- Four Holy Cross sisters, including Maria Plach and Alfreda Rail, were celebrated for over a century of dedicated service to the Langa community.
- The sisters established key institutions, such as St Francis Night School and a preschool, which continue to impact generations.
- The closure of the Langa convent marks the end of an era, with heartfelt tributes praising the sisters’ selfless contributions.
With more than 100 years of combined service towards uplifting the community of Langa, four Holy Cross sisters, Maria Plach, Alfreda Rail, Loretta Oliphant and Alma Köhler, were honoured at an emotionally-charged ceremony at St Francis Centre.
Plach and Rail, who were from Germany, were moved to do community work in the area following a visit to the townships, where the need was great on account of the levels of poverty and privation that prevailed there. Plach spent more than 60 years as a permanent Langa resident. She was later joined by Rail, who also spent more than 50 years there until her death in 2020.
There they were joined by many other sisters, including Köhler and Oliphant.
They remained rooted in the community for decades until the Langa convent was closed in September, ending many illustrious years of community service.
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Speakers at the ceremony praised the sisters for instilling discipline and Christian values. Special tribute was paid to Rail, moving many who were present to tears, including Plach.
Pamela Tsolekile, one of the organisers of the event, praised the nuns for their dedication and commitment to serving the Langa community. Not only did they impart strong religious values, but also established institutions geared towards creating a thriving community that was a credit to society generally.
These included St Francis Night School and a creche. “Their work does not fizzle out. The pre-school now serves our children’s children,” said Tsolekile.
She also praised Sister Veronica O’Nolan for playing a “pivotal role” in the establishment of the night school, which became a beacon of hope for many in and around Langa. For decades the school assisted many people in completing their matric or improve results. “St Francis helped a lot of people and attracted attention all over,” commented Tsolekile.
She described the ceremony as a fitting tribute to women who gave “so much of their lives to the Langa community without any compensation.
“They took what they did as a calling. They inculcated a lot of values into our parents. They taught us prayer from a young age. Had it not been for the sisters we would not have the values that we have today,” shared Tsolekile. “This event is really about saying, thank you! We appreciate you.”
She bemoaned the closure of the Langa convent, saying there was a dire need for such facilities in society.
“They prayed for us. Sadly, we will never get to see these types of people. This is the last phase crop of sisters. We need more people like them. They have been there for everyone in Langa,
Nikki Ngcukana, who also benefitted from their teachings, expressed gratitude. “You will always feel loved in their midst. They did everything for us,” she said, paying a special tribute to Maria. “She wanted to make sure the child, especially in the black community, will have a bright future.
As a collective they were there to serve the black child. “They touched so many people,” Tsolekile said. “The Langa population knows them. I am also where I am today because of them.” She labelled them an inspiration. “They encouraged me to go out into the world and not be afraid. And they taught us to pray without ceasing.”
