LLandaff Oratory
Encyclopedia
LLandaff Oratory is an oratory
Oratory
Oratory is a type of public speaking.Oratory may also refer to:* Oratory , a power metal band* Oratory , a place of worship* a religious order such as** Oratory of Saint Philip Neri ** Oratory of Jesus...

 in Van Reenen, KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu....

, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

. The oratory was built by Maynard Mathews in memory of his son Llandaff Mathew who died while saving the lives of 8 co-workers at the Burnside Colliery mine on 19 March 1925.

Initially Maynard Mathews wanted to erect a plaque in honour of his son at the Roman Catholic Church in Ladysmith
Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal
Ladysmith is a city in the Uthukela District of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is north-west of Durban and south of Johannesburg. Important industries in the area include food processing, textile and tyre production...

, but could not secure permission to do so. Determined that a memorial to his son will be placed in a church, Maynard decided to build his own, have it consecrated a Catholic church and become a priest himself (he was ordained into the Order of St Dominic on 7 May 1926).

The oratory seats just eight people, apparently the same number of people Llandaff saved in the mine accident and is architecturally based on a wing of the Cardiff Cathedral
Cardiff Cathedral
The Metropolitan Cathedral Church of St David, also known as St David's Cathedral Cardiff is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the city centre of Cardiff, Wales and is the centre of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cardiff. Located in Charles Street, the Cathedral remains the focal point for Catholic...

 in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

.

The LLandaff Oratory is a National Monument.

External links

  • Entry on SAHRA, the South African Heritage Resources Agency
    South African Heritage Resources Agency
    The South African Heritage Resource Agency is the national administrative body responsible for the protection of South Africa's cultural heritage...

    Category:Chapels in South Africa
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