200-Year-Old Cathedral Still Anchors South African City

Hidden among the high-rises of Gqeberha, South Africa, a church built in 1825 has quietly witnessed two centuries of history unfold around it. St Mary's Cathedral, once the tallest structure in the city, now offers a peaceful refuge from the concrete jungle that has grown up around its stone walls.

Canon Fumi Kula has served as the cathedral's priest for five years, and he considers it the honor of a lifetime. "Not everyone has the opportunity to celebrate a 200-year legacy, and now I can say I am part of that legacy," he says with a smile.

The story began when Rev Francis McCleland arrived in the early 1800s and designed what would become one of Gqeberha's most iconic buildings. Construction started in 1825 on land already used for outdoor worship, and the congregation simply moved indoors when the building was completed nine years later.

Walking through St Mary's today feels like stepping into a museum where faith is still practiced daily. A 1866 organ still plays during every service, filling the cruciform structure with music that has echoed through these walls for over 150 years.

An 1895 fire nearly destroyed everything, gutting large portions of the building and consuming countless religious artifacts. But several treasures survived what some might call divine intervention.

Under a red carpet near the main altar lies a brass plate marking the grave of Augustus Theodore Wirgman, who served the church for 42 years until 1917. Kula finds special meaning in Wirgman's story because the inscription identifies him as a Catholic priest serving an Anglican church, symbolizing the inclusivity that bridges denominations today.

The most mysterious artifact hangs high in a stained glass window. Experts from London's Victoria and Albert Museum believe the simple pane showing a haloed king holding a baby dates to 14th-century England, possibly smuggled out during the English Civil War when soldiers used church windows for target practice.

The Ripple Effect

St Mary's Cathedral represents more than architectural beauty or religious history. It stands as proof that communities can preserve their heritage even as cities transform around them. The cathedral has adapted to each generation while maintaining its core mission of serving as a gathering place for worship and reflection.

Canon Kula's own journey mirrors this continuity. He began as a 10-year-old altar server at another historic church in the area and was ordained in 1994, eventually finding his way to St Mary's three decades later.

For anyone walking up St Mary's Terrace today, the reward is discovering one of Gqeberha's most precious hidden gems. Two hundred years after construction began, this cathedral continues to offer the same thing it always has: a place for people to gather, reflect, and connect with something larger than themselves.