September  2004 Edition

Archives in Developing Countries

"While we are talking, documents of inestimable value to both the local churches and the governments in the newly independent countries are being irretrievably lost." Those are the words of a member of the Archivists of the Holy Ghost Fathers (Spiritans) at their meeting in Knechsteden, Germany in 2002. The same concern was expressed at their meeting in Dublin in June, this year.

We are all aware of how fragile paper is in the tropics. All kinds of 'creepy crawlies', fostered in a hot and humid climate, enjoy nothing better than breakfasting on paper, undisturbed, in a dark, dusty box or cupboard. Often, the paper used was cheap and of poor quality.

Holy Ghost Congregation (Spiritans)
The Holy Ghost Congregation, or Spiritans, was founded in 1703 in Paris. The objective of the founders was to work with the poor and disadvantaged, particularly in Africa. Their inspiration in coming to Ireland in 1859 was to recruit personnel for Anglophone Africa. Because of the poor conditions which they found in the Ireland of the time, they broadened their objective. They opened a school in Booterstown which later became Blackrock College.

Spiritan Missions
Spiritans opened a mission in Liberia in 1844, Gambia in 1849, Zanzibar in 1860, Sierra Leone 1864, and Nigeria 1883. The original pioneers were mostly French but as the years passed, the involvement of the Irish increased. Their Mission in Bagamoyo became famous as the starting point for Stanley and other explorers, when they set out on their expeditions into the interior. On February 24, 1874, on their return journey to England, the mortal remains of David Livingstone rested there.

Over the years in these countries, Irish men and women have been involved in social work, opening schools, hospitals, development centres, parishes and churches. The history of the Irish Catholic missions over the last two hundred years is intertwined with the history of the countries where they worked. The history of the Holy Ghost Congregation, to a greater or lesser degree, is part of the history of Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Liberia, Nigeria, Kenya and Zanzibar. Their archives are Spiritan Archives: Spiritan archives are their archives. An added dimension is that ownership of archival material in Catholic Church institutions has never been precisely determined. Who are the legal owners of documents in an institution opened and staffed by Spiritans for many years? Is it the government, the local Church or the Spiritans? The question, which even a few years ago was considered important, is now largely academic. Firstly, the interests and sensitivities of the local Church must be paramount and secondly, governments in Africa as in Europe have strict laws governing the exportation of historical documents.

The questions now are:

1. How can archival material which is part of the heritage of the younger  Churches and of ours, be preserved?

2. How can material which has been lost through civil unrest or degeneration be replaced? In many cases, the only copies extant are in our archives in Dublin.

What is the solution?
It is understandable that the local churches, as well as the civil authorities, are reticent to allow material of historical value to be taken from the country, even on a temporary basis. There is concern about getting that material back and also, the collections are vital for on site consultation by researchers.

The local churches are very aware of the importance of preserving their archives. Unfortunately, most have not the wherewithal to do the work effectively. 

Temporary Solutions
In agreement with the Local Church and Civil Authorities, Angola has sent two trunks of documents to our General Archives in Paris for preservation. The collection can be consulted by researches. Archival material from Zaire has been sent to Brussels for preservation and safe-keeping only: it is not available for consultation. It is understood that those documents will be returned to the countries of origins when requested.

Two Alternatives
Alternative solutions have been suggested for other cases:

1. Bring the originals to Europe and leave copies in the country of origin.

2. Leave the originals in the country of origin and bring copies to Europe.

Either of these alternatives solves the problem of ownership with the added advantage of having a second copy available in the event of fire or destruction. They do not, however, satisfactorily address the problem of preservation which can only be had at a price. Proper preservation comes up against the age long problem—training and finance.

How can we in the older churches help?
Those attending the meeting of Spiritan archivists in Dublin in June 2004, proposed that Spiritans in Europe, should help local churches to set up archives—with regard to both training and finance—particularly in countries where we have had a long historical connection. In March this year I visited Sierra Leone where Spiritans have worked since 1864. The local church there is very concerned about the preservation of its heritage. Again, understandably, it is slow to let material out of the country even on a temporary basis. Dr Ganda, the Archbishop of Freetown and Bo, has requested the Irish Province of the Spiritans to send a member to help his Diocese to establish a proper archive. This implies getting a person who is competent and available. It will also mean getting proper archival preservation material shipped from Europe with all the attendant problems. Nevertheless, I hope that the Irish Province of Holy Fathers will be able to respond positively to the request in the coming year.

The immediate problem, demanding an immediate solution, is not training but getting the collection in Freetown catalogued and in proper preservation containers. Training personnel can be very expensive. It will give a poor return on the capital investment, if the facilities to put the training to good use, are not available when the graduate returns home.

Nigeria
The Dioceses of Eastern Nigeria have mandated Fr Anthony Ojoku, a qualified Archivist, to set up archives in the Whelan Research Institute, Owerri. Spiritans have worked there since 1883. This was a time of great change in the country, spanning the development from pre- and post-independence to the Biafran War and after. Some documents dealing with this period, vital to the history of the Catholic Church and the State, have perished. The originals or copies are in Dublin. Fr Anthony has hit on a solution. He has arranged with the Yale Divinity School to microfilm on site, all documents in our archives dealing with Nigeria. Adams Mathew Publications, London, will do the work and it is planned to begin on April 1, 2006. A copy of the microfilm will be sent to Nigeria, one retained in Dublin and another in the vault at Harvard. Copies will also be on sale to other interested institutions.

R. Barry, CSSO
Holy Ghost Fathers, Dublin