St. Mary's Church of Immaculate Conception - History
In 1903 Fr. Barthelemy SJ, the founder of St.
Georges school in Bulawayo and the then superior of the Jesuits in the
Matabeleland province of the Zambesi Mission suggested that the new
church be called "The Immaculate Conception" to honour the 50th Jubilee
of the declaration of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception by Pope
Pius IX. The foundation stone was laid and blessed on 25 March 1903 and
the first service was on Easter Sunday 3 April 1904. The Bishop of
Kimberly the Right Reverend Bishop M. Gaughran OMI celebrated a
Pontifical High Mass on this day.
A major extension to the existing church was begun in mid 1957 and the
newly extended church was consecrated on Sunday 22 November 1959. This
doubled the capacity of the Cathedral. The Centenary celebrations held
on 3 August 2003 were led by the then current Apostolic Nuncio to
Zimbabwe, Archbishop Joseph Edward Adams.
The cathedral was raised to the status of a Minor Basilica on 21 June
2013 by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of
Sacraments. The declaration and blessing of St. Mary's Cathedral Minor
Basilica took place on 31 August 2013 and was performed by the Apostolic
Nuncio to Zimbabwe, His Excellency, the Most Reverend Archbishop George
Kocherry.
1930 Construction Progress
1933 View side and rear
Apostolic Residence & Priests House
1934 Parish House Construction - Land position, foundations during
and finished
1934 - Stables for Dairy