Serving the communities of Jeffreys Bay Humansdorp and St.Francis

Kouga Catholic Church

Diocese of Port Elizabeth, South Africa

St. Francis of Assisi Church

Dedication Mass 18 December 2011

King Street, Humansdorp [map]

Christ Our Lord Chapel & Community Centre

Butterfly Street, Jeffreys Bay [map]

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE KOUGA DISTRICT

In the early days Mass was said at Humansdorp and in Jeffreys Bay on alternating Sundays usually in a private home, in the church of another denomination or a shop front. By 1957 Mass was said weekly in the home of the Coetzee family. In Humansdorp, Mass was celebrated monthly in the home of the Gush family. It was through the zeal and hospitality of this family that Catholic priests kept the Faith alive in this small but important community. (Southern Cross report of January 9th 1957).

The resident parish priest of the newly built Church of the Sacred Heart, Kabega, Port Elizabeth became the Priest in charge of these two communities. During the summer holidays a great influx of up-country visitors swelled the seaside congregation and a more permanent establishment was needed. In 1986 a small house in Humansdorp was purchased and suitably renovated for the purpose. It was also used for social gatherings, religious instruction classes, bible study groups and Parish Council meetings during the week. From this time onwards the community enjoyed Mass twice a month with a Communion Service on alternate Sundays.

Very soon this building became too small and shop fronts too inconvenient, so a site in Jeffreys Bay was bought and blessed by Bishop M. G. Coleman in 1995. In his address Bishop Coleman praised the community in acquiring the new site and thanked donors for their generous contributions. A tall wooden cross was erected in the centre of the site. On the 22nd December 1996 Mass was celebrated in the new Jeffreys Bay Catholic Community Centre of Christ Our Lord. The first baby was Baptised here on the 29th December 1996 and the first Marriage took place on the 15th March 1997. Mass is said weekly by a priest from Kabega, or from the Port Elizabeth Oratory. Catechism and Adult Instruction classes are held regularly as well as continued fund raising efforts. (Extracts from "Growing in Faith" by Helena Glanville).

The needs of the community has grown to such an extent that a new church is under construction on the present site in Humansdorp. On the 30th November 2008, assisted by Fr Paul Fahy, Bishop Coleman blessed the site and turned first sod for the new church, St. Francis of Assisi.

The Church serves an area of some 10,000sq.km, including covering the coastal towns of Jeffreys Bay and St Francis Bay, ministering to about 200 families. At present we have two places of worship, namely Humansdorp and Jeffreys Bay.