Eucharist Service with Archbishop Desmond Tutu
On Friday, 26 September 2008 the AIFS Stellenbosch semester program had the great opportunity to attend a Eucharist Service at St. George’s Cathedral conducted by the Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town, Desmond Tutu.
The first black Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, Tutu was made famous for his activism during the struggle against apartheid, receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his efforts. Since then, Desmond Tutu has remained an activist, promoting human rights and engaging all South Africans in the efforts to create a more just and equitable society.
Despite a 5:45am departure, over fifty AIFS students took advantage of the opportunity to attend this very special service with the Archbishop. The hour -long bus ride to Cape Town kept many awake in anticipation of their encounter with one of South Africa’s great human rights campaigners.
Lasting an hour in total, with approximately 80 people in attendance, the service consisted of the Archbishop reading various passages from the bible before engaging in an informal meet and greet session. Despite the small size of the group and AIFS students making up the majority, the other esteemed guests ranged from the former Mayor of Cape Town, to Nelson Mandela’s former physician, as well as mutual friends of the Archbishop. After a few kind words from the Archbishop to the parishioners, the service concluded with an invitation to receive communion or a blessing from the Archbishop. Many of the students, irrespective of faith, took this opportunity to be blessed by a hero of South Africa’s liberation movement.
Upon completion of the service, the Archbishop individually thanked all in attendance and personally wished the AIFS students well during their semester abroad in South Africa. And despite a very busy schedule, the jovial and thoughtful Archbishop was even able to take time for a group picture with the students.
For all in attendance, the brief but intimate service was an honor and privilege to attend and one that we hope to be able to repeat in the future.
By Mike Leslie
Assistant Director
AIFS Stellenbosch
