St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica Parish - Catholic Archdiocese of Bulawayo

St. Mary's Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception was established in 1903 and was conferred a Minor Basilica in 2013.
Our parish is attached to the chief church of the archdiocese, in which the archbishop has his seat and close to which is his residence - it is the archbishop's church wherein he presides, teaches, and conducts worship for the whole archdiocese.

The parish consists of those Catholics who live in the centre of Bulawayo and all those who join them regularly from various city suburbs. Most of the Masses and other activities are done in English language.

There is the Convent of AMR Sisters and the Convent of Dominican Sisters of the Sacred Heart in the parish area.

Rector: Fr. James Batsirai

Assistant Priest: Fr. Vusumuzi Golden Moyo

Our Activities

HOLY MASS

Monday: 6.30 am
Tuesday: 6.30 am,
Wednesday: 6.30 am
Thursday: 6.30 am,
Friday: 6.30 am,
Saturday: 6.30 am
SUNDAY: 08.30 and 10.00

CONFESSION

Any time on request from 06.30 - 18.00

EUCHARISTIC ADORATION

Wednesday 14.00 - 17.00

CATECHISM LESSONS

Children: Saturdays 08.30 - 10.00

MCA 10.00 - 12.00

Adults: Wednesday

DEVOTIONS

First Friday: Sacred Heart: 17.00

Our News

2023 Celebrating 120 years

Our Newsletter

Our Projects

No projects of this parish yet.

Our 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.