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

grow in the soil around the area. Work was started and it was eventually found that the soil when irrigated
would be ideal for wheat.
During 1955, Father D.A. Clarke who had been scouting round the area for some time in search of a Mission
site decided that Chisumbanje, named after a local Chief, would be an ideal spot. Mr John Janke, the
Government Agricultural Officer in Chisumbanje was living with his wife on the banks of the river next to the
Experimental Station. On a Saturday afternoon during November 1960 a blue car pulled up outside the Janke
home and out jumped Bishop Lamont, Father Clarke and three Sisters from Marymount College. Over a cup of
tea, the visitors discussed with Mr and Mrs Janke the lack of medical facilities and the lack of schools in the area.
The nearest hospital was Chipinga, 90 miles away from Chisumbanje. They discussed a possible site for a
Mission which could provide the above amenities and left with the idea of asking the Government for a grant of
fifty acres.
Several weeks later Father Clarke arrived in a land-rover with authority from the local District Commissioner to
pick out fifty acres for a Mission site. Father Clarke asked Mr Janke to accompany him and show him suitable
sites. Father finally decided on fifty acres alongside the Sabi river about one mile from the Janke homestead.
Father Clarke lived in a hut for the next week or so and he engaged a local builder to make bricks and do general
clearing of the area. He chose the site of the Father’s house on the bank of the river and marked out the
foundations. For the next few months, Father Anthony travelled many miles between Umtali and Chisumbanje
bringing cement, door frames, windows frames and roofing materials and also to supervise the building of the
Priest’s house. Slowly a house materialised and the local people used to appear at the ‘Mission’ and ask what was
going on and watch with fascination when Father said Mass under a tree. Mr Janke often called around to see
how the work was going on and shared a cup of tea with Anthony. During May, 1961, the house was nearly
completed and Bishop Lamont paid a visit and told Mr Janke that Father Cyprian Kennedy would soon be
coming to the Mission, the Bishop also told them a little of the background of Father Kennedy.
Mr and Mrs Janke awaited the arrival of Father Kennedy with interest as he was to be their only European
neighbour for over fifty miles. Little did the Jankes realise what a great change the advent of this Father would
make in their lives before the year was out!! Mr Janke described the coming of Cyprian – There he was, standing
by his truck, unpacking a month’s supply of food, a camp-bed and a bucket for drawing water from the river. Mr
Janke went on to say, as it was the wet season, he often had to pull Father out of feet of mud with his Land-rover.
Mr Janke travelled around the vast area with Father Kennedy and introduced him to many of the local headmen
and Chiefs. As the water had not yet been connected in the house or Mission a way had to be found to get the
water up from the river for household and building purposes. A well-point was put down about ten feet under the
sand near the bank of the river, a pump was placed on the bank of the river just beside the Priest’s house. The
water was then pumped up to a tank and water began to flow through the pipes!! During the next few months,
Father Kennedy built a Sister’s Convent as he was expecting the Carmelite Sisters to come to Saint Peters. He
also built two classrooms, a clinic and a small chapel. During September 1961 four American Lay Mission
Helpers arrived at Saint Peters. They were volunteer nurses who came to serve the people. They remained at Saint
Peters for about twelve years, they served and cared for the people with great dedication.
The Carmelite Sisters arrived two months after the volunteer nurses. Sisters Bridget, Margaret, Boniface and
Thomas were recently Professed and had just completed their Novitiate. They were very frightened when they first
came to Chisumbanje, it was wild country for them, they were terrified of hippos, crocodiles, snakes and the other
wild animals. Other Sisters from the same Novitiate went to Maranke and Avila and often wrote to each other
comparing conditions!! The people of Chisumbanje were ‘strangers’ to the Sisters, language difference and the type
of clothing women wore in this area. The Sisters soon had a vegetable garden near their convent, began catechism
classes and clubs for women. Early 1962, Sister Thomas began to teach Sub A children at the Mission, many of
the children were happy, intelligent and friendly but did not consider it a priority to attend school every day due to
family or local demands!! Mr and Mrs Janke were very impressed with the Sisters who prayed a lot, together with
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