Mariannhill Monastery is a historic treasure
Cistercian monks made a home in Pinetown in the 1800s and became self-sufficient. Today, the Mariannhill Monastery still provides many services to the community.
FOUNDED in 1882 by Trappist monks, Mariannhill Monastery, with its red brickwork, remains an iconic Pinetown landmark 140 years later.
The group of 30 Cistercian monks, who built the monastery over the course of many decades, had initially attempted to put down roots in Gqeberha, formerly called Port Elizabeth, before sailing up the east coast of South Africa and purchasing land near present-day Pinetown. The farm called Zeekoeigat was comprised of rolling hills, marshy land and a sparkling river, which offered the monks everything they needed to establish a completely self-sustainable mission.
The anecdote, recounted by the member of the congregation who conducted the tour, is that Abbot Francis’s ox-wagon became stuck in the mud in Mariannhill, and the frustrated Abbot refused to continue inland, according to the brothers’ original plan.
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The brothers were not allowed to evangelise to the local population, and due to their continuing to conduct outreach to the local population, Abbot Francis was eventually put into exile. Pope Pius X separated the congregation of the Missionaries of Mariannhill and the monastery from the Trappist order by papal decree in 1909.
The brothers were self-reliant, growing their own food and making clothing and furniture. The dining room tables and chairs were made from yellowwood trees by the brothers. The pews, altar and vaulted wooden ceiling in the church were also made on-site. The red bricks and the Stations of the Cross, completed in 1902, were made from clay dug up from the banks of the river on the farm. The river was the source of electricity for the monastery. The industrious brothers created a printing press, made candles, and had a bakery making artisanal German bread.
In the main church, carved figurines behind the altar depict Francis Xavier, also known as the patron saint of missionaries, and the Virgin Mary. She is flanked by two winged angels.
The public is invited to avail themselves of monastery services, including Sunday morning church services; a monthly service conducted in sign language for the deaf community; the use of the Retreat House for contemplation and solitude; visits to the Repository for purchase of candles and religious books; the blacksmith; carpentry services; the mission press, which offers printing services and website creation; a tailoring department, which makes vestments for the brothers and bespoke orders for the community; sewing training, and the monastery tea garden.
Tours are conducted Monday to Friday, between 08:00 to 12:00. Please book via info@mariannhillmonastery.org.za or 031 700 4288.
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