Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Braamfontein
Holy Trinity Catholic Church | |
---|---|
26°11′32.2″S 28°01′59.0″E / 26.192278°S 28.033056°E / -26.192278; 28.033056 | |
Location | Cnr Jorissen St and Jan Smuts Ave, S.J. |
Deacon(s) | Rev. William Davies |
Laity | |
Parish administrator | Tebogo Petja |
Holy Trinity Catholic Church is a
History
A mission was established in 1897 by
The current Holy Trinity Catholic Church was designed in Romanesque Revival style by the Irish Catholic architect Brendan Joseph Clinch, an associate of Herbert Baker.[2][3] Construction started in 1937 and was completed the following year in 1938.[2] Initially it was one of the largest buildings in Braamfontein – and prominently visible throughout the area – but as Johannesburg developed and the neighbouring University of the Witwatersrand (Wits University) grew, the church became dwarfed by its surroundings.[4]
In 1966 the
2016 #FeesMustFall protests
During the August–October 2016 resurgence of the #FeesMustFall protest movement and accompanying police crackdown, the parish opened the Holy Trinity Catholic Church to students and others seeking refuge from the rubber bullets and stun grenades that were regularly being employed by the police to disperse crowds. In accordance with the traditional Christian custom of church sanctuary the church was opened to anyone fleeing the violence. Those who came in armed in any way were told to either dump their weapons outside the church grounds or leave.[4]
On 11 October, after a number of rubber bullets had been shot into the church grounds by a police
On 19 October, while the church was hosting talks aiming toward a "peace accord" to bring an end to the violence on South Africa's university campuses Adam Habib, the Vice-chancellor of Wits University, was chased out of the church by students.[4] The students' actions were criticised by the Jesuit Institute, who said that the church as a "safe and neutral space has been violated by those who declared God's house to be exclusiveley theirs". As a result, the church is "no longer available as a venue for meeting" because the Jesuits believe "genuine attempts to dialogue and find a resolution to the crisis seem to have ended".[7]
See also
- Regina Mundi, Soweto, often referred to as "the people's cathedral" and famous for its role as a place of sanctuary during the anti-apartheid protests of the 1970s and '80s.
References
- ^ a b Holy Trinity Catholic Church. "About". trinityjhb.co.za. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
- ^ a b "Holy Trinity Catholic Church". artefacts.co.za. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
- ^ "CLINCH, Brendan Joseph". artefacts.co.za. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
- ^ a b c Pollitt, Russel (21 October 2016). "Holy Trinity Catholic Church: No Peace, No Space". dailymaverick.co.za. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
- ^ a b c Munusamy, Ranjeny (11 October 2016). "Holy Shield: #FeesMustFall priest tells of his day of terror". dailymaverick.co.za. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
- ^ "SA: Jesuit Fr. Graham injured by rubber bullet is recovering". radiovaticana.va. 12 October 2016. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
- ^ Jesuit Institute South Africa (19 October 2016). "Statement on events at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Braamfontein". jesuitinstitute.org.za. Retrieved 21 October 2016.