IN October, St Mark’s Anglican Church in Hillary will celebrate its centenary anniversary.

Located on Second Street, the church is a chapelry of the Parish of Bellair-All Saints in the Diocese of KZN.

The cornerstone of the church was laid on October 30, 1926.

While a number of activities are being planned to commemorate the occasion, there is also a call to past parishioners, clergy, neighbours, and community members to be a part of a special publication ‘100 stories for 100 years of ministry’ where people are encouraged to write out their memories of St Mark’s.

Reverend Delysia Timm, the rector at the parish, said the idea was proposed by the church’s centenary committee.

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“We hope to highlight the impact of the church on the community and how it shaped the people who worshipped there. We’ve already had a few people reach out through Facebook but our goal is to get 100 stories for our 100 years of ministry. In fact, most recently we had a couple, who used to live in SA, but have now emigrated to Australia, visit the church because they were confirmed here. Their cruise ship had docked for a day in Durban and they used that day to visit the church, which shows the importance of the church,” she said.

Someone else who has been a part of the journey since her birth is Melanie Smith (Née Boisson).

She is the longest-serving member of the parish.

“I was baptised and confirmed at St Mark’s. Even though I moved to the Upper Highway area years ago, I still come to church services on Sunday because of the special connection between my family, the parishioners and the church.

“My sister Brenda was also much loved in the area and she used to read in church. She always stayed after the service to clean up and ensure the books are put back in the right place.

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“That’s an enduring memory for me because the community was so close-knit. While there have been small cosmetic changes to the church over the years, community has always been at the heart of what we do,” she said.

For more information on how to be part of the 100 stories project, contact the church office on 069 306 9136 or email centenarystmark@gmail.com.

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