You brought tears to Fr Mtshe’s eyes

We could hear it in his voice when we called to let him know that we had the money to complete St Cecilia’s Church. He couldn’t stop thanking us.

But those thanks belong to you. Because without generous support from Mission friends, we would not have been able to put the finishing touches to this new church.

Right now, the new floor tiles are being laid. Electricians were on site last Friday to connect the church up to the municipal power supply, and plans for the altar and lectern have been drawn up – we’re just waiting for quotes on these options for the marble slab.

If you are Catholic, you’ll know that the altar has to be constructed from natural stone, so it can be anointed with Chrism Oil during the blessing of the Church.

As the Archbishop smoothes the holy oil over the surface, you can be sure that he will be saying a prayer for everyone who has played their part in making this moment possible.

For the humble parishioners in this poor, rural area, it will be a day of celebration.

“Because of unemployment, and little money in the plate collection, we couldn’t have done this ourselves,” explained one of them. Another elderly woman seemed delighted that, “When I die, my funeral will be in this church.”

To everyone who contributed to this special need, thank you a thousand times over for reaching out to the faithful at St Cecelia’s. Your kindness really has made all the difference – and you will be remembered every time Mass is said in this far-flung corner of the Archdiocese of Durban.

Please come back soon for more updates right here on our website.

Latest update: 9 September 2024

So much progress has been made. The Sanctuary is beautifully tiled, the electrical system has been fully installed and all the windows have been properly secured and sealed. The marble altar and the Ambo are on order and should be installed in the next couple of weeks. We are getting pricing for benches (if you know of any from disused churches lying in storage please let us know), a presidential chair and altar servers stools. If you would like to donate, we would be more than grateful. We are thankful to the Lord for being on this journey with us.

A quick video round up for you …