Vicariate Apostolic of Kimberley in Orange
Encyclopedia
The portion of South Africa which would form the Vicariate of Kimberley in Orange had earlier become in the division of the Vicariate of Good Hope part of the Eastern District, and later on part of the Vicariate Apostolic of Natal
. The Vicarate was promoted to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kimberley in 1951.
, Griqualand West
, Bechuanaland and the Orange River Colony
(then still Orange Free State
). On 8 May, 1894, Basutoland was separated and made an independent prefecture. Since then the vicariate included the Orange River Colony, Griqualand-West and Bechuanaland, and after the later Anglo-Boer war
all this territory came under British colonial rule. The whole vicariate lay between the Tropic of Capricorn
and the southernmost point of the Orange River Colony, and between 22° and 30° East Longitude.
Before the discovery of diamonds the white population was practically composed of Protestant Boer
s. The number of Catholics was insignificant. The towns now in existence were then mere small villages or did not yet exist. But in 1870 Kimberley began to attract attention; diamonds had been first discovered about three years previously by John O'Reilly, and immigration brought to South Africa and especially to Kimberley multitudes of Europeans, most of them Irish and English.
By the time Kimberley was leaping into existence there was already a priest in Bloemfontein
, Father Hoendervangers of the Order of Saint Norbert, who had followed the troops as Military Chaplain
during a war between the British and Boers in 1854. He built a church which was replaced by a new one in 1880. When Father Hoendervangers left Bloemfontein he was replaced by Father Victor Bompart, sent by Dr. Jolivet to minister to the scanty Catholic population. For some time the number of Catholics remained limited to eight or ten. All of them were too poor to support the priest who very often saw himself on the verge of starvation. However, Father Bompart never swerved from his duty; he was always ready to face sacrifice. His greatest trial was neither starvation nor physical sufferings, but the fruitlessness of the soil he had to cultivate. Being obliged to live in the midst of an element prejudiced against anything which might remind them of Rome and hating the very name of Catholic, his labours were to remain apparently fruitless for several years. The Boers were unwilling to hear of another creed than their own. Their ministers never wearied of railing at and abusing pope and priests. Owing to such a spirit conversions have been always few; many prejudices, however, have been overcome by schools conducted by nuns of various orders.
When Kimberley started into existence the number of Catholics in the locality necessitated the frequent visit of the priest and very soon the establishment of a permanent mission. Fathers Bompart, Lebihan and Hidien used to visit them occasionally. Father Hidien finally established a Catholic Society and began the erection of a hospital. A poor and small chapel was first erected, but owing to the increase of the Catholic congregation, a larger and more substantial one was planned and built. Its erection is due to the indefatigable Father Hilary Lenoir, O.M.I.
The whole vicariate is greatly indebted to him for all the missions he has founded or helped to found; Kimberley, Mafeking and Harrismith have, thanks to him, their churches and presbyteries.
When in 1886 a separate vicariate was erected, the Right Reverend Anthony Gaughren, O.M.I., was appointed the first Vicar Apostolic; he was elected in May, 1886, consecrated on 10 August, 1886, and died in Kimberley on 15 January, 1901. On 29 January, 1902, his brother, the Right Rev. Matthew Gaughren, O.M.I., was elected to replace him, and was consecrated titular bishop
of Tentyra on 16 March, 1902. Under the jurisdiction of these two bishops the Vicariate of Kimberley has seen its churches and schools multiplied.
In 1910 the vicariate had 16 churches and chapels; 19 priests (of whom 16 belong to the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
); one college under the management of the Congregation of Christian Brothers
, where over 300 boys received a thorough education. The Sisters of the Holy Family
conducted 6 parochial schools and 3 boarding schools. The Sisters of Mercy
had two schools, a boarding school in Mafikeng
and a parochial school in Vryburg, North West
. The Sisters of St. Jacut conducted at Taungs a school for natives. Taungs, the only native mission then, was founded in May, 1898, by Father Porte, O.M.I., and counted over 400 Catholics. The total number of children frequenting Catholic schools was over 1200. Besides the schools, the Vicariate of Kimberley had an establishment for orphans, the poor and the aged,managed by the Sisters of Nazareth. The devoted self-sacrifice of these Sisters contributed to overcome the prejudices of Protestants who help them generously in the upkeep of their establishment, where over one hundred and fifty children and aged persons were cared for; all the primary schools were in part supported by the Government. Besides the 16 Oblates and the 3 secular priests, 3 lay brothers, 11 Christian Brothers (Irish), 42 Sisters of the Holy Family of Bordeaux, 14 Sisters of Nazareth, 5 Sisters of Saint Jacut and 12 Sisters of Mercy carried out the work of regeneration in the vicariate.
