St. Peter Claver Church, Bethanie, was established in 1957 and was looked after by the OSFS Fathers. Due to lack of priests, the mission was closed for almost three years before it was entrusted to the MSFS.

 

Frs. Philip Mangat, Joseph Kunjaparambil and Babychan Arackathara, the three MSFS pioneers to the Southern African missions, were appointed at Bethanie on 08 December 1998. Fr. Babychan left for St. Hermanus Church, Vredendal, in South Africa, in October 1999. In December 2001, Fr. Saju Thalayinakandathil joined the team.

 

Fr. Joseph Kunjaparambil was transferred to Christ the King Church, Luderitz, on 22 September 2002. Fr. Philip Mangat was transferred to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Keetmanshoop, on 24 January 2004. Fr. Saju Thalayinakandathil took over as the parish priest, until was transferred to St. Teresa of the Child Jesus Church, Tses in 2006. Fr. Augustine Parampuzha took over the parish in 2006 July. When Fr. Augustine was transferred to Christ the King Church Luderitz in 2007 March, the mission of Bethanie was annexed to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Keetmanshoop, which is looked after by the MSFS Fathers.

Bethanie is a small township with a population of about 2,000 in the southern part of Namibia, close to the Great Namib Desert. The land here is arid and the climate is warm and the rainfall is scarce.

 

The dominant tribe of the place is called Namas. Their dialect, Nama, is known for its click sounds. The rest of the population consists of the Coloureds (people of mixed racial descent) and the Whites. As it is a semi-desert area, there is very little vegetation. The whites own the farms with irrigation facilities around area and the Namas and the Coloureds work there as farm hands.

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