Mariannhill monastery, 1882-1982

Abstract

The Mariannhill monastery was established in 1882 on the farm Zeekoegat in Natal by the Trappist monks who, before any direct evangelization, cultivated the large and productive monastery farm and erected the necessary buildings. Formal mission work did not begin until 1884 and by 1898, with 185 monks, Mariannhill had become the largest abbey in the world. It was separated in 1909 from the Trappist order and became a separate missionary congregation known as the Congregation of Missionaries of Mariannhill. Today Mariannhill missionaries are at work not only in Natal, but also in the Transkei, Zimbabwe, New Guinea, and Brazil.