Emmanuel Cathedral, Durban

Emmanuel Cathedral in Durban

The beautiful Emmanuel Cathedral is part of Durban's landscape, tucked rather snuggly into Cathedral Street against the prominent flyover of the N3 highway just as it descends into the centre of town and the dual streets of Pine and Dr A B Xuma – one up and one down. Hard to believe that when the cathedral was built over 100 years ago that it lay in the tranquil outskirts of town.

The Roman Catholic Emmanuel Cathedral is an incredibly beautiful building, designed by South African architect Street Wilson, its cross carved out of Carrara marble all the way from Italy, a gift from the Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III of France. No amount of noise and hustle could detract from the sheer magnificence of the architectural features. It makes for fantastic photo moments and is one of a handful of religious buildings in the city that inspire.

Archbishop Dennis Hurley, who served at the Emmanuel Cathedral for 60 years and was also the archbishop of Durban from 1947 – 1992, was highly regarded around the world for his stand against apartheid as well as his attempts to reform the Catholic Church. Plans are afoot to build a new centre fo the church, which it intends naming after Dennis Hurley, as more and more demands are placed upon the parish to help those who are hungry, ill, homeless or without support. To help raise funds for this, the cathedral's current administrator, Father Stephen Tully, walked 780 km of the Santiago di Compostela in Spain.

Contact Details:
Telephone: +27 (0)31 306-3595 / 6