Holy Angels celebrates 50 years

THE Holy Angels Church came into being in March 11, 1966. This event was observed by 27 000 Catholics and the then Community Pastor Fr. Albert Herold (OSB) in Bhekuzulu Location.- Vryheid.

On July 10, 2016, the Church will be celebrating it’s 50 years golden Jubilee with pride under the auspices of the Honourable Bishop XT Khumalo and Father BH Thungo

The township of Bhekuzulu, outside Vryheid, was established in the early sixties to accommodate families and workers who were employed in Vryheid.

Many of them had until then lived in mud huts and shacks along Besterspruit river valley, east of Vryheid.

The Benedictines had already built a school chapel at KwaBhanya, a hill overlooking the river

valley.

After it was blessed and opened in March 11, 1928, it catered for the pastoral needs of the people in the area and enabled their children to attend school.

KwaBhanya remained a Catholic Centre until a church was built near the new Bhekuzulu Township.

The first application for a church site in Bhekuzulu submitted by the then Diocese of Eshowe submitted in 1963, was turned down by the Town Council of Vryheid.

However, in 1964, the Bishop was able to acquire a church site on the eastern fringe of the township near the Besterspruit River.

The original ideas and rough sketches for the church were those of Hans Schadel, who was a famous architect from Germany.

An Amphitheatre-inspired design had a projection providing most of the shafts of natural light that beams down upon the altar, tabernacle and

These are grouped closely together with the baptismal font that completely dominates the scene. An open copy of the Bible is honoured in a prominent and unusual housing which forms the front of the pulpit.

The church was build by Misselhorn & Buhler Construction, Vryheid, in 1965/66.

Though the church is unique, it is neither ornate nor pretentious, simplicity being the keynote of the design and appointment. It’s white mass and a tower surmounted by a large cross reaching into the blue sky presents the most impressive sight which can be seen for miles around, even though it is situated in a valley.

A hall, measuring 12 x 6,5 metres, was built in 1983 between the church and the bell-tower.

In honour of the town, valley and the culture of Bhekuzulu Location residents, Fr. Herold ensured that typical Zulu features were integrated in the design of the church and the courtyard, which is surrounded by walls.

Catholic teacher and artist George Kubheka who was a resident of Vryheid, designed the Church inside and outside with traditional ornamental paintings.

Upon completion, Bishop Aurelian Bilgeri blessed and officially opened the Holy Angels Church in March 20, 1966.

Bishop Mansuet Biyase blessed the Holy Angels Catholic Church hall on June

3, 1984.

At that time, Bhekuzulu township already had about 10 000 inhabitants when the government considered a plan to close it down because it was situated in what was then regarded a white area.

However, when Dr Gerrit Viljoen, the Minister of Education, Training and Development Aid, visited the township on March 2, 1985, it was decided to scrap the plan of moving all residents from Bhekuzulu to Mondlo.

The future of Bhekuzulu was secured and new development projects were then initiated in the town.

Hundreds of new houses were built in the late eighties for employees of the South African Railway and various mining companies.

The whole town was upgraded, roads were tarred, street lighting installed and a community hall erected. In 1990, the government released money so that the Town Council could improve the educational facilities in Bhekuzulu.

Several large primary and secondary schools were built. This in turn attracted more and more

newcomers to the town. About 20 000 people lived in Bhekuzulu in 1993.

The Catholic community of Bhekuzulu was always strongly oriented towards lnkamana. Many parishioners would attend the services at the monastery church at lnkamana on high feasts such as Christmas, Easter or Corpus Christi.

However, the Holy Angel community found its identity as an independent

parish in 1984. Separate church books were started for Holy Angels in January 1987. The parish had about 1000 members in 1994.

To date the Holy Angels Church has grown in leaps and bounds. Under the guidance and stewardship of Fr. Thungo.

The church would like to give gratitude by acknowledging the role played by the following Priests in the history and

being of Holy Angels Church:

1. Fr. Albert Herold (OSB) March 1966 Sept 1968

2. Fr. Peter Scholz (OSB) Sept 1968 Jan 1969

3. Fr. Heribert Ruf (OSB) Feb 1969 Jan 1974

4. Fr. Stephen Xulu Jan 1974 Sept 1975

5. Fr. Richard Multerer (OSB) Sept 1975 Jan 1980

6. Fr. Michael Mayer (OSB) Jan 1980 July 1982

7. Fr. Ruprecht Wolf (OSB) July 1982 April1983

8. Fr. Michael Mayer (OSB) April1983 March 1984

9. Fr. Peter Scholzs (OSB) March 1984 April1987

10. Fr. Godfrey Sieber (OSB) May 1987 April1997

11. Fr. Hermenegild Maier (OSI April1997 June 1997

12. Fr. Godfrey Sieber (OSB) June 1997 Jan 1999

13. Fr. Hermenegild Maier (OSI Jan 1999 May 2003

14. Fr. Richard Multerer (OSB) May 2003 Jan 2007

15. Fr. Raphael Chonde (OSB} Jan 2007 June 2015

16. Fr. Bheki Thungo July 2015 To date

The Holy Angels Congregation would like to express its sincere gratitude to Bishop Khumalo and Eshowe Diocese for the leadership and guidance,

lnkamana Parish for the never ending support and St. Thomas More for being a sister church. We, as the Holy Angels Church are what, where and how we are because you are. Thank you.