Latest News

Archbishop appeals for cyclone relief donations

Message from Archbishop Thabo Makgoba to the People of Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe & Appeal for assistance

On behalf of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, and on my own behalf, I offer our deepest condolences and express our heartfelt pain at the loss of life and property caused by the destructive effects of Cyclone Idai across Southern Africa.

We want to assure the affected Dioceses in Mozambique – the Diocese of Lebombo led by Bishop Carlos Matsinhe and the Diocese of Niassa led by Bishop Vicente Msosa – of our prayers. Please pray also for the Dioceses in Malawi and Zimbabwe in our neighbouring Province of Central Africa which were affected.

I appeal to Anglicans across Southern Africa to donate generously to ACSA’s Disaster Relief Fund in order to provide relief to those in devastated areas.

Bank details 

Bank: Standard Bank of SA Ltd
Branch: Thibault Square
Branch code: 02 09 09
Account number: 07 007 8394
Account name: Disaster Relief Fund

Annual Vestry Meeting

Our Annual Vestry Meeting took place on Sunday 17 March in St George’s Hall. Congratulations to the new Churchwardens and Parish Councillors. The following were elected:

• Churchwardens: Ronaldo Burger, Lungile Penxa
• Parish Councillors: Katie Appollis, Rodney Bridger, Theodore Duxbury, Siyabulela Fobosi, Ian Meiklejohn.
• Additional ex officio members: Ayanda Dabengwa (Cathedral Student Ministry), (CR Sisters).

Our Representatives at the Diocesan Synod in May will be Theo Duxbury and Tandiwe Gabavana.

To read the Reports which were tabled, click here.

Statement of Welcome and Affirmation adopted by the Vestry Meeting.

Lunga Dongwana ordained Priest

Saturday 16 March was a joyful day, when self-supporting Deacon Lunga Dongwana was among 17 to be ordained Priest by Bishop Ebenezer Ntlali in the Cathedral. We rejoice with him, and pray God’s blessing on his ministry. The following evening he celebrated the Eucharist in the Cathedral.

For more pictures, see our Gallery.

 

 

 

 

Welcome to our Youth Intern

On Sunday 10 March the Dean admitted Tandiwe Gabavana as our Youth Intern. The Youth Intern programme includes giving work experience, training in administrative skills, exposure to governance, personal growth and development, and discipleship. We give thanks for Tandiwe, and pray for her in this new role.

Pancake Pandemonium!

On Shrove Tuesday, 5 March, St George’s Hall was a hive of activity as pancakes were tossed, customers queued up, and friends sat down to enjoy pancakes together. Congratulations to Sally Terry and her team!

For more photos, see our Gallery.

Mothers’ Union Fundraiser success

Congratulations to the Cathedral Mothers’ Union branch, who held a successful and enjoyable fundraising morning on Saturday 2 March.

For more photos, see our Gallery.

Young Organist’s sponsorship renewed for a further year

Exciting news! We give thanks to God, and to a generous group of donors, that Bayanda Mthetho, our Grade 10 organist, has his organ lessons funded for the whole of 2019! Bayanda is a 15-year old Graeme College learner, and a member of the Makana Choir School. He began piano lessons at the age of 11, and has recently passed the Grade 8 Trinity piano exam, with the astonishing mark of 97%! Since the beginning of 2018 Bayanda has been learning the organ with Jovan Heynsen, the Director of Music at DSG and St Andrew’s College.

This video clip of Bayanda playing part of Bach’s Prelude No 5 in G Major was recorded at a service on 25 November 2018.

 

Three Parishioners awarded for long and faithful service

On 20 January 2019 the Dean awarded citations to three long-standing volunteers at the Cathedral who had recently stepped down from their duties, Andrew Tracey (left), Penny Whitford and Clive Whitford. Read the citations here: Andrew Tracey; Penny Whitford; Clive Whitford. Congratulations and many heartfelt thanks to these wonderful people who have given so much in the service of the Lord!

Cathedral Bells in the news in Northern Ireland

On 26 December 2018 a 45-minute radio programme entitled ‘The Bells of St Macartans’ was broadcast on the Irish radio stations Shannonside FM and Northern Sound FM. This was mainly concerned with three Irish Cathedrals dedicated to St Macartan, but also included a segment relating to this Cathedral. The connection was that the Dean of Grahamstown at the time when our first eight bells were installed, Frederick Williams, had grown up in Enniskillen in Northern Ireland, within sound of the bells of St Macartan’s Cathedral. Those bells are hung in a circle, and Dean Williams wished to have  similar circle of bells in the Cathedral in Grahamstown.

