St George's Cathedral, Cape Town

HIV and AIDS ministries

God of Unity
All of us are affected by HIV and AIDS.
Bind us together with strong ties of love
That this church community may be a place where all can find acceptance,
May it be a place of welcome for all affected and infected by HIV/AIDS.
May it be a place where care is given and received, especially for affected and infected children and youth,
Where those who foster and adopt orphans are supported and encouraged
Where stories are told and heard,
Where fear is overcome by love,
Where you are to be found.
Amen.

Christ has no body now on earth but yours;
No hands but yours;
No feet but yours;
Yours are the eyes through which Christ's compassion looks out to the world;
Yours are the feet with which he goes about doing good;
Yours are the hands with which he blesses now.

We cannot ignore nor avoid HIV and AIDS. God calls us to care. God calls us to respond.

One way in which you can respond is to join fellow parishioners in the Cathedral's HIV and AIDS Task Team. A warm welcome awaits you! Click on HIV and AIDS Task Team for a list of members and news of developments not reflected elsewhere on this site.

Whether or not you are able to contribute physically to the work of the HIV and AIDS Task Team, please pray for the HIV and AIDS-related ministries of the church.

We encourage you also to attend, whenever it might be possible for you, either the 07h15 or 13h10 celebration of the Mass on a Tuesday. Both of these services, which are held in St John's Chapel, focus on HIV and AIDS.

For information about the HIV and AIDS programmes, projects and ministries of the wider Anglican Church of Southern Africa, visit www.anglicanaids.org .

For further information specifically about the Cape Town Diocese's HIV and AIDS Task Team (Fikelela) and its projects and activities, visit www.fikelela.org.za.

Special events

From time to time we renew our focus on HIV and AIDS through holding some special service, programme or event.

Thus, at the special evensong on Advent Sunday 2004, the Cathedral participated along with many thousands of Christians around the country in lighting candles each of which was intended to represent at least one of the estimated 660,000 South African children living with HIV/AIDS. This was part of the Candles of Hope campaign.

On World AIDS Day 2004 the Cathedral partnered with the Diocesan AIDS Task Team, Fikelela, in hosting an all-day AIDS 'festival' at the Cathedral. One of our lay ministers, Terry Fleischer, shares with us some of his reflections on the day's proceedings.

One of the highlights of the day was a moving address delivered by Chief Gatsha Buthelezi during a lunchtime service in the Cathedral. Chief Buthelezi has lost two sons to AIDS. He is himself an Anglican layminister.

For World AIDS Day 2005, 1 December, the Cathedral has a full programme of events.

On 24 March 2005 World TB Day was observed at the Cathedral by way of relevant prayers being said as well as an informational insert in the Pew Leaflet on the preceding Sunday. World TB Day is an occasion for people around the world to raise awareness about the international health threat presented by tuberculosis (TB) – part of which threat is the intimate connection between TB and the spread and development of HIV and AIDS. Click for more information about World TB Day and the link between TB and HIV & AIDS.

On Sunday, 15 May 2005, St George's Cathedral joined many millions of people worldwide in deepening our awareness of and praying about HIV and AIDS within our community. Observance of this day had four objectives:

• To honour the memory of those lost to AIDS
• To show support for those living with HIV and AIDS
• To raise community awareness and decrease stigma related to HIV and AIDS
• To mobilise community involvement in the fight against HIV and AIDS

Click for more information about International AIDS Candlelight Memorial Day

Reminders and symbols around the Cathedral

There are various physical 'things' around the Cathedral that are in some way part of our AIDS ministry in the city or that serve to remind us that God calls us to care and, in however small a way, to respond to the HIV and AIDS pandemic. These include the following:

• HIV and AIDS information table
• HIV and AIDS banner
• HIV and AIDS quilt
• HIV and AIDS candles
• 'This is an AIDS-friendly church'

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