The Mission to Grahamstown, with its message "Yizani - Come!" came rushing into town at the end of August, and we pray that in the best possible way Grahamstown will never be the same again. Among all the meetings (at last count just over 150) which took place that week, the Cathedral hosted a series of three lunch-hour meetings addressed by Michael Cassidy. The founder and International Team Leader of African Enterprise brought messages that were compassionate and challenging. Who can forget his impassioned plea to young people to ask for God's guidance in the choice of their life partner, in this country where divorce and marital violence are so prevalent. The response among the school children and students was particularly exciting. Prayers are asked for the new initiative to bring Christian students and staff members at Rhodes together for regular times of worship.
Our new organist Philip Burnett was among the behind-the-scenes team of musicians from various churches who came together to choose the 123 hymns and songs which make up the blue booklet used in the mission, "Yizani Masicule" (O come let us sing). Philip, and Charles Antrobus, were among the members of the Rhodes Chamber choir who toured Kwa-Zulu Natal and parts of the Eastern Cape in the September vacation, penetrating to such remote spots as Lady Grey, where they were a great hit at the local school.
The three special choral services which marked organist Christopher Cockburn's departure took place over two weekends, and included a full choral Evensong in the English style, complete with canticles by C V Stanford, a Mass by Josef Haydn with string and flute accompaniment, and a modern Evening Prayer with a brand-new setting of the evening canticles by Christopher himself. On the second Sunday the Choir held a farewell luncheon for Christopher and Karin at Pat and Sally Terry's home. During this gathering, Christopher was able to speak on the phone to Roy Barker in England, the former Dean who appointed him back in 1986.
Rae Cole, a resident and worshipper at Somerset Place, died this month. We thank God for her life, and pray for her family.
We welcome Ingrid Andersen, an ordinand who has been studying through TEE in the Johannesburg Diocese, where she was employed by the parish of St Martin-in-the-Veld to work with homeless people. Ingrid's son Michael preceded her to Grahamstown, having been awarded a scholarship to St Andrew's College on the strength of his talent on the saxophone. He spent two terms as a boarder, but is now living at home with Ingrid, who has been appointed to a position as a fund raiser at Rhodes. At one time Ingrid worked under Lynette Marais. It's a small world! We wish Ingrid well in the exams she will be writing shortly, the last before completing her Diploma in Theology.
A recent unexpected visitor to Grahamstown was Cheryl Connett, (neé Young) who studied at Rhodes and worshipped at the Cathedral. Now married to Rupert and with a 21-month-old son Alastair, she lives in Centurion and was visiting on the death of her father-in-law.
Congratulations to Geoff Antrobus, who has been awarded the Distinguished Teaching Award by the Vice-Chancellor of Rhodes University.
The University displayed similar good judgement in awarding an Honorary Doctorate to Archbishop-Emeritus Desmond Tutu. Despite the short notice and the cold night, Grahamstown people in general, and Cathedral parishioners in particular, turned out in great numbers to cheer the "Arch", and hear our churchwarden Paul Walters deliver a tribute as Public Orator. Paul's words included a comprehensive potted biography of Desmond Tutu, acknowledging his debt to another former Dean of Grahamstown, Bishop Michael Nuttall, who has recently published a memoir entitled "Number Two to Tutu".
Sister Zelma CR was invited recently to visit Riversdale in the Western Cape, and talk to young people about the Religious Life.
Suzanne Peterson greatly appreciated the chance to meet other clergy and laity from the Episcopal Church of the USA, serving in Africa, when she visited Kenya. Leela Pienaar has been to England to visit her son Ashwin in London. While there she also visited Oxford, and the ancient holy place of Walsingham in Norfolk, which pre-dates the 1066 Norman Conquest.
Jeanette and David Hodgson have returned from a wonderful six-week tour of the UK, to see their daughter Fiona and her husband in Kent, and other relatives. Fiona lent them a car, and they were able to go as far as Scotland.
Daphne Rink, still overseas at the time of writing, has been travelling around England and Ireland and enjoying time with friends and family, including of course former Dean Chich Hewitt and his wife Gill (Daphne's daughter).
Did you know that the Spire is available on-line? Thanks to the kindness of Pat Terry, the text of this magazine appears each month on the Cathedral web-site, http://www.scifac.ru.ac.za/cathedral . Every now and again, because my e-mail address features at the bottom of this column, I receive an e-mail from a stranger in the USA, Australia or the UK, wondering if I can help to put them in touch with some present or former Cathedral parishioner. I am happy to say that I have been able to do this several times. One of my correspondents was in America, a long-lost friend looking for John and Nommso Stubbs' daughter Khuthaza - who is also in America. Another was a niece by marriage of former People and Places columnist Dimmie Randell. What a pleasure to enable these people to find each other.
Maggy
Please send news for People and Places to: Maggy Clarke, 26 Somerset Street, Grahamstown. Tel. 046 622 7803 (home), 046 636 1996 (work), e-mail: bobandmaggy@imaginet.co.za