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Name: BLAIS, Jules (Rev. Father)

Birth Date: 12.7.1883 Flers, Séez

Death Date: 18.12.1930 Chevilly

First Date: 1915

Profession: Catholic Mission

Area: Kilima Mbogo, Thika

Book Reference: KAD, Red 31, Gazette, Baur, Red 19, Red 22. Red 25

General Information:

Gazette - 7/4/15 - Liable for Jury service, Machakos - L. Blais, R. Mission, Kabaa [twice]
Baur - In early 1918 Fr. Blais opened for them St Peter Claver Mission, still regarded today by the older Kenyan Catholics as their mother church.
Red Book 1919 - J. Blais - Kabaa, Machakos
Web: As the African workforce in Nairobi expanded to meet the demands of the European settlers, the presence of young people without an education or an occupation (officially known as “vagabonds”) became a serious social issue. By the early 1920s, the railway authorities had built decent housing for their African employees and their families. On 19 November 1922, Bishop Neville proceeded to the blessing of a new St Peter Claver’s chapel and school for Africans situated on Racecourse Road in the capital city Nairobi.
“At last my most ardent desires have been fulfilled; we have a church which can easily hold twelve hundred people and, in case of necessity, two thousand. It is not excessive for the capital of Kenya” (Jules Blais Cssp). The Catholic Church had first approached the colonial government about this development for Africans in 1916 but was met with the usual subterfuge. It was not until early 1922 that the plot was allocated and the necessary approvals for construction were granted. The school immediately admitted the first students in January 1923 drawn from many different tribes, which I believe was the first school to do so in Kenya.
Henry J. Koren, Spiritan East African Memorial, 1994: Together with 26 other candidates he made his vows on September 30, 1903 at Orly; he studied theology at Chevilly and at Fribourg, Switzerland, where he was also ordained on October 9, 1908. Assigned to the Zanzibar vicariate, he sailed from Naples on September 20, 1909.  Bp. Allgeyer placed him on Pemba island until he transferred him to the new mission of Kabaa in the Ukamba region of Kenya three years later. The start was difficult because of opposition to a Catholic post in the area and the local elders did not appear to want him.  With his companion he lived there in a little hut until in 1914 Kavirondo workers,who had migrated from the Upper Nile came to the area in search of work.  To his delight they were also interested in the faith. They  built the  mission's  new  installations,  became  Christians  and established Christian families. In 1917 he became the founder of the new mission St. Peter Claver in Nairobi for the Kikuyu.  Here he could really show his mettle.   He developed it into a center to which a string of some 40 to 50 catechists working in the country were attached.  In 1921 Bp. Neville came to bless the new church-school building of some 130 by 33 feet that could seat 800 people on Sundays.   It had been built by Br. Josaphat Novitzki.  There were about 600 catechumens under instruction at the center alone. And some 1200 people came to witness the blessing of their church. When he was transferred to Kilomeni in 1927, he could hand over to his successor a parish with over 1,700 Christians and 2,000 catechumens. In Kilomeni he continued to work in a similar fashion.  However, his time of active work was nearly over.  Returning to France on leave in 1930, he died there before the end of the year.
 

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