HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC CHURCH

OUR CHURCH

 

St Marys

A Church was built in Extension 1 in Berring Street, Angola (this area was refered to by its residents  as Angola during the Declaration of the State of emergency of 1985 to indicate that it was warzone) and was named St Mary’s Church. It was a small  church  since the Catholic Community was relatively small.  At last the Catholic Community of KwaNobuhle had a place that they could refer to as their own. There was a place where Sacraments could be celebrated. On New Year’s day of 1981 Fr Jasper Mduna died and was succeeded by Fr Tim O’Callagan. In 1983 Fr William Lernihan who had been on a  Sabbatical, was appointed parish priest and replaced O’ Callagan. He was appointed to serve both St Joseph (mainly for whites) and St Mary’s (KwaNobuhle) Uitenhage.

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Holy Family 1989 -2014

Through the assistance of Mr Manakazana, Fr W Lernihan acquired a central site in Njomba/Faku Street, in an area that is known as "Comfihomes". This area is referred to as such, after one of the building firms which erected houses occupied mainly by black middle class  advertised his houses in that way.

The Church site was blessed by Bishop Zolile Brook. Bishop Andrew Zolile Tutu Brook was born 22 November 1929. He grew and studied in Uitenhage. He studied for his priesthood at St Augustine Seminary in Lesotho. He was ordained priest for the Diocese of Queenstown on 8 December 1957 because of the policy of Diocese of Port Elizabeth   which did not accept South Africans to study for priesthood for this diocese. In 1979 he was appointed and ordained  Bishop of Mthatha. After being a priest for 53 years and a bishop for 32 years he died in Uitenhage,  on 5 September 2011 at age 81,

 A big and a beautiful church was built and consecrated By bishop Michael Coleman on 13 August 1989.  The man who built it never managed to hand it over as he died a week  before the church was officially opened. The old St Mary’s Church was sold to Umzi waseTopiya and is now used by the New Apostolic Church.

Fr Willie also built a crèche.  The Creche building  was meeting centre of all the outreach programmes of the parish viz, the Care Minstry and now the soup kitchen for the St Kizito. Sr Kathleen, Mrs Tali, Mrs Bayeni and Br Christopher played a significant role in making sure that the parish does not neglect its mission to those who are  needy. 

Fr W. Lernihan introduced the Renew Programme and establishment of Small Christian Communites.

In 1993 had a major operation Fr Willie and few days later he died  and was buried form this Church, a funeral that was filled with grief and sense of loss not only by parishioners of Holy Family but by the people of KwaNobuhle,  the people that he loved and ministered to.

A number of priests have served this community among others Frs Thomas Mkhwambi (1991), Martin Brennan  (1992) Fr Jerry Browne (1993-1998), Paul Fahy (1998-2004),   Trymos Munyaka (2004-2007), Lawrence Kamala(2008-2012), Mluleki Mnyaka (2012 -).

Frs Xolisa Mafu (2013)and Ludwe Jayiya (2014) have been assisted during the tenure of Fr Mluleki Mnyaka.