The story of the Catholic Church in Johannesburg begins on the dusty goldfields of the Witwatersrand in 1887, when the first Mass was celebrated in a simple reed hut at Ferreira’s Camp. From these humble beginnings, the Catholic community quickly grew, gathering wherever space could be found — a storeroom one week, a stable the next.
 

By August of that year, Johannesburg had its first small church on the corner of Fox and Small Streets. Within a few years, larger churches followed, as priests and religious sisters worked tirelessly to serve a fast‑growing town.
 

In 1892, a new church was built in Kerk Street, dedicated to the Immaculate Conception. For more than sixty years, this “Proto‑Cathedral” was the mother church of Johannesburg, witnessing the city’s transformation from a mining camp into a thriving metropolis.
 

The dream of a permanent cathedral remained alive. In 1937, Bishop David O’Leary announced plans for a great new cathedral. After the Second World War, Bishop William Patrick Whelan secured the present site on Saratoga Avenue, close to the city centre.
 

On 29 June 1958 — the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul — the foundation stone of the Cathedral of Christ the King was laid. Two years later, on 20 September 1960, the Cathedral was solemnly consecrated. Dedicated in honour of Christ the King, it became the symbolic heart of the Archdiocese of Johannesburg: a place of worship, of teaching, and of unity for the Catholic faithful.
 

For more than six decades, the Cathedral has stood as a testament to the vision and sacrifice of those early missionaries and parishioners. It remains today a house of prayer and a living witness to the presence of the Church in the City of Gold.