Gold for St Joseph the Worker Parish!
St Joseph the Worker parish in Johannesburg
Parishioners and guests of St Joseph the Worker parish in Bosmont, Johannesburg, celebrated the church’s golden jubilee, and were reminded of its special and rich history.
The event was marked by Mass led by Archbishop Buti Tlhagale OMI, concelebrated by current parish priest Fr Uzo Ohanele, ex-parish priests Frs Richard Stonier, Cletus Onwudiwe and Ronnie Houreld, and Deacon Wally Adams.
Representatives from the Holy Family Sisters, Dominican Sisters, St Vincent de Paul and Knights of Da Gama— who have all played a role in the development of the community since 1969—were also present to celebrate St Joseph the Worker’s five decades.
Archbishop Tlhagale unveiled two granite plaques after Mass. The first marked the 50th anniversary, and the second the original priest Fr Jan Molenaar OMI and architect Donald Turgel.
All guest were treated to a digital and picture exhibition of the parish’s history, and a commemorative brochure was launched and sold. A three-course lunch followed, plus various activities.
The background to St Joseph’s church’s unique octagonal shape includes a Dutch priest’s team comprising a Jewish architect who had never designed a church before, an Italian builder, gifts from Afrikaners, paintings by a Protestant, and sculpture by an African, all in a coloured community at the height of apartheid in 1969.
St Joseph’s was the first Christian church in Bosmont. The Bosmont Masjid mosque was completed in 1966 and St Luke’s Anglican church in 1972.
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