ST. THERESA’S

Fr. Casimir Butler, a missionary in USA, came to Cape Town in 1929 and he was transferred to Northern Rhodesia in 1931. Coming from a Spanish environment in California, he got Mr. Poole, an architect, to draw- up a plan for what was to become St. Theresa’s Cathedral. Mr. Poole gave it as a gift to Fr. Casimir.

Building began in 1932. The church

Aerial view of St. Theresa’s Cathedral

was built then and it was opened on 17th March 1933. Mgr. Walnick,sj of Broken Hill, Mgr. Arnoz of Bulawayo and Bishop Chichester of Salisbury attended the opening ceremony.

Present at the blessing were Fr. Timothy Phelim O’Shear, Ofm.Cap, later to become the first Bishop of Livingstone, Fr. Killian Flynn, Ofm.Cap, later Mgr. and AMECEA founder, who became known as “Fr. AMECEA”. Its first General Secretary, Fr. Seraphin Besdale was also present.

The builder of the Cathedral was Mr. Misplan International. Timber work was done by a Belfast man, Mr. McFadden whose son, Fr. Declan, was Parish Priest.

On the celebration of the Cathedral’s Golden Jubilee in 1983, the Capuchins ended 50 years of service and the Nottingham Diocesan Priests (Fidei Donum) took over from them until 1997. Among the priests who served the parish were Peter Coyle, David Everitt, Alan Burbidge, Don Bowdren and Bernard Needham.

After the Nottingham Priests, the Cathedral Parish was then served by the Divine Word Missionaries SVD (Fr. Stanslaus), then by Fr. Joseph Hvsic, a Fidei Donum priest from Slovakia. He was replaced briefly by Fr. Peter Sledz (SVD) who handed over to the Diocesan Priests. Among the earliest Diocesans to serve were Fr. Cletus Mwiila, Fr. Clifford Mulasikwanda and Fr. John Damascene Rurangwa.

Initially, St. Theresa’s Cathedral had two Small Christian Communities: St. John and St. Andrew, which were later divided to make seven Small Christian Communities, due to pastoral reasons.

The parish has only one out-station, Sacred Heart- Palmgrove Church situated near the Victoria Falls.

SUNDAY MASSES: 07:00 Hrs, 08:30 Hrs (for children), 10:00 Hrs.

WEEKDAY MASSES:

MONDAY TO FRIDAY: 06.30HRS

SATURDAY: 07.00HRS

Contact Address:

Tel: (00260 21 3) 321458; Plot No. 94, Musi-O-Tunya Road; P. O. Box 60217- Livingstone.

Email: cathedralsttheresa@gmail.com