Grahamstown Cathedral

07/09/2026

https://youtu.be/lmNnIknGXvk?si=rIin-wNgUcJOkBqU

Here's the link to Cathedral Evensong, sung on Sunday 6 September 2026

Order of service for the Office of Evensong: https://drive.google.c...

07/09/2026

What’s on in the Cathedral this week? (7-13 September 2026)

Season of Creation

Monday 7 September
5.30pm Makana Choir School Committee Meeting (Chapter House)

Tuesday 8 September (THE BIRTH OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY)
8.30am Morning Prayer (Cory Room) – all are welcome to attend
9am Staff Meeting

Wednesday 9 September
7am Said Eucharist
3.30pm Cathedral Choir Practice
5pm Bellringers’ Practice

Thursday 10 September
7am Said Mass
5pm Cathedral Consort Practice

Friday 11 September
7am Morning Prayer
3pm Marimba Band Practice (Eluxolweni Shelter)

Saturday 12 September
10.30am Cathedral Tours (by appointment – please contact Jessica on 079 526 5729)

Sunday 13 September (The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost)
7.30am Said Eucharist with hymns (SAPB)
9.30am Sung Eucharist (AAPB) – admission of music intern and choristers
11am Makana Choir School AGM – adult members of the congregation and parents of choristers are warmly encouraged to attend
1pm “A Meeting of Winds”: Concert (Tickets R80 / R50 for scholars and pensioners)
5pm Choral Evensong

04/09/2026

Grace and peace to you this Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost.

September greets us with the joy of springtime, a season of renewal and hope.

Within the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, this month is also dedicated to the Feast of Creation, as we join the global ecumenical initiative to celebrate the Triune God as Creator. Here at the Cathedral, our liturgy on Sunday, 20 September, will give special focus to this theme, reminding us that the earth and all its fullness are the Lord’s, entrusted to our care and stewardship. It is also the month in which ACSA celebrates young people, encouraging them to take up interest and leadership roles in the life of the Church. Their energy and vision are vital for the renewal of our communities, just as spring brings new blossoms to the earth.

In this service, we rejoice with the Von Wildermann–Cloete families as Megan and Phillip bring their second child, Baby David, to the waters of Baptism. This sacrament is a sign of God’s covenant love, a reminder that each child is a gift of creation, and a call to nurture them in the faith of Christ.

The readings appointed for this Sunday speak directly into these celebrations: Ezekiel 33:7–11 calls us to be watchmen, alert to God’s word, urging one another to turn from ways that destroy life. This is a summons to care for creation and for each other. Psalm 119:33–40 is a prayer for guidance in God’s ways. As we celebrate creation and baptism, we ask to walk faithfully in paths of stewardship, justice, and love. Romans 13:8–14 reminds us that love is the fulfilment of the law. This is the ethic that undergirds creation care, youth leadership, and our baptismal covenant. Matthew 18:15–20 teaches us the principles of engagement within the Church: respect, reconciliation, and unity. Just as creation flourishes in harmony, so too must our relationships be healed of division and strengthened in Christ. Together, these scriptures remind us that the health and quality of our relationships matter deeply—within the Cathedral, within the wider Church, and with creation itself. Healing divisions, restoring unity, and living in reconciliation are not optional; they are the very ministry entrusted to us by Christ. May this Sunday’s celebration renew our commitment to creation, to our young people, to the Cloete family, and to one another in love.

My love to you all

The Very Reverend Mzinzisi Dyantyi
Dean of Grahamstown

30/08/2026

What’s on in the Cathedral this week? (31 August – 6 September 2026)

Monday 31 August (Sophie Gray, Artist, Architect, wife of Robert Gray, 1871)
7am Morning Prayer

Tuesday 1 September (Robert Gray, First Bishop of Cape Town, 1872)
8.30am Morning Prayer (Cory Room)
9.00am Staff Meeting (Cory Room)

Wednesday 2 September (The Martyrs of New Guinea, 1942)
7am Said Mass
3.30pm Cathedral Choir Practice
4pm Cathedral Clergy Staff Meeting (Cory Room)
5pm Bellringers’ Practice

Thursday 3 September
7am Said Mass
5pm Cathedral Consort Practice

Friday 4 September
7am Morning Prayer
3pm Marimba Band Practice (Eluxolweni Shelter)

Saturday 5 September
10am Ordination Service ((St Alban’s, East London)
10.30am Cathedral Tour (by appointment – please contact Jessica on 079 526 5729)
4pm “In Parallel with Rheinberger” – a gala concert played by Dr Christopher Cockburn
- entrance free, with a retiring cash collection

Sunday 6 September (The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost)
7.30am Said Eucharist with hymns (SAPB)
9.30am Sung Eucharist (AAPB)
5pm Choral Evensong (SAPB)

28/08/2026

28/08/2026

Dear Cathedral Family

Grace and Peace to you this Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost.

