File 137 - Letters from Irish Jesuits in Zambia to the Mission Office, Ireland

File of correspondence from Irish Jesuits mainly in Chikuni and Choma, Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) to Fr Thomas J. Martin SJ, Mission Office, Milltown Park (later Upper Sherrard Street), Dublin concerning the Chikuni Mission (administration, building plans, school life, finance, requests for supplies and general life there). Includes letters from Frs Dan Byrne, Arthur Clarke, Bernard Collins, Tom Cooney, Joseph Mary Gill, William Lee, Joe McCarthy, Tom McGivern, Louis Meagher, Des O'Loghlen, Charles O'Connor and Brian Sharkey.

• letter from Fr Joseph Mary Gill SJ indicating the work he has to do as a teacher as well as been Mission Procurator '...the farm is a big worry. There is something wrong with the cattle and five have just died and a number of the others are sick' (12 October 1950);
• statement by Fr Brian Sharkey SJ entitled 'Some highlights in missionary life for me' which outlines his time at the Chikuni Mission [1951];
• letter from Fr Tom Cooney SJ in which he describes the plant needed from Bord na Mona, 'the 60 K.V.A. would be rather large for Chikuni' (16 September 1953); - Chikuni Mission statistics for the year ending 31st December 1953; - letter from Fr Thomas McGivern SJ which includes plan of a map of the buildings at Chikuni (1 January 1954);
• letter in which Fr Louis Meagher SJ is frustrated with the lack of skills of those been sent out to the mission, 'Could it not be possible to arrange that the brother in Tullabeg be detailed off to give lesson to the scholastics once their names are made known for the missions' (29 September 1956);
• letter from Fr Des O'Loghlen SJ, Choma, Northern Rhodesia informing of the death of Fr Danny Byrne SJ (6 May 1964);
• Zambian independence celebrations and the visit of Frank Aiken (October 1964);
• account of the death of Fr Arthur Cox (11 June 1965).