Latest News

The closing of an important door The past few years have been filled with hurdles to be overcome. With embarrassment we've had to ask for your gracious understanding and forgiveness for changing postal addresses; for the return of your donations being sent to Africa;...

A window to Matikwe Mission Matikwe Mission was founded in 1925 by Missionaries from France and still serves a sprawling community in the parish of St Joseph. A convent was later built in 1967 where the  Sisters of the Daughters of Charity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus...

Learn more about Archbishop Siegfried Jwara There's always so much more to know when one meets someone new. So here's a little more about our new Archbishop. The Archbishop's mother, Desideria Mkhize, attended a Mission boarding school at Himmelberg run by Franciscan...

When drawing up a Will The most important beneficiaries in any Will are those who depend on us in daily life - especially children. And for minor children, a guardian is necessarily appointed. Someone who will act in their best interests - materially, and one hopes,...

The blessing of vocations In May 2021 we were blessed with the ordination of four new priests. We're delighted to introduce them to you. Father Ziphoxonke Gumede grew up as a Catholic and member of his church choir. His wish is to give time to his community, and to...

Thank you for bringing Christmas to people in the Valley of 1000 Hills The Valley of 1000 Hills forms around the twisting path of the uMngeni River. It’s a beautiful but impoverished part of the Archdiocese of Durban, and was one of the first places where your...

Our new Archbishop’s personal greeting to you “My dear brothers and sisters, I greet you in the name of Our Lord, Jesus Christ. I have accepted the role of chief shepherd for the Archdiocese of Durban with great humility.” 8 August 2021 saw the installation of...

Father Sifiso Ndlovu remembers his childhood Easters Father Sfiso’s face reflects the joys of his childhood where he grew up in two homes – his family home, and the rural home of his uncle. It was in the open spaces of his uncle’s farm that he spent his school...

Lasting legacies As we live each day, we all create our personal legacies. We adopt attitudes, carry out actions, and make our own unique mark for which we’ll be remembered. Each time the Archdiocese of Durban receives what is most commonly called a ‘legacy’ (a gift...

Bless you for responding to our Mission food emergency Pictured are the first families to receive the emergency food parcels that you so generously provided. Amongst them are sisters Luyanda and Samkeliswe who care for their mother who has Tuberculosis. These...

Our supporters made a difference! Thank you once again for the generous response to our crisis food appeal, following the violent unrest in our country in July. Thanks to our caring Mission friends overseas, we have been able to despatch the first 50 Food Vouchers to...

New Archbishop inaurgurated On Sunday 8 August 2021, the most reverend Siegfried Mandla Jwara CMM was installed as the new Archbishop of Durban, following the retirement of Cardinal Wilfrid Napier OFM.  

Clean up operations underway in central Durban, following the looting spree that took place on Monday and Tuesday. Photographer unknown.   SACC calls for calm amid violence and looting The South African Council of Churches (SACC) notes with deep concern the...

Denis Hurley Centre Clinic remains steadfast in the face of Covid-19 As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to sweep through our communities, the primary healthcare clinic at the Denis Hurley Centre has been steadfast in offering health and hope to the homeless and...

Notes of hope in the time of Covid The family that prays together It was a Saturday night during a visit to a parish family home, when Cardinal Napier shared in something special. At 8.00pm sharp all chatter and activities stopped as the family, from oldest to...

Late news is still great news (Especially when it says ‘Thank You’ to you.) Christmas before last, we asked you to help the children of the Ekujabulani Child and Youth Care Centre. All the children, aged five to 16 years, are living there by Court Order for their...

Then, and Now In one of our earliest Mission newsletters we featured Father Cyril Axelrod. Born deaf, the only child of a Jewish family, Cyril was sent to St Vincent’s School for the Deaf in Johannesburg as a three year old. There, in the devoted and loving care of...

New Archbishop of Durban appointed His Holiness, Pope Francis, has appointed 64 year old Bishop Siegfried Mandla Jwara, CMM as the new Archbishop of Durban. The bishop has served as the Apostolic Vicar of Ingwavuma since 2016. He is a member of the Congregation of...

