Zimbabwe Anglicans return to their Cathedral
Zimbabwe Anglicans return to their Cathedral in Harare after many years of exile after an excommunicated bishop seized their properties across the Zimbabwe dioceses of the Church of the Province of Central Africa. Read more at
Mainstream Anglicans take back Zimbabwe cathedral
1. Zoom out of women singing, gathered in the Square outside the Cathedral of Saint Mary and All Saints
2. Wide of drummers playing
3. Close of hands playing drum
4. Pan right of worshippers
5. Wide of priests on podium
6. Close of cross, pan left to Bishop Chad Gandiya during Mass
7. Close of Bishop Gandiya
8. Wide of worshippers listening to Mass
9. Close of booklet reading (English) Diocese of Harare. Thanksgiving and Re-dedication. Order of Service
10. Mid of women listening to Mass
11. Close of Bible in woman's hands, tilt up to woman's face
12. Wide of sign on cathedral wall reading (English) Cathedral of Saint Mary and All Saints
13. Wide of exterior of Cathedral
STORYLINE
Mainstream Anglican Christians in Zimbabwe took back their cathedral on Sunday after a lockout of more than five years staged by an excommunicated, breakaway bishop who claimed loyalty to the President's party and used loyalist police to keep people out.
Worshippers from across the country and regional church leaders thronged the central Harare square where the Cathedral of Saint Mary and All Saints is located to attend a Mass service.
Men, women and children danced to the beat of drums and sang hymns and African spirituals.
The Mass was followed by another service inside the colonial-era Cathedral to cleanse and re-dedicate its building.
Bishop Chad Gandiya struck the main doors of the Cathedral three times with a pastoral staff to have them opened.
He blessed what he called the defiled interior with signs of the cross ahead of the first Eucharist service by mainstream Anglicans since they were often violently banished from churches and missions seized nationwide.
The nation's highest court has declared the seizures illegal.
Breakaway Bishop Nolbert Kunonga launched a campaign a decade ago against the regional Anglican Church of the Province of Central Africa to which Zimbabwe belongs, claiming it supported gay rights.
In outspoken sermons, he backed militants of President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF party in violent elections and repeated much of Mugabe's criticism of his political opponents and the United States and Britain, the former colonial power before independence in 1980.
Kunonga seized church bank accounts and cars as his followers occupied church schools, orphanages and other properties.
Gandiya's diocese officials said many of those facilities went into disrepair - churches were locked and ousted worshippers held their services in Roman Catholic church halls, public areas and homes.
Some church buildings were turned into dormitories and food kitchens for Kunonga's supporters.
Others were turned into flea markets and drinking halls that attracted prostitutes, officials said.
Rubbish Garbage and rat faeces were strewn across some of the newly entered churches.
Last month's ruling of the Supreme Court ordered Kunonga to hand back all church assets.
The Cathedral's altar, the chancel behind the altar, the furnishings, the organ and sacred ornaments were to be cleansed and re-dedicated.
Kunonga removed burial plaques, tombstones, carvings and commemorative displays honouring prominent colonial-era citizens as well as black soldiers of the colonial African Rifles regiment who fought for Britain and its allies in the First and Second World Wars. Those relics are believed to have been destroyed.
Gandiya praised church members for enduring their period of exile from their places of worship and years of persecution and pain with faith and courage.
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Anglican Fellowship in Harare Zimbabwe
Apostle Toggy Chivaviro & Friends Live & Anglican Cathedral, Harare
Attending Apostle Chivaviro's Musical Ministries is a spiritually fulfilling experiences always coupled with powerful celebratory unity in singing with a host of high profile and powerful worship and praise personalities. On this day, we had the honor of being treated to Baba Manyeruke, Pastor Haisa, Worshipper Larry Gunda, Tyrah Chikocho, Mharidzo, Gift Mahlupeka.... the list is endless.
Archbishop of Canterbury speaks at service at Harare sports stadium
(9 Oct 2011)
1. Procession, with clergyman swinging incense burner
2. Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, in full regalia, in procession waving to crowd
3. Williams at altar, pull out to show congregation
4. Pull out from woman singing to choir singing
5. Women choristers singing
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury:
Your life here is tortured by uncertainty and the constant risk of attack, yet it speaks to all of us in the worldwide Anglican Communion of the victory of Jesus Christ and the undefeated will of God to welcome all people into his kingdom.
7. Pull out from congregants attending mass
8. Man waving incense in front of Williams
9. Pull-out of men singing and dancing
STORYLINE:
The head of the worldwide Anglican church said on Sunday during a visit to Zimbabwe that Christianity should not be about politics but about God.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, told more than 15-thousand mainstream Anglican worshippers gathered for mass at a stadium in Harare that Anglican worshippers are constantly tortured by uncertainty and ... risk of attack in the southern African country.
He praised the worshippers for their courage amid a bitter dispute between the followers of breakaway Bishop Nolbert Kunonga and mainstream Anglican church worshippers.
