F R A N S A L I A N S

Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, Grassy Park, South Africa

HISTORY OF THE CHURCH

A Brief History of the Parish

 

Grassy Park falls in the Southern suburbs of the city of Cape Town and is about twenty kilometres away from the city of Cape Town. The vast majority of the parishioners are from the Coloured community while a few are foreigners from other African countries. The Catholic community of Grassy Park started to have a separate history of its own when the Redemptorists working at Heathfield felt the need of the people there to have not only the spiritual but also physical health care and asked the Holy Family Sisters of Sea Point to assist the sick in the area. In 1959, the property at First Road where the present church of Our Lady Queen of Peace was bought. On 10th March 1962, Archbishop Owen McCann laid the foundation stone for the new parish church and presbytery. In 1963, the parish priest moved into the new presbytery at First Road, Grassy Park.

Station Churches:

St. Gerard Majella’s Church, Park Wood: Later, when Fr. Ratcliffe was appointed parish priest, he started to celebrate Mass for the people of Park Wood and Fairways area at Park Wood. In 1971 Fr. Ratcliffe was able to get a church built at Kestrel Road, Park Wood and on 31st May 1971 it was officially blessed and opened by the then Archbishop Owen Mc Cann. The church was consecrated on 16th October 2001 by Most Rev. Lawrence Henry of Cape Town.

St. Clement Hofbauer’s Church, Lotus River: Seeing the inconvenience of the Catholics of Lotus River area, Fr. Ratcliffe strted to celebrate Mass in the Lotus River area in some private homes. Later, a church was built at Lotus River and on 3rd March 1973, it was blessed and opened by Monsignor Galvin.

After that the Redemptorists handed over the parish of Grassy Park to the Archdiocese in 1994, it was entrusted by the Archbishop to an Indian missionary society called the Heralds of Good News. After they left in October 1997, there was no parish priest appointed till Fr. Francis Joseph Whyte, a diocesan priest of the Archdiocese became parish priest of Grassy Park in January 1998. He continued till March 2006. After that the Archbishop, Most Rev. Lawrence Henry entrusted the parish of Grassy Park to the care of the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales.

On 16th March 2006, Fr. Job Kaleekaparmpil (Karikampally) took over as parish priest and Fr. Jacob Puthiyidathuchalil, was appointed as assistant priest. In 2008, when Fr. Jacob Puthiyidathuchalil was transferred to the seminary in Kenya, another priest, Fr. Babu Joseph Kudakkachirakunnel was appointed as the assistant priest at Grassy park. In August 2011 when Fr. Job Kaleekaparampil took over St. Claire's Catholic Church, Elsies River, in the Archdiocese of Cape Town, Fr. Joseph Puliyilakat took over as the parochial administrator of Grassy Park parish on 28th August 2011. When Fr. Joseph Puliyilakat was transferred to another ministry, Fr. Baiju Kurian Mundackal, took over the administrations of the parish as the parish priest in 2013. Fr. Mathew Pallichankudiyil joined him in 2014.

The parish of Grassy Park has the highest number of permanent deacons in the archdiocese. There are five of them altogether at present in all the three churches with the oldest one still active at 91. There are also many associations and ministries that enhance the functioning and ministry in the parish. Ministries like the Ushers, Sacristans, Altar Servers, Cantors, Readers and Catechists enhance the functioning and ministry in the parish. The Legion of Mary, Alpha Group, Charismatic Movement, Parish Youth Groups, St. Vincent de Paul Societies, Men for Change in Christ, and Senior Citizen’s Clubs are some of the groups that operate under the supervision of the priests.