The Diocese of Mutare & The Carmelites in Zimbabwe - the Irish ...

Father Bontempa succeeded Father Withnell during 1913 and a Father Marconnes succeeded Father
Bontempa. Father Marconnes build the Church on ‘E’ Avenue and was assisted by a very noble band
of parishioners. The foundation stone was laid by the Very Rev. Mgr. Brown, S.J. on April 15 th 1923
and the Church was Blessed and opened on the 11 th of April 1926.
The Dominican Sisters arrived in Umtali on the 26 th of January 1926. Sister Reginald was the leader
of the Dominican Sisters who came to Umtali during 1926. The Sisters took over the old wood and
iron Church on 5 th Street and began their school there with great difficulties and hardships on the 2 nd
of February 1926 with 30 pupils attending. During 1936 the Dominican Sisters secured a site at the
foot of Cecil Kop and began building their Convent and School on the 29 th of April. The School was
opened by the Governor, Sir Herbert Stanley on the 5 th of August 1937 while Bishop Aston
Chichester, S.J. blessed the Convent and School buildings. The Sisters continued ministry at Saint
Dominic’s until 1976.
After eleven years of devoted service, Father Marconnes was succeeded by Father Henry Quinn, S.J.
In the very early days of the Catholic Church in Umtali, there were very few Catholics in Sakubva.
The Catholics in Sakubva went to Mass at the Holy Rosary Church on ‘E’ Avenue. Father Quinn
began night school for the people of Sakubva in the sacristy on ‘E’ Avenue.
Father Quinn built a multipurpose building which was used as a Church and School, he also build a
small Priest’s house and the site became known as Saint Roberts, just outside the town of Umtali
(1927 – 1930). Fathers Quinn and Stratton, both Jesuits, lived at Saint Roberts and served the
faithful in the Umtali area. Fathers Seed, Binns and Francis Ketterer also Jesuits served the faithful at
Saint Roberts’ and at the Church on ‘E’ Avenue. 1 200 baptisms were recorded from 1900 to 1936 at
The Holy Rosary Church and at Saint Roberts.
Father Lamont took over from Father Ketterer, SJ on the 17 th of March 1950 with Father Andy Wright
assisting. The Holy Rosary Church on ‘E’ Avenue accommodated about 150 people and was in good condition at
the time of the takeover.
Father Andy Wright ministered in the Umtali area for two years and returned to Ireland during 1952. He found
it most difficult to come to grips with the Shona language, yet he made a tremendous contribution to the missions
for the eight years he spent in Rhodesia. The brothers at that time would say that Andy was ‘one of the few
capable of putting Father Lamont in his place’, he simply had a pleasant way of saying hard things in a joking
way!! The story of his driving test, for years, was a legend!! With a policeman as Inspector sitting beside him,
Andy was trying to negotiate the crossing of a very narrow bridge and was not sure of the brakes, he did succeed in
crossing and passed his test. The policeman was heard to say after that he ‘would not go through such an ordeal
again for all the gold in South Africa!!
The above information is taken from the ‘100 page document’ as mentioned in this collection and
from a document supplied by Saint Joseph’s Mission.
(Anther good description of the development and growth of the Church in Mutare City is found in
‘The Catholic Church in Manicaland 1896 – 1996, Chapter 6, pages 44 – 46)
The Prefecture of Umtali.
o The Prefecture of Umtali was erected on the 02.02.53.
o Its territories were defined and a new administration was established.
o The Prefecture was entrusted to the care of the Irish Province of Carmelites.
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