Trappist Trail

06/11/2013

We have created an online map for anyone who would like to explore the missions created by the Trappist fathers of Mariannhill. This will provide help to find some of the more remote locations the missions are found in.

An interactive guide to finding the missions of Mariannhill monastery

05/11/2013

An enthusiastic community of young missionaries have taken up residence at Lourdes mission, which is part of the Trappist Trail. The cosmopolitan group, made up of professed brothers and sisters from Croatia, Italy, Malawi, Poland, Slovakia and Zimbabwe, have renovated one of the former derelict buildings at Lourdes and turned it into a welcoming house at the heart of their new work at the mission. This photo shows Sr. Silvia Hakošova, Sr. Maria Grazia Abruzzo and Br. Michele Baran. Their community was founded in Italy in 1977 and is known as Koinonia John the Baptist.

31/10/2013

The District Municipality of southern KwaZulu-Natal (officially known as the Harry Gwala DM) has made it even easier to navigate the Trappist missions in the region. Heritage signs (indicated with an hourglass) have been erected along the roads that lead to the different Mariannhill outstations.

28/10/2013

A group of 6 guests participated in a tour of the Trappist Trail this weekend. From the left are Theresa and Herta (who live close to the former Trappist mission of Maria Ratschitz at Wasbank), Sharon, Caryl, Bert and Pam, seen at Centocow on Sunday morning before the Centenary Mass in the Church of the Sacred Heart.

28/10/2013

Centocow mission celebrated two significant milestones on Saturday 26 October 2013. It has been 125 years since the beautiful little outstation of Mariannhill monastery was established on the banks of the Umzimkhulu River, and 100 years since the dedication of the 'New Church' in which the great stained-glass window commemorates the Trappists who created these wonderful places.

25/10/2013

A visit to Kimberley doesn't seem complete without a photo of its most celebrated feature. Here is the Big Hole in the early evening.

24/10/2013

The guided tour of Wildebeeskuil rock art engravings for SAMA delegates yesterday was a reminder of how sites like this one, and the Trappist missions of Mariannhill are all part of the same spiritual landscape in South Africa.

23/10/2013

According to David Morris of the MacGregor Museum, this image of a rhino at Wildebeeskuil was first thought to be an incomplete engraving. Recent theories of the spiritual value rock art had for people who created it can be seen in the way the animal appears emerging from the actual rock.

23/10/2013

Images possibly created as religious symbols by Stone Age hunter-gatherers between 1000 and 2000 years ago.

22/10/2013

Steve Kotze is attending the South African Museums Association conference in Kimberley this week. The topic for the meeting is 'Memory + Creativity = Social Change', which is particularly fitting as this is the focus of the Trappist Trail.

18/10/2013

The Cistercian monks of Stift Heiligenkreusz monastery outside Vienna, who recorded a CD of their chanting in 2008, have just released another CD. Here is a YouTube video of them singing in their (clearly) freezing church.

Zu Gründonnerstag und Karfreitag: Christus wurde für uns gehorsam, gehorsam bis zum Tod am Kreuz. Die CD CHANT - Amor et Passio gleich hier bestellen: http:/...

14/10/2013

On Thursday 19 September 2013, the Gerard Bhengu Gallery was officially opened by the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Mr Senzo Mchunu.