Mariannhill

Province of Durban

Right Reverend
BISHOP PIUS MLUNGISI DLUNGWANE
Appointed Titular Bishop of Altino and was ordained Auxiliary Bishop of Mariannhill on 06 August 2000. He was installed as the Bishop of Mariannhill on 06 August 2006.

Postal Address:
PO Box 11001, Mariannhill 3624
Residence: Bishop’s House
Tel: 031 700 2704/3850
Fax: 031 700 5600
E-mail: bishop.mlungisi@webmail.co.za

Right Reverend
Bishop Niel Augustine Frank O.M.I.
Coadjutor Bishop
Appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Marriannhill on 17 December 2021
Ordained Coadjutor Bishop of Marriannhill on 26 February 2022

Coat of Arms and Motto

Injabul’echichimayo

Predecessors

1. Rt Bishop Adalbero Fleischer CMM, consecrated Titular Bishop of Tiberiopolis and Vicar Apostolic of Mariannhill in 1922, was nominated Papal Count and Assistant at the Pontifical Throne on 2 June 1947. He resigned 17 April 1950 and died 19 March 1963.
2. Rt Bishop Alphonse Streit CMM was appointed 23 December 1950 as Titular Bishop of Niciatana; consecrated on 3 April 1951 and installed as Bishop of Mariannhill on 5 July 1951. He died on 21 June 1970.
3. Rt Bishop Martin Elmar Schmid CMM was appointed on the 20 June 1970; ordained Bishop at Mariannhill on 10 October 1970 and installed the same day. He died 18 June 1980.
4. Rt Bishop Paul Themba Mngoma was Appointed Bishop on 14 March 1981, he was ordained Bishop of Mariannhill on 23 May 1981 and took Canonical possession of the Diocese of Mariannhill on 25 May 1981. He died 15 June 2005

History of the Diocese

In 1882 Prior Franz Pfanner of the Reformed Cistercians (Trappists) intended establishing a Trappist Monastery and commencing the work of evangelisation among the local Africans. In 1885 he became Abbot of the new foundation which he called Mariannhill. He resigned from office in 1893 and was succeeded by Abbots Amandus Scholzig who died in 1900 and Gerard Wolpert. Abbot Franz Pfanner died on the 24 May 1909, and about the same time Rome separated the Mariannhill Abbey from the Trappist Order. Mariannhill was constituted an independent Missionary Congregation with the official title: The Congregation of Missionaries of Mariannhill (CMM).
In 1921 the Mariannhill Vicariate (up to then part of the Natal Vicariate) was erected and comprised the southern part of Natal and all Transkeian territories. It was sub-divided in 1930 and again in 1935. Those territories now form the Dioceses of Umtata and Kokstad and part of Queenstown. Divided again in 1954, the territory of the Diocese of Umzimkulu was detached.
Civil districts within the ecclesiastical boundaries of the Diocese of Mariannhill comprise Ixopo, Impendle, Richmond, Umzinto, Umbumbulu, parts of Port Shepstone, Camperdown and Pinetown, Polela and Underberg.