One of the great obstacles to evangelization in this vicariate was the fact of the population being scattered and unsettled, preventing the priest from being in continual touch with his flock. The small number of priests permitted no increase of mission work amongst the natives, who far outnumbered the white population. The mining industry seemed the only source of material wealth, and its exploitation was to end. In the farming districts, though communication was facilitated by the construction of railways, the future seemed precarious owing to droughts, cattle diseases, locusts etc. As a consequence the population is unsettled and shifting, and sacerdotal vocations within the vicariate are hardly to be expected for the present. Catechism
s and prayer book
s in the native language have, however, been compiled by Father Porte who made an expedition into Bechuanaland in 1898, and discovered that the natives, while akin in race and speech to the Basutos, are more rooted in fetishism
.
Vicariate Apostolic of Natal
The Vicariate Apostolic of Natal was a Roman Catholic missionary, quasi-diocesan jurisdiction in South Africa.-Antecedents:The history of the Catholic Church in South Africa goes back to 1660, when a French bishop and a few priests were saved from the wreck of the Marichal near the Cape of Good Hope...
. The Vicarate was promoted to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kimberley in 1951.
History
In 1886 it became a separate vicariate comprising BasutolandBasutoland
Basutoland or officially the Territory of Basutoland, was a British Crown colony established in 1884 after the Cape Colony's inability to control the territory...
, Griqualand West
Griqualand West
Griqualand West is an area of central South Africa with an area of 40,000 km² that now forms part of the Northern Cape Province. It was inhabited by the Griqua people - a semi-nomadic, Afrikaans-speaking nation of mixed-race origin, who established several states outside the expanding frontier...
, Bechuanaland and the Orange River Colony
Orange River Colony
The Orange River Colony was the British colony created after this nation first occupied and then annexed the independent Orange Free State in the Second Boer War...
(then still Orange Free State
Orange Free State
The Orange Free State was an independent Boer republic in southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, and later a British colony and a province of the Union of South Africa. It is the historical precursor to the present-day Free State province...
). On 8 May, 1894, Basutoland was separated and made an independent prefecture. Since then the vicariate included the Orange River Colony, Griqualand-West and Bechuanaland, and after the later Anglo-Boer war
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
all this territory came under British colonial rule. The whole vicariate lay between the Tropic of Capricorn
Tropic of Capricorn
The Tropic of Capricorn, or Southern tropic, marks the most southerly latitude on the Earth at which the Sun can be directly overhead. This event occurs at the December solstice, when the southern hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun to its maximum extent.Tropic of Capricorn is one of the five...
and the southernmost point of the Orange River Colony, and between 22° and 30° East Longitude.
Before the discovery of diamonds the white population was practically composed of Protestant Boer
Boer
Boer is the Dutch and Afrikaans word for farmer, which came to denote the descendants of the Dutch-speaking settlers of the eastern Cape frontier in Southern Africa during the 18th century, as well as those who left the Cape Colony during the 19th century to settle in the Orange Free State,...
s. The number of Catholics was insignificant. The towns now in existence were then mere small villages or did not yet exist. But in 1870 Kimberley began to attract attention; diamonds had been first discovered about three years previously by John O'Reilly, and immigration brought to South Africa and especially to Kimberley multitudes of Europeans, most of them Irish and English.
By the time Kimberley was leaping into existence there was already a priest in Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa; and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africa's three national capitals – the other two being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, the administrative capital.Bloemfontein is popularly and...
, Father Hoendervangers of the Order of Saint Norbert, who had followed the troops as Military Chaplain
Military chaplain
A military chaplain is a chaplain who ministers to soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and other members of the military. In many countries, chaplains also minister to the family members of military personnel, to civilian noncombatants working for military organizations and to civilians within the...
during a war between the British and Boers in 1854. He built a church which was replaced by a new one in 1880. When Father Hoendervangers left Bloemfontein he was replaced by Father Victor Bompart, sent by Dr. Jolivet to minister to the scanty Catholic population. For some time the number of Catholics remained limited to eight or ten. All of them were too poor to support the priest who very often saw himself on the verge of starvation. However, Father Bompart never swerved from his duty; he was always ready to face sacrifice. His greatest trial was neither starvation nor physical sufferings, but the fruitlessness of the soil he had to cultivate. Being obliged to live in the midst of an element prejudiced against anything which might remind them of Rome and hating the very name of Catholic, his labours were to remain apparently fruitless for several years. The Boers were unwilling to hear of another creed than their own. Their ministers never wearied of railing at and abusing pope and priests. Owing to such a spirit conversions have been always few; many prejudices, however, have been overcome by schools conducted by nuns of various orders.
When Kimberley started into existence the number of Catholics in the locality necessitated the frequent visit of the priest and very soon the establishment of a permanent mission. Fathers Bompart, Lebihan and Hidien used to visit them occasionally. Father Hidien finally established a Catholic Society and began the erection of a hospital. A poor and small chapel was first erected, but owing to the increase of the Catholic congregation, a larger and more substantial one was planned and built. Its erection is due to the indefatigable Father Hilary Lenoir, O.M.I.
Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate is a missionary religious congregation in the Catholic Church. It was founded on January 25, 1816 by Saint Eugene de Mazenod, a French priest born in Aix-en-Provence in the south of France on August 1, 1782. The congregation was given recognition by Pope...
The whole vicariate is greatly indebted to him for all the missions he has founded or helped to found; Kimberley, Mafeking and Harrismith have, thanks to him, their churches and presbyteries.
When in 1886 a separate vicariate was erected, the Right Reverend Anthony Gaughren, O.M.I., was appointed the first Vicar Apostolic; he was elected in May, 1886, consecrated on 10 August, 1886, and died in Kimberley on 15 January, 1901. On 29 January, 1902, his brother, the Right Rev. Matthew Gaughren, O.M.I., was elected to replace him, and was consecrated titular bishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Tentyra on 16 March, 1902. Under the jurisdiction of these two bishops the Vicariate of Kimberley has seen its churches and schools multiplied.
In 1910 the vicariate had 16 churches and chapels; 19 priests (of whom 16 belong to the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate is a missionary religious congregation in the Catholic Church. It was founded on January 25, 1816 by Saint Eugene de Mazenod, a French priest born in Aix-en-Provence in the south of France on August 1, 1782. The congregation was given recognition by Pope...
); one college under the management of the Congregation of Christian Brothers
Congregation of Christian Brothers
The Congregation of Christian Brothers is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Blessed Edmund Rice. The Christian Brothers, as they are commonly known, chiefly work for the evangelisation and education of youth, but are involved in many ministries, especially with...
, where over 300 boys received a thorough education. The Sisters of the Holy Family
Sisters of the Holy Family
The Sisters of the Holy Family is the name for a French and two different American orders of nuns.*The Sisters of the Holy Family-France were founded in Paris in 1806 by Jeanne-Claude Jacoulet, in a revival of the Canonesses of Ste...
conducted 6 parochial schools and 3 boarding schools. The Sisters of Mercy
Sisters of Mercy
The Religious Order of the Sisters of Mercy is an order of Catholic women founded by Catherine McAuley in Dublin, Ireland, in 1831. , the order has about 10,000 members worldwide, organized into a number of independent congregations....
had two schools, a boarding school in Mafikeng
Mafikeng
Mahikeng – formerly legally, but still commonly known as Mafikeng – is the capital city of the North-West Province of South Africa. It is best known internationally for the Siege of Mafeking, the most famous engagement of the Second Boer War.Located on South Africa's border with Botswana, it is ...
and a parochial school in Vryburg, North West
Vryburg, North West
Vryburg is a large agricultural town with a population of 48,200 situated in the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati district of the North West Province of South Africa...
. The Sisters of St. Jacut conducted at Taungs a school for natives. Taungs, the only native mission then, was founded in May, 1898, by Father Porte, O.M.I., and counted over 400 Catholics. The total number of children frequenting Catholic schools was over 1200. Besides the schools, the Vicariate of Kimberley had an establishment for orphans, the poor and the aged,managed by the Sisters of Nazareth. The devoted self-sacrifice of these Sisters contributed to overcome the prejudices of Protestants who help them generously in the upkeep of their establishment, where over one hundred and fifty children and aged persons were cared for; all the primary schools were in part supported by the Government. Besides the 16 Oblates and the 3 secular priests, 3 lay brothers, 11 Christian Brothers (Irish), 42 Sisters of the Holy Family of Bordeaux, 14 Sisters of Nazareth, 5 Sisters of Saint Jacut and 12 Sisters of Mercy carried out the work of regeneration in the vicariate.
One of the great obstacles to evangelization in this vicariate was the fact of the population being scattered and unsettled, preventing the priest from being in continual touch with his flock. The small number of priests permitted no increase of mission work amongst the natives, who far outnumbered the white population. The mining industry seemed the only source of material wealth, and its exploitation was to end. In the farming districts, though communication was facilitated by the construction of railways, the future seemed precarious owing to droughts, cattle diseases, locusts etc. As a consequence the population is unsettled and shifting, and sacerdotal vocations within the vicariate are hardly to be expected for the present. Catechism
Catechism
A catechism , i.e. to indoctrinate) is a summary or exposition of doctrine, traditionally used in Christian religious teaching from New Testament times to the present...
s and prayer book
Breviary
A breviary is a liturgical book of the Latin liturgical rites of the Catholic Church containing the public or canonical prayers, hymns, the Psalms, readings, and notations for everyday use, especially by bishops, priests, and deacons in the Divine Office...
s in the native language have, however, been compiled by Father Porte who made an expedition into Bechuanaland in 1898, and discovered that the natives, while akin in race and speech to the Basutos, are more rooted in fetishism
Fetishism
A fetish is an object believed to have supernatural powers, or in particular, a man-made object that has power over others...
.