St George's Cathedral Heritage and Witness

St George's Cathedral - Heritage and Witness

Essays and Reflections on the Story of Cape Town Cathedral

Edited by Mary Bock and Judith Gordon

Known world wide for its place in the struggle against apartheid, St George's Cathedral, Cape Town, has been the Metropolitan Church of southern Africa since the arrival of Bishop Robert Gray from England in 1848.

This book is a collection of essays, poems and reflections by different writers.

It tells the stories of the cathedral from its beginnings to the present; and of countless men and women of all faiths who have found inspiration and comfort in the beauty of its architecture and worship, and in its concern for the needs of all people.

Mary Bock was born in England. She studied English Language and Literature at St Andrews University, Scotland, and at Duke University in the United States. She moved to Cape Town with her South African husband Ortwin in 1963; they have three children and five grandchildren. She taught in the English Department at the University of Cape Town, where her particular interest was in the study of narrative, both fictional and 'real-life' stories. She has been a member of St George's Cathedral since 1973. She and Barry Smith edited and published This Strange Pilgrimage, collection of the later sermons of the laster sermons of Dean Edward Laurie King (2007).

Judith Gordon (nee Stuart-Watson) was educated at Rustenburg Girls' School and UCT. Her special interests include English, History and Music. After teaching in both the eastern and Western Cape, she became Principal of Clarendon Girl's High School in East London. She served on the Rhodes University Council, was an executive committee member of the SA Council for English Education, and has written, co-authored and edited various high school text-books and teachers' guides. St George's has been central to her life. Baptised, confirmed and married there, she has played a variety of roles in the church and is currently Cathedral Archivist.