After 1880 the vast tract of land along the Drankensberg, from Matatiele to Ongeluksnek whit the exception of a small stretch of land called queens mercy where the Sotho clan of George Tladi coming from Lesotho had been settled, was opened to European settlement. In 1892 the Government auctioned 12 farms and the Trappists were interested and they bought 3 farms from that auction.

The new mission farm, and mission station, was called Mariazell, after the great Marian shrine in Austria. When the Trappists bought the farm, 78 families of Sotho and other clans were living on the land, but soon the surrounding protestants waged a campaign of slander against the Trappists, in consequence of which most families left the farm, with only 16 families remaining. The Trappists took possession of the farm on in April 1894 and Brother Servulus of Marianhill had the task of conducting the first trek of four ox wagon on the new settlement. In early 1896 2 schools were opened, one in the farm village and the other at Koeqana.

On the 12^th of January 1897 the Missionary Sisters arrive at Mariazell and all of them were teachers. The Sisters took over the kitchen and the school. Chief Koeqana had died in the meantime, baptised just before his death, and the school at his place was closed down, with the children transferred to Mariazell; this marked the start of a boarding school.

For the first 10 years Mariazell saw many changes of staff. These frequent changes of staff and the often-hostile attitude of the protestants missionaries had a retarding influence upon the mission work. Koeqana got a solid school building in September 1908 and at Liqalabeng a similar stone was erected and blessed in July 1909. In August 1910 a place was bought at Timane and a church was built on the spot and blessed on 1 January 1911.

While the mission work in the Outstations was firmly organised, attention was also given to the development of Mariazell itself. The boarding school was provided with a new and large dining room; a new house with cellar rooms was constructed next to it. The Primary schools were filled to capacity and higher education was, therefore, envisaged. The first step was, true to the old Trappist emphasis on manual work, the start of a wood-work school. Brother Vincent underwent a series of examinations which he passed with flying colours; for 40 years the good Brother taught the boys the art of Carpentry.

The next step was the establishment of a Teacher Training College. Some teachers had been trained by the Sisters on private basis, but the training had to be put on a sound and official foundations. It was possible to employ a catholic layman, Captain Shawelhood, as principal of the college, but when he, unfortunately, died on the 15^th of June 1915, Sister Junipera took over. Mariazell Teacher Training college turned out a large number of teachers for the Transkeian and neighbouring territories. The main achievement of Fr Canisius Pfingstmann, however, was the construction of a large and beautiful church. Brother Nivard had made the blueprints; the foundation stone was laid on the 8^th of October 1916. Local workers were trained to hew the many thousands of stones, and despite the shortages of material and personal restrictions during the war years, the structure grew from year to year. The church took 7 years to build; it was solemnly blessed by Bishop Fleischer on the 2^nd of May 1923.

1 July 1984 Rededication of the Parish Church after it had been renovated. The Parish was honoured by the presence of the Apostolic Delegate Cassidy as the main celebrant.

A strike broke out in the High school and students had to be sent home. The atmosphere remained tense with the result that two classrooms and the tuck shop were burned down by the students.

On 17 August 1988 a fire destroyed the Monastery building. One year later the house was reopened in May 1989

In the 80s and 90s a lot of building activities took place in the Mission. Classrooms and hostel facilities for boys and girls were greatly improved and extended.

The girls’ hostel which was still next to the convent was moved up to the school area and the building was converted into the presbytery in 1990.

In 2001 a new convent and Pastoral Centre were built. The Parish needed proper rooms for gatherings, instructions and overnight sleeping. Therefore, Fr. Stefan Mandl built a new Parish Centre, called “Fr. Bernhard Huss Centre”. It was blessed and opened in 1993. This Centre also served as a place where the Diocese could hold its MDPC and DPF meetings. The whole Maluti Deanery also had a central place where sodalities, sowers could meet.

In the course of time many priests came from the Parish.

Priestly Vocations since 1980:

Fr. Florian Makoro, Diocesan

Fr. Potlako Sello, Diocesan

Fr. Eric Mokole, Diocesan

Fr. Hlwaele Nkofo, CMM

Fr. Taele Letlotlo, CMM

Religious Sisters from Mariazell:

When Mariazell celebrated the 100-year jubilee in 1993 the Parish was well established with 5 Outstations. The High school and the Teachers Training College were well known not only in the Maluti Region but in the whole of Natal. Students even came from Johannesburg. The early Missionaries travelled on horseback or on foot visiting the sick, giving instructions to the people. Solid churches were built rather late since the foundation of the Mission in the years between 1950 and 1980. But lively communities developed already long before. Mariazell Mission became the biggest and strongest Parish in the Diocese.

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

1. Fr Arsenius Tercko OCR: 1894 -1896
2. Fr Bernardin Hirsch OCR: 1897
3. Fr Gerard Schwerykart OCR: 1898
4. Fr Sulpitius Buchauer OCR: 1899
5. Fr Notker Vorspel OCR: 1900 – 1901, 1905, 1907 – 1908
6. Fr Jerome Lyssy OCR: 1902
7. Fr Joseph Biegner OCR: 1903 – 1904
8. Fr Bernard Huss OCR: 1906
9. Fr Maurus Kalus OCR: 1909
10. Fr Canisius Pfingstmann C.M.M.: 1910 – 1926
11. Fr Reginald Weinmann C.M.M.: 1926 – 1932
12. Fr George Eder C.M.M.: July 1926 – July 1940
13. Fr Alberic Reinhard C.M.M.: July 1940 – March 1948
14. Fr Frassati Ketterle C.M.M.: March 1948 – April 1952
15. Fr Francis Wojaczek C.M.M.: April – December 1952
16. Fr Roman Martin C.M.M.: January 1953 – December 1954
17. Fr Heribert Gotzheim C.M.M.: January 1955 – June 1957
18. Fr Fridolin Zueger C.M.M.: June 1957 – December 1971
19. Fr Thomas Schlegel C.M.M.: January 1972 – July 1976
    Fr Ernst Ploechl C.M.M.: January 1970 – September 1980
20. Fr Robert Deshaies C.M.M.: January 1977
21. Fr Dieter Gahken C.M.M.: August 1980 – April 1981
22. Fr Florian Makoro: 1985 – 1986
23. Fr Stefan Mandl C.M.M.: January 1988 – October 1996
24. Fr Clemens Truttmann C.M.M.: November 1996 – 2012
25. Fr Dijo Matsoso C.M.M.: 2012 – 2013
26. Fr Prosper Masenge: 2013 – 2014
27. Fr Thembalethu Sandondo: 2014 – 2022
28. Fr Joachim Pinji C.M.M.: 2022 –

Priest Incharge: Fr. Wencesslaus Wangila
Assistant Priests: Fr. Potlako Sello and Fr. Joel Bokoyo
CellPhone: 072 179 9312
Email: jkpinji@gmail.com

Address
Thaba Chicha
Matatiele
4730

Postal Address
P.O. Box 217
Matatiele
4730