| Vice Provincial: | Kees Thonissen | | 1st Councillor: | Basil Hendricks | | 2nd Councillor: | Donal O'Mahony (of Ireland) | | 3rd Councillor: | Richard Reese | | 4th Councillor: | Dominic Griego | In 1929, the Irish Capuchins arrived in Cape Town, South Africa and what is now the western province of Zambia. The two groups are today separate.
At present, there are sixteen Capuchins in South Africa.
The youngest of these - Fr Dominic Griego from Bridgetown, Cape Town - was ordained to the priesthood in February 2006. Our oldest friar is Fr Didacus McGrath who has just celebrated fifty years as priest. Ordained in Ireland, Fr Didacus has spent the whole of his priestly ministry in South Africa.
The Capuchins are present in four provinces in South Africa: Cape TownWe still have our Cape Town foundational parishes in Athlone (St Mary of the Angels) and Parow (Immaculate Conception) and have been in Welcome Estate (St Theresa’s) for many years.
Port ElizabethYou will find us in Malabar (Our Mother of Perpetual Help) and Charlo (San Francesco).
PietermaritzburgOnce we ran three parishes in this town. We no longer have parochial responsibility, but own a house which we will reoccupy when we again have students to attend the nearby St Joseph’s Theological Institute at Cedara.
Pretoria (Tshwane)Under the jurisdiction of the South African superior, is a Capuchin house named Padre Pio and concerned with the education of new Capuchin friars. It caters for students from all over Africa. Also at this house is the Damietta Initiative, which is a Franciscan peace-making project founded by one of our friars.
MinistriesOf necessity we have worked chiefly as parish priests. The needs of the Church have made that obvious. Nevertheless, this has not altogether precluded friars from other ministries. These are examples:
- Formation (training) of new young friars
- Ministry to convents, including confessors
- Marriage Encounter
- Prison ministry
- Retreats
- Seminary teaching
Our contact addresses in South Africa are:
CAPUCHIN VICE PROVINCIALATE
P.O. Box 118, Howard's Place 7450
Cape Province, South Africa
Tel: 0027-21-6370026
Fax: 0027-21-6370014
e-mail:
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Capuchin Friars
31 – 4th Street
Welcome Estate 7764
Cape Province
Tel: 0027 21 6374637
Fax: 0027 21 6374637
Mary of the Angels Parish
Lawrence Rd,
Athlone 7764
Cape Province
Tel: 0027 21 6966713
Fax: 0027 21 6964834
Capuchin Friars
Rietvlei
P.O. Box 11939
Erasmuskloof
Pretoria 0048
Tel: 0027 12 3455290
Fax: 0027 12 3455291
Capuchin Friars
P.O. Box 1081
Parow 7499,
Cape Province
Tel: 0027 21 5911911
Fax: 0027 21 5921337
Capuchin Friars
(San Francesco)
P.O. Box 15685
Emerald Hill 6011
Port Elizabeth
Tel: 0027 41 3671930
Fax: 0027 41 3687187
Capuchin Friars
P.O. Box 16452
Gelvandale 6059
Port Elizabeth
Tel: 0027 41 4524674
Fax: 0027 41 4561857
Capuchin Friars
P.O. Box 8728
Cumberwood 3235
Pietermaritzburg
Tel: 0027 33 3945334
|