The history of the parishes in the Diocese of Eshowe

Amatikulu

(1961)

Amatikulu is a small village on the main coastal road from Durban to Swaziland. Situated about 110 km north of Durban, it developed around a sugar­mill which was built there in 1908. Priests from the nearby Emoyeni mission visited the Catholics at Amatikulu regularly and built up a community. Around 1924, Bishop Spreiter was offered a church site at Amatikulu and even a small donation for a church (chronicle of Mangete, 1953-1954, pg. 161). But he had to reject the offer as he was in no position to build a church. On August 15, 1953, Amatikulu became an outstation of Mangete (chronicle of Mangete, 1953-1954, pg. 157) and remained under Mangete until March 1964 when it was once again attached to Emoyeni. The chronicle of Mangete describes the situation as it was in 1954: "The sugar-mill at Amatikulu has 566 employees. 56 of these are Europeans, 130 Indians and 480 Africans. Among them and their families are quite a number of Catholics. Mass is held once a month for the Europeans and Coloureds in the recreation hall of the mill and for the Africans in the Indian Hall" (chronicle of Mangete, 1953-1954, pg. 160).

In 1960, Bishop Bilgeri asked Mark Hussey of Pretoria to draw up a plan of a small church to be built for the Catholics of Amatikulu. The church was built in 1961. It has an A­frame design and was blessed by Bishop Bilgeri on September 23, 1962. Although Amatikulu does not have a resident priest, it has been regarded as a parish in its own right since March 1964. Seven outstations and about 1 100 Cathlics belonged to it in 1990.

Pastors and Parish Priests of Amatikulu

  1. Elmar Kimmel OSB 1958 ­ May 1962
  2. Romanus Pally OSB May 1962 - May 1963
  3. Elmar Kimmel OSB May 1963 - March 1964
  4. Gerhard Maier OFM April 1964 ­ Dec. 1970
  5. Wigbert Lange OFM Jan. 1971 ­ May 1987
  6. Robert Stewart OFM May 1987 ­ Jan. 1991
  7. Marius Banks OFM Jan. 1991 ­ Dec. 1992
  8. William Slatery OFM Jan. 1993 ­ May 1993
  9. Augustine Khanyile OFM May 1993 - March 1994
  10. Clement Fischer OFM March 1994 -
  11. Paul Khumalo OSB

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