Fr. Stan Brennan, a member of the Order of Friars Minor, was sent to Reiger Park, Boksburg, South Africa as parish priest of St Francis Church in 1965. He immediately recognised the need of the people in his community for education and training. The enrolment of 11 students and the opening of a small library in July 1966 marked the official birth of St Anthony’s Education Centre. From very humble beginnings the Centre grew into an institution, which provided excellent upliftment programmes for the poorest of the poor and gave them renewed hope and dignity.
Wishing to alleviate the plight of the needy and marginalised people, with whom Fr Stan worked so closely, St. Anthony’s Education Centre quickly developed into St. Anthony’s Centre which embraces not only education and training but also provides for the needs of the broader community through its Outreach programmes: A haven for the elderly citizens, a drug and alcoholic rehabilitation centre for victims of substance abuse, a hospice for the terminally ill, especially Aids patients and a place of safety for abused women and children are the realisation of Fr. Stan’s vision for uplifting those who are in need.
A group of local men formed “The St Anthony’s Club” and these men ran the Centre in the early days and with time, the work was done by various business people. Fr Colman O Huallachain, Fr Fidelis Mac Enry, Brother Martin Thomson, Fr Laurence O’Shea all contributed to making St Anthony’s what it is today. The Irish Franciscans financed and supported a great deal of the development of St Anthony’s. The Catholic Church played a pivotal role in establishing the Centre and a strong Catholic ethos exists today.
The location of the Centre is easily accessible by those it serves, surrounded by three informal settlements and Reiger Park township, it is also within walking distance from the train station for students who have to travel to attend the school. St. Anthony’s has a fully equipped library, well stocked with reference and educational books and a video collection for English, science and math’s subjects is also available. St. Francis Catholic Church is situated on the grounds of St. Anthony’s Centre and caters for the spiritual welfare of the surrounding communities. Assemblies for students who attend the education centre are always held in the Church and are interdenominational.
The Department of Social Welfare has four offices on the premises of St. Anthony’s Centre. People in the area are assisted in all matters pertaining to welfare. St. Anthony’s Centre offers recreational facilities, which include squash and boxing for members who join the St. Anthony’s Club.
St. Anthony’s Centre is a non-profit organisation and is thus dependant on financial assistance from the government and the generosity of local and overseas donors. Literally thousands of needy, marginalised people have been helped over the past forty years.
Fr Stan is now retired and living at the St Francis Care Centre in Eveleigh, Boksburg.
