HISTORY OF THE PARISH
After exploring different options to cater for the parish community of Maria Regina in Lyttelton which had grown too big for the parish church, the Archdiocese finally settled on purchasing the Monavoni Dutch Reformed Church (NG) building which was then up for sale. Thus, in February 1998 St Thomas More Catholic Church came into existence, on the former premises of the Monavoni Dutch Reformed Church. The new parish was designed to cater for all Catholics in Centurion living south of the Old Johannesburg Road. The blessing and celebration of the first Mass took place on 8 February 1998, Archbishop George Daniel being the main celebrant.
Most of the original parishioners of St Thomas More Parish came from the Maria Regina parish in Lyttelton. The first parish priest was Fr Ian Laurenson OFM, who was also the parish priest of Maria Regina parish at the time. Mgr. Vincent Hill took over from Fr Ian Laurenson as parish priest in April 1999, and served the parish until January 2001.
The parish priest who has to date served the longest at St Thomas More is Mgr. Abel Gabuza. He took over from Mgr. Vincent Hill in January 2001 and served until March 2010, when he left to attend more fully to his new appointment as apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Pretoria. Mgr. Abel Gabuza went on to become the bishop of the Diocese of Kimberley. He was succeeded by Fr Dabula Mpako, who served the parish for a year before his appointment as bishop of the Diocese of Queenstown. The current parish priest, Fr Robert Mphiwe, was appointed as the new parish priest on 1st July 2011.
THE PRECEPTS OF THE CHURCH
- You shall attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation;
- You shall confess your sins at least once a year;
- You shall humbly receive your Creator in Holy Communion at least during Easter season;
- You shall keep holy the holy days of Obligation;
- You shall observe the prescribed days of fasting and abstinence;
- You have a duty of providing for the material needs of the Church, according to your ability.
HOLY DAYS OF OBLIGATION
Catholics in South Africa are obliged to attend Church on Sundays throughout the year and on the following days:
- December 25th: The Nativity of Our Lord
- The Ascension of our Lord
- August 15th: Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.