Kunonga, a loyalist of longtime ruler President Robert Mugabe, was excommunicated in 2007 by the main Anglican Province of Central Africa and the worldwide head of the church.
He was accused of inciting violence in sermons supporting Mugabe's party.
The Anglican Church in Zimbabwe has been divided since Kunonga's excommunication.
He has taken over the main cathedral, schools and the church's bank accounts.
The schism in the church has left mainstream Anglicans without places of worship and they've experienced intimidation and alleged threats of violence.
Williams on Sunday urged the worshippers not to be embroiled in violence or retaliation.
The Archbishop is expected to meet Mugabe on Monday to discuss an end to the disruptions.
Also on Sunday, Kunonga and his supporters demonstrated outside Harare's main cathedral against Williams' visit.
Kunonga insists he split from the Anglican church because of its position on gay marriage.
Leaders of the global Anglican Communion have condemned gay relationships as a violation of Scripture.
However, the Anglican Communion is loosely organised without one authoritative leader such as a pope, so some individual provinces have decided on their own that they should move toward accepting same-gender unions.
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Anglican Harare CPCA
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Harare and Saldanha Bay
During the Anglicans Ablaze conference in Johannesburg in July 2014 Bishop Chad Gandiya of Harare and Bishop Raphael Hess of Saldanha Bay along with Rev Pat Townshend and Dean Farai Mutamiri took a moment to have a conversation as they embark on a diocesan link relationship.
Episcopal Ordination of Bishop Raymond T Mupandasekwa CSsR
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CONDUCTOR : Melusi Jele
Marden Singers Harare Worthy is the Lamb + Amen 20151114
Marden Singers Harare performing Handel's Messiah Nov 14, 2015 at St Mary's Anglican Cathedral, Harare - Zimbabwe.
Choir: Marden Singers, Harare (founded 1963).
Director and Conductor: Margot Dennis.
Organist: Eric Dippenaar.
Amateur video: Uchechukwu Oguike.
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Thousands of pilgrims from Zimbabwe and beyond gathered in Harare to commemorate the life of Bernard Mizeki, a lay African catechist and missionary martyred in 1896.
Fr Padya Sj First mass, Waterfalls Parish 27 July 2014
In gratitude to God for this priesthood i had my first mass at Waterfalls Parish, St Francis of Assisi on the 27th of July 2014.
i remain grateful to Bishop Dieter Scholtz Sj who ordained me on the 26th of July 2014 at St Georges College.
i am grateful to Fr Von Nidda Sj who preached so well at the first mass and for all the other priests and religious who came to support me. i am more grateful to Fr Mukupo OFM, my parish priest and his ordination team and all the faithful of Waterfalls parish for honouring me with such a beautiful celebration. the choir sang exceptionally well with dancers glorifying God and the alter servers reminding me of my time as one of them some years back.
i remain grateful to the Poor Claire Sisters who prepared everything for the mass especially for their prayers during my formation time.....these are my mothers.
lastly i thank my family for being there always from the beginning of my Jesuit life. may God bless you all.
protestant cathedral... Harare, Zimbabwe (Subsaharian Africa)
Marden Singers Harare Surely he hath borne our grief 20151114
Marden Singers Harare performing Handel's Messiah Nov 14, 2015 at St Mary's Anglican Cathedral, Harare - Zimbabwe.
Choir: Marden Singers, Harare (founded 1963).
Director and Conductor: Margot Dennis.
Organist: Eric Dippenaar.
Amateur video: Uchechukwu Oguike.
Marden Singers Harare He Shall Feed His Flock 20151114
Marden Singers Harare performing Handel's Messiah Nov 14, 2015 at St Mary's Anglican Cathedral, Harare - Zimbabwe.
Choir: Marden Singers, Harare (founded 1963).
Director and Conductor: Margot Dennis.
Organist: Eric Dippenaar.
Amateur video: Uchechukwu Oguike.
Anglican Women dancing.
Beautiful
Zimbabwe Link visitors from Masvingo
Canon Wendy Robins interviews visitors from Southwark Cathedral's link Diocese of Masvingo in Zimbabwe during the Choral Eucharist in the Cathedral on Sunday 17 June 2012
Marden Singers Harare Behold I Tell you a mystery + The Trumpet Shall sound Takunda 20151114
Marden Singers Harare performing Handel's Messiah Nov 14, 2015 at St Mary's Anglican Cathedral, Harare - Zimbabwe.
Choir: Marden Singers, Harare (founded 1963).
Director and Conductor: Margot Dennis.
Organist: Eric Dippenaar.
Amateur video: Uchechukwu Oguike.
Marden Singers Harare And The Glory of the Lord 20151114
Marden Singers Harare performing Handel's Messiah Nov 14, 2015 at St Mary's Anglican Cathedral, Harare - Zimbabwe.
Choir: Marden Singers, Harare (founded 1963).
Director and Conductor: Margot Dennis.
Organist: Eric Dippenaar.
Amateur video: Uchechukwu Oguike.