Our Lady of Mercy, Kloof

Our Lady of Mercy, Kloof
Kloof was originally used by Durban families to escape the humidity of Durban's summers. Catholic families attended Mass in Pinetown or drove to Mariannhill. Father Theodore Wiest, who was stationed at Malvern from 1935, used to visit Pinetown, Clermont, Kloof and Hillcrest. He also visited the Africans in the outlying areas, making his visits on
horseback. A school for African children, St Leo's, was built in Kloof in the late 1920's and under Father Wiest a pieceMadonna and the infant Jesus of land was bought in Krantzview Road and the school was enlarged and moved there and continued to exist until 1970. One teacher was employed.

Fund raising for the building of the first church began after the Hourquebie family donated an acre of land. In 1942 there was sufficient money to build a small church, but the war time building restrictions allowed only simple houses with three bedrooms to be built. A house was built, but to provide a room large enough to serve as a church, some of the inner walls were left out. The church was blessed and opened by Bishop Delalle in 1944. Furnishing and altar linen was provided by members of the parish and well-wishers in Ireland sent donations, including the brass door of the tabernacle. The altar of solid wood was designed and made by Bob Burns in memory of his nephew, Donald Wood, who had been killed in action. Father Byrne, who was stationed in Pinetown said Mass in Kloof on Sunday, Tuesday and Friday mornings and responded to any urgent sick calls. There were forty Catholic families living in Kloof at this time and there was a strong community spirit.

After the war the population of Kloof increased quickly and soon the church was too small. It was then that the hall was built and used as the church with the basement being used for catechism classes and youth activities. This continued until 1973, when a new church building was erected and the parish of Our Lady of Mercy was established. The first resident priest was Father Dominic Boardman.

In 1991 Father Austin Collingwood was transferred to Kloof as parish priest and he undertook extensive alterations to the church, both inside and outside. Two stained glass windows were placed behind the altar and he commissioned Hadmud Moffett to design and make the rose window of the Madonna and the infant Jesus, which makes the whole front of the church appear lighter and more spacious. He also mounted the old bell, which was presented by the Gallwey family. After Father Collingwood's death in October 2000, Father Michael Kelly served as parish priest until the Augustinian Friars took over in 2002, with Father Edward Hattrick OSA as the parish priest, as well as the two outstations of Edwaleni and Emolweni. The only structural change made at this time was the reconciliation room, built in the Japanese garden between the church and the presbytery, and a Garden of Remembrance. Father Sunday Ikpe is the present parish priest.