Maria Ratschitz Mission was established in 1889 on 3200 hectares in the fertile Nkuzi Valley at the base of the Hlatikulu mountain.
At the request of a European Benefactress it is named after the Marian shrine in Leitmeritz in the Czech Republic. This shrine has an eventful and ancient history, and is closely connected with the history of the Cistercian monastery Osek and with the veneration of the image of the Sorrowful Mother of God.
The Maria Ratschitz church takes pride of place as another masterpiece of the Trappists’ skills and boasts a tall elegant bell tower, visible from a good distance. As was common to churches of those days, magnificent stained glass windows, lovely frescoes and a carved high altar and pulpit adorn the interior.
The Mission has been lovingly restored over the last couple of decades, thanks to generous donors, and counts many social projects amongst its outreach.
It was not always so – and from its early glory days had fallen into a state of terrible neglect and disrepair. The reasons for this tragedy are many and varied, amongst which were the destructive social and political polices of early South African governments. The restored Mission has a convent, school and hospice.
