schools Babemba school, police camp, Livingstone Zambesi Saw-Mills Compound School, Livingstone School at Loanja Mission School at Saw-Mills Compound, Mulobezi VIII. Difficulties Hampering Work Influence of Protestant Missionaries Poverty of Districts Transport IX. Prospects for the Future X. Tribes XI. Languages XII. Financial Outlay of Mission from Beginning A manuscript note by Fr. Edwin Fitzgibbon OFM Cap. reads: ‘This amount does not include monies spent in building church and schools in Athlone parish and church in Parow parish, South Africa, amounting to over £7,000’.
Draft and copy letters of Fr. James O’Mahony OFM Cap. relating to the Irish Capuchin missions in Africa. The file includes copy letters to Fr. Edwin Fitzgibbon OFM Cap., Provincial Minister, Fr. Sylvester Mulligan OFM Cap., General Definitor, and Fr. Maurice Dowd OFM Cap., and a letter from Fr. Hilary McDonagh OFM Cap. On 21 May 1948, Fr. James wrote ‘We feel that there is great future for the Irish Province in South Africa where the Irish Capuchins were the first, and still stand alone, in their mission to pure natives in the Langa Compound’.
Correspondence of Fr. Edwin Fitzgibbon OFM Cap., and Fr. Colman Griffin OFM Cap., with Robert F. Mahony, President, American Association for Recognition of the Irish Republic; Fr. Brendan O’Callaghan OFM Cap., Central Council of Irish County Associations; Eugene Twomey, Secretary, Fianna Fail, Inc., Irish Republican Party of America; Charles F. Tiernan; Joseph O’Byrne of the Fathers’ Albert & Dominic Committee; and the Irish American National Alliance. The letters refer to appeals from various Irish-American republican organizations calling for the repatriation to Ireland of the mortal remains of Fathers Albert Bibby OFM Cap. and Dominic O’Connor OFM Cap.
Scale: 5 miles to 1 inch Map of the Cape Province, South Africa, by the Roads Branch, Cape Provincial Administration. With mileage table in both Afrikaans and English. Manuscript additions to the map (in pencil) roughly indicate the location of the Irish Capuchin churches in the Cape Province: Langa, Athlone, Parow, the Welcome Estate and Matroosfontein. A distinction is made between locations with both churches and mission schools and areas where only a school is present. A manuscript stamp indicates that the map was sent to Fr. Edwin Fitzgibbon OFM Cap., Provincial Minister, St. Bonaventure’s Friary, Cork.
Copy report by Monsignor Killian Flynn OFM Cap. on the Livingstone-Barotseland Mission for Fr. Virgilio de Valstagna OFM Cap., Minister General. With a cover letter to Fr. Edwin Fitzgibbon OFM Cap., Provincial Minister. The report notes that the mission is intended to be raised to the status of a Prefecture. The report is divided into the following sections: Territory Population Local Tribes and Languages Towns Government Non-Catholic Missions Other Sects Religious Beliefs of the Europeans Attitude towards Catholicism Education in Barotseland and Livingstone Historical Resume of Capuchin Endeavour a. Livingstone b. Barotseland c. Early Mission Policy d. Teachers and Catechists e. Turn in the Tide f. In the Lealui District g. In the Senanga District Material Grand Total Mission Difficulties Summarised Mission Prospects Conclusion
Letters from Fr. Jarlath Gough OFM Cap. (1902-1983) to Fr. Kieran O’Callaghan OFM Cap. and Fr. Edwin Fitzgibbon OFM Cap., Provincial Minister, describing his arrival in South Africa and his impressions of the ‘truly astonishing’ work being done by the Irish Capuchins in Northern Rhodesia.
