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Letters regarding a dispute over the editorship of the temperance publication, 'The Father Mathew Record', also known as 'The Irish Home Journal'. The file includes a letter from Brian O’Higgins to Fr. Edwin Fitzgibbon OSFC, Provincial Minister, complaining about his dismissal as associate editor of the 'Record' by Fr. Joseph Fenlon OSFC who ‘desired to keep politics out of the Journal’. O’Higgins, a member of Sinn Féin, admits that he is ‘on what is known as “the run”’. With notes by Fr. Edwin regarding the proprietorship of the Journal, and the need to reserve the appointment of editor to the council of the Capuchin Franciscan Order in Ireland. Later, Fr. Joseph wrote to Fr. Edwin confirming his resignation from the Presidency of Father Mathew Hall and the temperance sodality. The file also includes a signed notice of a special meeting of the Hall Committee affirming that the ‘"Record" was started by Fr. Aloysius [Travers], President of the Hall … [and] that the Office of the Record was transferred to the Hall premises’. The committee members contended that the 'Record' magazine was the property of the committee ‘and that the Provincial Superiors acted without consideration of the circumstances when … they decided to take it over and have it conducted independently of the committee and its President’. (10 June 1920).

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.

Testimonials for Fr. Theobald Mathew OSFC in relation to his claim of 'fama sanctitatis' (a cleric with a reputation for holiness). It appears that the testimonials were compiled in 1937-8. The file includes:
• Statement re a resolution of the Provincial Chapter of August 1927 which decided ‘to take definite steps regarding the introduction of the Cause of Fr. Theobald Mathew OSFC, the Apostle of Temperance’.
• Testimony of John Francis Maguire, biographer of Father Mathew.
• Tribute of the Lord Mayor of Cork, John Francis Maguire, at the unveiling of the statue of Father Mathew in the chief street in Cork.
• Tribute of Mr. Thomas Crosbie, editor and proprietor of the chief newspaper in Cork.
• Tribute of Denny Lane, prominent Catholic public man and author.
• Interview with the late Bishop of Cork, the Most Rev. Thomas Alphonsus O’Callaghan OP. The interview was conducted by Fr. Aloysius Travers OFM Cap., Irish Capuchin Minister Provincial, in 1913-4. It reads ‘On the occasion when the Bishop made the statement, he said that as I was interested in Father Mathew it was right he should mention a criticism which he heard about him. Some seemed to think that he [Fr. Mathew] was not sufficiently interested in his Order: on occasion his attention was drawn to some matter affecting the interests of his Province or community, and he was supposed to have made the remark that it was not his concern but Father [Louis] O’Connell’s’.
• Testimony of William Smyth O’Brien.
• Testimony of the Catholic Archdeacon of Cork.
• Extracts from the diary of James McKenna, secretary to Fr. Mathew.
• Extracts from the records of hospitals referring to cures attributed to Fr. Mathew.
• Interview with Denis Dennehy, caretaker of St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Cork, burial-place of Fr. Mathew.
• Sworn statement of Mr. Murphy, 3 Burke’s Avenue, Cork, referring to a cure for her daughter Kathleen, which she attributes to visits to the grave of Fr. Mathew.
• The file also includes a ‘General Statement’ in relation to Fr. Mathew’s reputation as a priest of ‘exceptional holiness and of wonderful zeal and charity’.

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).