This archive report was first published on 23 December 2019.
St Theresa's Catholic Cathedral Church: A Historic Landmark in Kisumu ¶
Located in Kisumu Town, on the Kisumu-Kakamega road, stands the St Theresa's Catholic Cathedral Church, close to the famous Kibuye Market.
The church, built in 1926, started off as Kibuye Mission, initially a catechism centre of St Joseph's Milimani church, reserved for Africans, while the Milimani church served Europeans and Goans.
The Kibuye church's first priest was Father Sydney Farmer, and in 1929, a convent was built near the church, with the Patricroft Sisters from England as its first occupants.
The first church still stands in the compound of St Teresa Girls Secondary School and currently serves as the Kisumu Archdiocese's printing press.
Published on December 23, 2019, the church was elevated to a cathedral in 1953, under the patronage of St Therese of The Child Jesus.
The cathedral was designed by architect Dorothy Hughes, who drew the first design in 1953 but wasn't happy with it, so she went back to Europe to study cathedrals and then drew a second design, which she gave to Brother Andrew Royland, and the construction started in 1955.
The foundation stone was laid by Bishop Fredrick Hall, who blessed it upon its completion and served as the area's first bishop.
The stained glass windows were made by Brother Joseph Van Heeswijk at Ggaba in Kampala, Uganda.
Today, the church can comfortably accommodate 1,200 to 1,800 people, and since the National Museums of Kenya recognises the church as a historic building, only slight renovations are allowed.
