This page was last updated on Sunday, 08 June 2003 19:41:53
The history of the parishes in the Diocese of Eshowe
Kwambonambi is a small town, thirty-five kilometres north of Empangeni. The Catholics in the area were first looked after by the priest of Fatima and later (from 1952) by the priest of Empangeni. Bishop Bilgeri sent Fr. Matthew Brunner (18981985) to Kwambonambi to become the first resident priest there and to supervise the construction of a new Catholic centre. He celebrated Mass for the first time in the town on April 17, 1960. That date is remembered as foundation day of the St. Paul's Parish, Kwambonambi.
Mark Hussey of Pretoria drew up the plan for a Catholic centre. It was originally supposed to consist of a priest's house, a small hall and a church. Construction work began in January 1970. The first phase (priest's house and hall) was finished by the middle of 1971, so that the priest could move in. The hall was furnished with pews and used as a chapel for the small congregation of Catholics. Plans to build a church have been postponed.
The parish of Kwambonambi comprises the northeastern corner of the Diocese of Eshowe. It had about 1300 Catholics in 1975. When it lost its resident priest in March 1977, it became more and more difficult for the bishop to send a priest to Kwambonambi. The station was eventually closed in July 1979. Since then the parish priest of Empangeni has been celebrating Mass for the Catholics in town twice a month. The outstations are looked after by the parish priests of Esikhaweni and Ngwelezana.
Parish Priests of Kwambonambi
You are visitor No. on this
site since
13 May 1996.
This page was last updated on
Sunday, 08 June 2003 19:41:53