During the month of May, Catholics around the world are urged to pray for an end to the Coronavirus pandemic Each day of the month has a different prayer intention (see below) and prayers are said at a Marian shrine. In South Africa, we have a relatively new Marian...

Traditional Good Friday March to take place In 1985, Archbishop Hurley and other church leaders led a public Good Friday march through the streets of Durban. It was both symbolic of Christ's suffering the day he was crucified, as well as a peaceful resistance to the...

Cardinal Napier celebrates his 80th birthday – very quietly at home The 8th of March this year, fell not only during the Covid restrictions, but also during Lent, the time of fasting and abstinence. This birthday should also have heralded the official retirement of...

Dalton Road shacks destroyed in city clean up operation For 6 years, the Denis Hurley Centre has been working closely with the Dalton Road community to uplift lives, providing health and child care through a container clinic and pre-school. The community is very poor...

Napier Centre 4 Healing helps turn lives around After ten months in the programme at the Napier Centre 4 Healing, 24 year old Lindo is ready to get back to college and get his life back on track. Lindo became addicted to whoonga (low-grade heroin) and ended up living...

This Saturday, 13 February, marks the 14th Anniversary of the death of Archbishop Denis Hurley. You are invited to be with us in prayer to remember Archbishop Hurley, and hear about the impact of the work of the Denis Hurley Centre, during a virtual event hosted on...

Requiem Mass for His Grace Archbishop Abel Gabuza Requiem Mass for the Archbishop will be celebrated by His Eminence Cardinal Wilfrid Napier OFM and live streamed from Emmanuel Cathedral at 11h00 on Friday 22 January 2021. Owing to Covid-19 restrictions, members of...

He loved, and was loved On Sunday 17 January, the earthly life of Archbishop Abel Gabuza was ended by Covid-19. Due to succeed Cardinal Napier as Archbishop of Durban, Archbishop Abel had been in the position of Coadjutor for two years, and had become a familiar...

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, for so much love 'Thank You’, can’t be said enough times for your support during the Covid-19 lockdown, and beyond. With poverty and hunger already the norm for many of our people, the pandemic made a bad situation worse. Poverty and...

Zulu Mission Bequestor, Freda*, tells her story We greatly appreciated being advised by UK mission friend, Freda, that she has left a bequest to the Archdiocese of Durban, as well as hearing the story behind her generosity. ‘As an eight year old child, I attended a...

A Mission Priest and Covid-19 The alarm bells rang for Father David Sithole when he lost his senses of taste and smell – a symptom of Covid-19. Living alone in his house at Corpus Christi in Upper Tongaat, Father David wasn’t prepared for sudden isolation. He had to...

Even Saints don’t escape racism As we in South Africa well know, racism is a great divider of people, and continues to be so around the world. With our history of apartheid, we do well to look to a Saint who overcame racism – St Martin de Porres. Born Black and...

Taking you with us on The Pilgrimage to the Holy Land One of last year’s big disappointments was the postponement of this pilgrimage to be led by Cardinal Napier. But our invitation to you to send in your special intentions still stands. As soon as international...

As a Mission Supporter you have these rights To be fully informed of our Mission. To expect that we function professionally and ethically. To know that your donations are used for their intended purposes. To receive report back on the use of your donations. To know...

Please, will you forgive us? Several of our Mission friends have been kind enough to inform us that they’ve felt bombarded and overwhelmed by multiple communications from us all arriving at the same time. We thank them for their thoughtfulness in advising us. It’s...

Eight nuns succumb to Covid-19 pandemic In less than two weeks, eight nuns at the Assisi Convent on the KwaZulu South Coast have died from Coravirus. The nuns, who are members of the Daughters of St Francis in Port Shepstone in the diocese of Umzimkulu, started dying...

Pope's Message for World Day of the Poor In his homily for World Day of the Poor – Sunday 15 November – Pope Francis stressed the importance of service in the life of Christians. “The season of Christmas is approaching, the holiday season,” the Holy Father noted. “How...

Volunteers needed at the Denis Hurley Centre soup kitchen With the easing of lockdown restrictions, the feeding programme at the Denis Hurley Centre  is returning to normal. We have been handing out food in containers so that people do not congregate at the DHC. But...