The radio programme was produced and presented by Noel Murphy, who visited Grahamstown in May 2018. To listen to a podcast of the programme, which includes the sound of the St Michael’s Marimbas, click here. For more about the history of our Cathedral bells, click here.

Christmas Eve Crib Service

A merry band of musicians led the singing at the children’s Crib Service on Monday 24 December 2018, and the children dressed up as their favourite Nativity characters for an impromptu Nativity play. For more pictures, see our Gallery.

 

New Appointments

Lou-Anne Liebenberg, Parish Secretary, has been appointed Office Administrator/ Bookkeeper from 1 January 2019. She succeeded Chantel Riddin, who has left town. We give thanks for Chantel’s efficient and cheerful presence and work in our midst, and wish her every blessing in the future.

Silulami Mize, having served for a period in an acting capacity, has been officially appointed Verger with effect from 1 January 2019. We congratulate Lou-Anne and Sly, and pray for God’s blessing on their ministries.

 

 

Cathedral Vision

We believe we are called to be a vibrant, attractive, diverse, welcoming, all age community of people who seek to follow Christ.
The Cathedral’s ministry seeks at all times to be obedient to the call of God through Jesus Christ.

Key Performance Areas

• Worship
• Pastoral care and building community
• Families, children and young people
• Teaching, discipleship and evangelism
• Mission, ministry and outreach
• Administration, communication and oversight
• Cathedral plant and physical environment
• Dedication and stewardship

Latest Publications

Resolution Passed at Annual Vestry meeting 17 March 2019

The Annual Vestry meeting passed a resolution endorsing a Statement of Welcome and Affirmation: “We affirm all human beings equally as created in the image of God…” [more]

Annual Vestry Reports, 2019

The Reports to be tabled at the Annual Vestry meeting on 17 March after the 08:30 service are to be found on our Publications Page.

Growing the Church

The latest Growing the Church Update Newsletter for December 2018 is now available.

Two books by Bishop Eric Pike

Two books by the retired former Bishop of Port Elizabeth are available at the Cathedral Parish Office, 108 High Street Grahamstown/ Makhanda @ R150.

In ‘Who do you say I am?’ Bishop Eric refers to the same question that Christ asked of his disciples, “Who do you say I am?” In doing so, he demonstrates that in each of the many and varied chapters of his life, he has discovered more about the God he has served so faithfully.

In ‘Waymarks for the Way’ Bishop Eric gives us a handbook for our journey through life.

 

Letters from Bishop Ebenezer Ntlali

Read Bishop Ebenezer’s latest letter to the clergy and people, for December 2018.

In an Ad Clerum dated November 2018, Bishop Ebenezer addresses the important issues of Safe Church, Pastoral Standards and the Archbishop’s Commission on Theological Education.

Read Bishop Ebenezer’s letter to the clergy and people, dated September – November 2018.

Diocesan Intercessions

Daily prayers of intercessions and thanksgiving for the Diocese of Grahamstown for March 2019.

Umbuliso for October-November 2018

Umbuliso, the newsletter of the Diocese of Grahamstown for October-November 2018 can be downloaded as a pdf.

 

By Archbishop Thabo Makgoba

2 March 2019: A message recorded for the #Justice4Vernie rally held in St George’s Cathedral, Cape Town, to honour the memory of Vernie Petersen, a former church worker and later a senior civil servant, whose stand against corruption before his untimely death has been highlighted at a commission of inquiry into government corruption.

8 February 2019: The Archbishop speaks on the forthcoming Lambeth Conference, calling on bishops to “express your difference”.

4 December 2018: To the Laos – to the People of God. The Archbishop’s Advent letter.

11 November 2018: Homily by Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, at the Cathedral of St Paul, St Helena, at the Consecration and Installation of Dale Arthur Bowers as the 16th Bishop of St Helena.

14 November 2018: Of Dinuzulu, Boer prisoners and the slave trade – Blogging from the South Atlantic.

26 October 2018: ‘Women destined for God’s Purpose‘, an address to the 2018 Provincial Conference of the Anglican Women’s Fellowship.

For further publications of the ACSA and the Diocese of Grahamstown visit our Publications page.