In the mid-1880s a huge Cathedral was built in the Bushmanland desert oasis of Pella by French Missionaries who at first had absolutely no idea what they were doing! They did, however, have a copy of an encyclopedia which contained details of how to construct such a Building and, within two incredible years, they finished it. More than 200 cartloads of sand, 400 wagon loads of stones, 200 000 bricks, 350 bags of slaked lime and hundreds of wagon loads of willow wood went into the construction of this amazing place of worship. Today, the elegant, sandy-toned Cathedral still stands as a tribute to the men of the order of St Francis de la Sales who, incidentally, is the patron saint of writers.
In the late 1990s, the authors met Sister Therese-Henriette, a true veteran of hot places. In her 50-odd years as a Catholic Nun, she had served in Upington, Onseepkans, Pofadder, Matjieskloof, Port Nolloth, Vergenoeg and Pella. “There’s a lot of love in our lives here in Pella,” said Sister Therese-Henriette. “We also go out and have fun from time to time.”
Before Pella was Pella, Pella was Cammas Fonteyn. In 1814 the feared Nama raider; Jager Afrikaner, who attacked the Warmbad Mission in Great Namaqualand. The Mission Survivors fled South to Cammas Fonteyn, where the resident London Missionary Society minister renamed it Pella, after the ancient Palestine refuge for Christians crossing the Jordan River in flight.
(prior to 1910)
In 1806 the first station of the London Missionary Society (L.M.S.) north of the Orange River was established at Warmbad in South-West Africa, 72 km north-west of Pella. A quarrel between the Hottentot chief Jager Afrikaner and the converts resulted in the mission being sacked. The inhabitants fled across the Orange River, and a new station was built at Pella, named after an old town east of the River Jordan to which the Christians withdrew in 70A.D. when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans. When Pella was relinquished by the L.M.S. the station was taken over by the Rhenish Mission, who in turn abandoned it in 1869, and in 1874 it was taken over by the Roman Catholics, who obtained their 'ticket of occupation' on 9 June 1881.The farm on which the mission is situated is 48 73 5 ha in extent. The surrounding country is barren and hot, and the rainfall is only 50 mm. Water is found in shallow wells, and dates of fine quality are grown on a small scale. The population is about 1600, including 15 White families.
South African History Online. (2011, March 16). Pella. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/P-0014034
South African History Online (2011) 'Pella', South African History Online, 16 March. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/P-0014034 (Accessed: 21 September 2026).
South African History Online, Pella [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/P-0014034, (accessed 21 September 2026).
"Pella." South African History Online, 16 Mar. 2011, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/P-0014034. Accessed 21 Sept. 2026.
South African History Online. "Pella." South African History Online. March 16, 2011. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/P-0014034.
