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| St Boniface Church | |
|---|---|
 | |
  St Boniface Church | |
| 26°12′41″S28°09′40″E / 26.211355°S 28.161010°E /-26.211355; 28.161010 | |
| Location | corner of Simmer and Meyer Streets,Germiston,Gauteng |
| Country | South Africa |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | www |
| History | |
| Dedication | St. Boniface |
| Architecture | |
| Architect | Herbert Baker |
| Completed | 1910 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | stone |
| Administration | |
| Province | Southern Africa |
| Diocese | Diocese of the Highveld |
St Boniface Church is the mother church of the Anglican parish ofGermiston,Gauteng which also includes the chapelries of St Mary and St John in Lambton, and St Mark in Rosedeep. The parish is part of theDiocese of the Highveld, which is in turn part of theAnglican Church of Southern Africa (previously known as The Church of the Province of Southern Africa).
TheAnglican Parish ofGermiston was formally founded in 1897. Prior to the parish being formally established, it was a mission chapelry of the parish ofBoksburg, which had been established in 1890. Baptismal, confirmation and marriage records show that mission work existed prior to 1890, going back to the founding ofGermiston in 1886. At that time the work of the mission priests fell under the jurisdiction of the diocese ofPretoria. Originally the parish consisted solely of the Parish Church of St Boniface in what is now the inner city of Germiston. The present church building is the second on the site, designed in 1908 and then built in 1910, both bySir Herbert Baker.[1][2] The original church was a tin building with a concrete and stone foundation, very similar in style to the miners' dwellings of the late 19th century and early 20th century period, as was found on theEast Rand and theWitwatersrand in general.
The building of 1910 is typical of the Baker style so prevalent in South Africa and theBritish Empire at the turn of the 20th century. There are to be found many similarities withSt George's Cathedral inCape Town, built in 1901, the exterior ofSt Mary's Cathedral inJohannesburg, built in 1927, and the exterior ofSt George's Church inParktown built in 1904.St Michael's Church inBoksburg, built in 1911, has Baker features too, but most of the design and the build were carried out by his architectural business partner,Frank Fleming.
The parish was originally part of theDiocese of Pretoria, but then became part of theDiocese of Johannesburg when it was founded in 1922. In 1990, when the need arose to split the large diocese of Johannesburg into smaller dioceses, to thus be better administered, the parish ofGermiston became part of theDiocese of the Highveld.
St Boniface is one of the larger parish churches built by Baker, and indeed one of the few large church buildings designed by him to have been completed as to his original plans. It hasseating capacity for about four hundred people, including the nave, side chapels and chancel. The church, which is of a stone structure throughout, has typicalNorman orRomanesque features, as found in many of Baker's buildings, including some of the most beautifulstained glass windows of the early 20th century.
Apart from thegallery,nave,chancel andsanctuary, the church also has a smallLady Chapel with seating for sixteen congregants and anAll Souls Chapel which is a war memorial to the dead of theFirst World War and was dedicated as the War Memorial Shrine in August 1918, even before the war had ended. Subsequently, after the various wars that were to follow, involving South African troops, and especially those who were parishioners, the shrine became the chapel seen today, as a memorial to all subsequent conflicts involving thearmed forces.
There is also acrypt chapel underneath the chancel and sanctuary, which is alongside thecolumbarium which was specifically designed for theinterment of ashes, and was consecrated for that use by the Rt RevdTimothy Bavin, the then Bishop of Johannesburg in 1977.
The historic two manualNorman and Beardpipe organ, built in 1910, is situated in anorgan loft to the right of the chancel as one looks at thehigh altar. It was designed especially for the church by the company in England and shipped out for the opening of the Baker building. It is considered one of the bestEnglish Romantic organs inSouth Africa, albeit a humble instrument in relation to itscathedral counterparts.
Apart from the beautiful architecture and stained glass windows, the church houses some beautiful art works by the famous South African artist and sculptor,Cecil Skotnes. Theicon of theMother and child above the altar in the Lady Chapel is particularly noteworthy.
The parish is well-known locally for its goodliturgy, within thehigh church tradition and has maintained an activechoral tradition since it was founded. At one time, in 1975, it boasted a choir of thirty-two boys and twelve men, not to mention twelve ladies. These days the choir continues to maintain this tradition and the high standards of the past. The parish is affiliated to theRoyal School of Church Music, and the choir members regularly attend workshops and choir schools run by the local northern branch of theRSCM.
The parish's rector is Mtr Marlene Rodda; Fr John Rodda, her husband, who is also a professor of Paediatric Neurology at theUniversity of the Witwatersrand andBaragwanath Hospital is a non-stipendary assistant priest. Before the Rodda's incumbency, Fr Don Thomson served as rector from 1997 to 2010. In December 2010, Fr Malcolm Chalmers, who had been Director of Music in the Parish since February 1997, was appointed as an additional self-supporting clergyman. He is also Headmaster of the Preparatory School of the historicSt. Martin's School in Johannesburg.
Past well-known rectors of the parish have includedGonville ffrench-Beytagh, who later becameDean of Johannesburg and was subsequently deported by theapartheid government in 1972,Robin Roy Snyman who became Dean ofKimberley and later vice-provost ofPort Elizabeth andDavid Beetge (bishop) who became the first bishop of The Highveld.
2010 saw the commemoration of the centenary of the Sir Herbert Baker building. Special events took place, most especially a thanksgiving service on Sunday 8 August, with choir, brass and organ, where the bishop,David Bannerman, delivered the homily. The celebrations concluded with a recital on the one-hundred-year-old organ and the usual Christmas music programmes.
2017 marked the 120th anniversary of the founding of the Anglican Parish of Germiston, with St Boniface as the mother church of the parish. The parish includes the former chapelry, now church, of St Mary and St John and the chapelry of St Mark in Rosedeep. A special celebratory service was held on Saturday, 18 November 2017. The guest preacher was the diocesan bishop,Charles May. .
