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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).

Letter from Belton & Co., Tullow Street, Carlow, to Fr. Aloysius Travers OSFC regarding an estimate for the installation of acetylene gas lighting in the library of the Capuchin Friary, Walkin Street, Kilkenny.

Letter from Earley & Co., stained glass manufactures, 4 Upper Camden Street, Dublin, to Fr. Aloysius Travers OFM Cap. re measurements for the ‘eleven lower panels of windows’ in the oratory of Ard Mhurie Capuchin Friary.

Letter from Fr. Dominic O’Connor OFM Cap., c/o Commandant, Kilmainham Prison, to Fr. Aloysius Travers OFM Cap., detailing the charges which are be brought against him and informing him that he is to be tried by a General Court Martial on Saturday next at 10.30 a.m.

Letter from Fr. William OSFC, Franciscan Monastery, Crawley, Sussex, to Fr. Aloysius Travers OFM Cap. enclosing a copy of a blessing from Pope Pius X. It reads: ‘… the Friars Minor Capuchin of the Irish Province, charged by the Bishops of Ireland, to spread the apostolate of Temperance, have had the happy idea of aggregating to such a society even the children, and at the present moment there about two hundred thousand young members who promise to abstain throughout their lives from alcoholic beverages …’.

Clippings referring to a procession and retreat (given by Fr. Aloysius Travers OSFC) to the League of Young Irish Crusaders attached to St. Mary of the Angels, Church Street, Dublin.

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.

Horarium for the Holy Trinity community, Cork. The document is signed by Fr. Aloysius Travers OSFC, Provincial Minister, 15 Oct. 1913.