It marks a significant moment in the life of our Cathedral family. Today we bid farewell to Mr. Xhanti Marubelela, who has faithfully served among us as an ordinand of the Diocese of Grahamstown. This is his last service with us before he offers himself to the Order of Deacons at the forthcoming ordination to be presided over by the Bishop of Grahamstown on 5 September 2026.

Xhanti has been a person of deep faith, one who believes firmly in the power of prayer. His diligence, efficiency, and ability to get things done have blessed our Cathedral life in countless ways. Moreover, he has proven himself to be an excellent preacher, proclaiming the Word of God with clarity and conviction.

This past week, I had the privilege, together with Bishop Mcebisi, of leading Xhanti and his fellow ordinands, Lubabalo Sabelo and Phikolomzi Dlanjwa, in their pre‑ordination training.

We reflected on vital themes: What are deacons and how are they equipped? The meaning and goal of ministry. What deacons should be and do—their duties and functions. These conversations reminded us that ministry is not about status, but about service, humility, and faithfulness to Christ.

Our Scripture readings today speak directly into this calling: In Exodus 3, Moses is summoned at the burning bush, hesitant yet chosen, reminding us that God equips those He calls. Psalm 105 exhorts us to remember the mighty acts of God, for ministry flows from gratitude and remembrance. In Romans 12, Paul urges us to let love be genuine, to serve with zeal, patience, and perseverance—qualities essential for the diaconate. In Matthew 16, Jesus teaches that discipleship means denying oneself and taking up the cross. The deacon’s ministry is precisely this: a life of self‑giving service in Christ’s name.

Thus, as Xhanti, Lubabalo, and Phiko prepare to enter their ordination retreat on 31 August, we as the Cathedral family are called to uphold them in prayer. May they be strengthened by the Spirit, guided in humility, and sustained in joy as they take this next step in their vocation.

My love to you all.

The Very Reverend Mzinzisi Dyantyi
Dean of Grahamstown

24/08/2026

Here's the link to our Evensong for The Twelfth Sunday after Trinity on 26 August 2026.

Enjoy!

Order of service for the Office of Evensong: https://drive.google.c...

24/08/2026

What’s on in the Cathedral this week? (24-30 August 2026)

Month of Compassion

Monday 24 August (ST BARTHOLOMEW, APOSTLE)
7am Morning Prayer

Tuesday 25 August
8.30am Morning Prayer (Cory Room)
9.00am Staff Meeting (Cory Room)

Wednesday 26 August
7am Said Mass
3.30pm Cathedral Choir Practice
5pm Bellringers’ Practice
5.30pm Parish Church Council meeting (Cory Room)

Thursday 27 August
7am Said Mass
5pm Cathedral Consort Practice

Friday 28 August (St Augustine of Hippo, 430)
7am Morning Prayer
8.30am Training for Bible School
3pm Marimba Band Practice (Eluxolweni Shelter)

Saturday 29 August (The Beheading of St John the Baptist)
9am-1pm Provincial Synod Preparation Training (Online)
10.30am Cathedral Tour (by appointment – please contact Jessica on 079 526 5729)

Sunday 30 August (The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost)
7.30am Said Eucharist with hymns (SAPB)
9.30am Sung Eucharist (AAPB)

21/08/2026

Dear Cathedral Family

Grace and peace to you this Thirteen Sunday after Pentecost.

This Sunday ACSA observes Theological Education Sunday. It is a day set aside to remind us of the importance of training and forming clergy and lay leaders for the mission of the Church. Theological education equips servants of Christ to proclaim the Gospel faithfully, to shepherd God’s people wisely, and to engage the challenges of our time with courage and understanding.

I speak of this with deep gratitude, for I myself was a seminarian at the College of the Transfiguration sixteen years ago. The support of the wider Church (Diocese) made my formation possible, and today I stand among you as your Dean because of that investment in theological education.

The collection taken this Sunday goes directly towards supporting theological education in our Diocese and College. I urge you, therefore, to give generously, knowing that your offering nurtures future priests, deacons, and leaders who will serve Christ’s Church in years to come.

Our readings today remind us of this calling: In Isaiah 51, we are exhorted to look to the rock from which we were hewn — to remember our foundations in God’s covenant. Psalm 138 proclaims that God strengthens the soul and fulfils His purpose for us. In Romans 12, Paul calls us to present our bodies as living sacrifices, and to use our gifts for the building up of the Body of Christ. In Matthew 16, Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ, and Christ entrusts him with the keys of the kingdom — a powerful reminder of the responsibility of leadership in the Church. These texts speak directly to the purpose of theological education: to form leaders who confess Christ faithfully, serve His people sacrificially, and build up the Church for God’s glory.

My dear brothers and sisters, let us give thanks for the gift of theological education, and let us support it with prayer and generosity, so that future generations may be equipped to proclaim the Gospel in word and deed.

My Love to you all.

Fr Mzinzisi Dyantyi
Dean of Grahamstown