St. Martin of Tours Mount Fletcher
The Trappist Missionaries of Mariazell and Farview extended their activities to Mount Fletcher after 1920. Fr Jaeckel looked for a school site in the village in 1924; a church site at Fletcherville was obtained in 1923; in 1925 a piece of ground was purchased by Bishop Fleischer inside the village of Mount Fletcher Fr Martin of Farview was keenly interested in building a church and that church was completed and blessed by Bishop Grueter on the 16th of November 1947. Mount Fletcher then had its own large church, but as yet no resident priest.
Fr Haussner was even more interested in Mount Fletcher and its outstations and worked towards the goal of residing in the village. He embarked upon a vigorous building programme. Next to the church he erected a steel scaffolding for three bells which were blessed by the bishop in November 1964. At the old outstation thaba Khubelu a larger and better church was built in 1965; after blessing this St. George’s church on the 6th of April 1965, the bishop had great difficulty in returning to Mount Fletcher over the flooded and dangerous road. In September 1966; a further blessing of another solid church followed; upper Tokwana
Although the official date of its establishment is 1960, the roots of its origin go back to the 1920s, when the first Outstations were established. 1960 is the year when the first priest started to live in Mt. Fletcher. From then on St. Martin was no more treated like an Outstation of Farview.
Of the 11 Outstations 8 were built during the time of Fr. Clemens Truttmann, CMM between 1985 and 1994 and the time of Fr. Stefan Mandl between 1996 and 2008. As the Parish grew a Pastoral Centre was needed in order to conduct training courses for lay people. This was done in 1983. Dormitories were added in 2005.Residence Flats were built at the Centre.
A Garage at the Mission was built in 2000 and converted into an assistant priest house by Fr. Qumntu. 1997: Extension of the priest house. Construction of the Dormitories of the Pastoral Centre by Mr. Hell, Matatiele.
Eskom electricity was installed at the Mission shortly before 1996.
Ordination of Fr Nicholas Leaka in 5 March 2011.
Baptism of Chief Montwedi Lehana in Easter Vigil of 2013.
Priests who came from the Parish since 1982:
- Fr Nicholas Leaka CMM: Ordained on 5 March 2011
Religious women who came from the Parish since 1982
- Sr Martina Leaka CPS
- Sr Nontlahla Apleni. Left Religious life
- Sr Letsekang Sekonyela, Ursuline, left Religious life
For More information on this parish please refer to:
1. Transkei For Christ by Fr Marcel Dischl CMM, copyright 1982
2. Chronicle of Mthatha Diocese by Fr. Winfried Egler of 2020
- Fr Aegid Haussner C.M.M.: November 1960 – May 1967
- Fr Stephen Wϋnsch C.M.M.: June 1967 – May 1968
- Fr Theodore Zegers C.M.M.: February 1970 – January 1972
- Fr Fridolin Zueger C.M.M.: February 1972 – September 1975
- Fr Florian Makoro: March 1975 – 1985
- Clemens Truttmann C.M.M.: April 19852 – May 1994
- Tsepo Tsalong: 1994 – 1994
- Nicholas Thamsanqa Lamla: 1995 – 1996
- Stefan Mandl C.M.M.: November 1996 – April 2008
- Mbulelo Qumntu: 2009 – 2012
- Cletus Dick: 2012 – April 2014
- Eric M. Mokole: April 2014 – May 2015
- Luthando Xhamlayo: June 2015 – January 2019
- Phomane Motlatsi: January 2019 –
Assisted by Fr. Thamsanqa Mguni: January 2023 –
Priest Incharge: Fr. Motlatsi Phomane
Assistant Priest: Fr. Thamsanqa Mnguni
CellPhone: 084 321 2237
Email: frphomane@gmail.com
Address
213 Back Street
Mount Fletcher
4770
Postal Address
P.O. Box 27
Mount Fletcher
4770