History of the Mombasa Cathedral

 Which church do you think this quotation refers to?

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HIGHLIGHT ABOVE AND CLICK

"It is important for all in our archdiocese to get a better understanding of what we have inherited and encourage them to pass it on faithfully to future generations."

If you said  "St. Patrick's Church, Lethbridge", you would be wrong, though they ring true for our dear St. Pat's as well. The words were actually spoken by Archbishop John Njenga of Kenya and refer to Holy Ghost Cathedral, Mombasa, which is celebrating its centenary this year. It happens to be the church that Cybele and I got married in 59 years ago and the photograph shows us emerging from the cathedral into the bright sunlight on the front steps of the church, rather like the front  steps of our St. Patrick's Church. In fact, Holy Ghost Cathedral has many similarities with St. Pat's. It was built  by a missionary Order, the Holy Ghost Fathers, who were active in several countries in Africa. It was completed in 1923. St. Patrick's, Lethbridge, was started in 1913, ten years earlier, so it is ten years older, but for nearly forty years it was the basement that served as St. Patrick's Church until the superstructure was added in 1952.

Both buildings show the typical features of Romanesque architecture - semicircular arches, a solid, massive structure with the main walls often over a meter thick, built to withstand the elements. It is not surprising that many churches of this design have survived since the 11th Century and are to be found across Europe - especially in Italy,, the Iberian peninsula, France, Germany and England. Many monastic orders chose this design for their churches because of its simplicity and durability. Both the Holy Ghost Cathedral in Mombasa and St. Patrick's Church in Lethbridge feature sturdy pillars, a vaulted ceiling, large towers, a regular, symmetrical plan, a bell in one of the towers, and a flight of steps in front  rising to the main edifice.

When watching the video, you will come across photographs of the archbishops of the Holy Ghost Cathedral. The first is H.E. Archbishop Eugene Joseph Butler, C.S. Sp. As Father Butler, Pastor of St. Francis Xavier Church in Parklands, Nairobi, he taught my class Religion at the Dr. Ribeiro Goan School and was a good friend of my family. As Archbishop of Mombasa he was a good friend of Cybele'sfamily, often dropping in unannounced for Mrs. Carvalho's rice and curry or her fruit cake that he relished. When Cybele and I got married, we were quite honoured that the aging Archbishop graced our wedding, seated in his imposing chair.

Yes, the video brought back many memories for Cybele and me. I hope you enjoy watching it too. Please say a prayer for both the churches - they have been the spiritual homes for thousands in their hundred plus years.

Francis