The Life of John Bradburne is a 30- minute documentary produced and directed by Collen Magobeya.
Ambuya Colletta Mafuta, a leprosy patient narrates the story of John Randall Bradburne, a lay member of the Order of St Francis, a poet, warden of the Mutemwa leper colony at Mutoko (1969 – 1979). He was killed by guerrillas and is a candidate for canonization. Ambuya Colletta Mafuta got to know him since the day this missionary arrived in Mutemwa in 1969 and she was one of the last people to see him before he was kidnapped.
Ambuya Colleta tells the story of the single-minded loving care John Bradburne gave to the residents, which eventually brought him into conflict with the management committee, as he was the warden. He refused to put number tags around the patients necks and reduce their already small diet. He was sacked. He then lived in a prefab tin hut, lacking water and sanitation, just outside the leprosy compound. From there, he continued to help the lepers as much as he could.
As a lay member of the Third Order of St Francis, he obeyed its rule, singing the daily office of Our Lady. He lived its hours, rising at dawn for Matins and ending the day with Vespers and Compline. This discipline provides the context for many poems written by him at the turning-points of the day.
During the Zimbabwea civil war, John Bradburne’s efforts to prevent exploitation of the leprosy patients brought local hostility and suspicion. He refused to leave the place for safety and was abducted by guerrillas. As a result, he was shot to death on Wednesday September 5, 1979.
Since his death, many unusual events have been reported in relation to his name. His monument at Mutemwa is now a place of pilgrimage, and there is a growing movement in support of his cause for sainthood. Hundreds of people gather every year on the September, 4 for his annivesary.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6ZcTFQt-N4[/youtube]
My good friend Diana Mitchell researched his life before she left Zimbabwe in relation to the proposed canonisation, I hope you managed to use her work!
I’m dying to see the full 30 minute video by Ambuya Colletta.
Where can I buy the video of mbuya Mafuta
As a journalist with the then Rhodesia Herald I and a photographer met John Bradburne at Mutemwa and wrote a story about him. To my great regret I never kept a copy of the story or photographs. The year must have been between 1969 and 1971. He was living in a little hut within the leper colony and I never forget he had a pump organ which he played for us, which seemed so incongruous at the time. He was so proud of his leper colony friends and took great delight in showing us around the neat compound and introducing us by name to the patients. I never forget each hut had a neat garden, including vegetables. At the time I marveled at Bradburne’s obvious love for his patients. And my abiding memory of Bradburne was this huge aura of peace and serenity which surrounded him like a cocoon. If only I had known then I was in the presence of a saint!
Hi, my mother’s name was Maisie Bradburne, born 1918 in West Sussex, U.K. She was, I was told by my mother, a cousin of John Randall Bradburne, but I’m not sure how. Her brother was Randall Bradburne and probably their father was John Bradburne’s brother, thus he would be a 1st Cousin. Has anyone any family tree info re John Bradburne, it would be much appreciated. My wife also lived in Zimbabwe for 3 years so there’s also a connection there !! Regards, Robert Matthews.
I want to acknowledge the miraculous healing for my husband after doing the novena for John Randall Bradburne. Praise be to God.
Georgina