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The ground plan of the church at Hlabisa was based on the schema of the Zulu homestead (umuzi). When Father Kinch had expressed concern lest the church become cluttered with too many devotional artefacts, Jack Grossert suggested emulating the concept of the Zulu homestead by using different huts for the different functions of the church. It would mean “spreading ou” the church. The idea was to create “a sacred area” within a surrounding wall. Inside the enclosure would be the central “hut” - the church – as the holy of holies. The baptistry, bell tower, and Via Matris would all be separate entities. This concept was modified by Brian Andersson with the addition of a veranda surrounding the church on three sides which could serve as a resting-place and catechism area. The Via Matris colonnade behind the church serves not only as a shelter, but acts also as an acoustical wall for outdoor services.
By the time the plans for the church had been finalized, Bernard's carving had impressed so many visitors to the Hlabisa mission that Brian Andersson decided to incorporate carved bas-relief panels into all the church doors. There were to be three double doors and three single doors. With four panels to each door there would be thirty-six panels in all. The actual doors were prepared with separate panels of peruba wood by the Durban timber company, Blaikes. Father Neal Flanagan, a visiting Scripture scholar, suggested the biblical themes for the doors, but Bernard also included several panels depicting topical local scenes: Brother John is featured in one panel mixing the cement; in another one of the nuns is supervising women collecting stones for the walls; and we see the children sifting the gravel, and workers making the cement blocks. As the building of the church had been a local effort, these panels captured the community spirit of the early days at the mission. Then thre are the scenes of missionary activity: the sister teaching singing, the Bishop giving confirmation, the sister preparing the priest's vestments for the Mass.
(From: "Bernard Gcwensa and Reuben Xulu - Christian artists of Natal" by Dina Cormick)
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