South Africa

There are five Redemptorist communities in South Africa, spread across four different cities, namely:

• Cape Town, Retreat Community – Provincial Residence (Location | Website)
• Cape Town, Bergvliet Community (Location | Website)
• Knysna Community (Location | Website)
• Merrivale Community, Novitiate. Durban Archdiocese (Location)
• Rustenberg Community (Location | Website)

The Redemptorists have been present in South Africa since 1912, when the first missionaries arrived from the London Province and established a community in Pretoria. Their presence later expanded to Cape Town, and in 1989 the South African Unit became a Province. Today, the Redemptorists serve through communities in Cape Town, Knysna, Merrivale, and Rustenburg.

In Cape Town, two communities minister at Holy Redeemer Parish, Bergvliet, and Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, Retreat, while also supporting the parish in Factreton. Their ministry includes parish pastoral care, popular Novenas to Our Mother of Perpetual Help, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, as well as hospital and prison ministry. In Retreat, they also accompany a community affected by poverty and gang violence, offering hope and spiritual support.

The Knysna Community serves the parishes of St. Boniface, St. Thérèse of Lisieux (Hornlee), Our Lady, Queen of the Holy Rosary (Khayalethu), and St. Anthony (Sedgefield). In Rustenburg, the Redemptorists care for Holy Redeemer Parish and its three outstations while operating a weekly soup kitchen and supporting poor and migrant families.

The Novitiate House in Merrivale forms novices from across Southern Africa, including South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Kenya.

The Province is also known for its mission preaching ministry and for Redemptorist Pastoral Publications (RPP), which provides liturgical resources and spiritual reflections used throughout the country.

In 2012, the Redemptorists celebrated 100 years of life and ministry in SA. To mark this milestone, the Catholic Archdiocesan newspaper published a special feature highlighting the history, mission, and contribution of the Redemptorists over the past century. –> PDF Article | COREAM Article