HISTORY OF THE CATHEDRAL OF THE HOLY CROSS BUILDING

The Background
For many years, Christians looked to the chaplains of the South African Railway Mission for the Ministration of the Word and Sacrament. As development increased and Government departments moved one after another from Livingstone to Lusaka it became apparent that a church building should be provided. In this regard the Church of All Saints was built and dedicated on 5th November 1933 (the All Saints Church building currently houses the cafeteria for the Zambia National Service Headquarters).

The All Saints Church was initially to be "a first installation of a large building". It was, however still dependent on the South African Railway Mission Chaplain for service and not until 1938 was the Bishop able to appoint a Priest-in-Charge who had also to act as Railway Chaplain. The Church of All Saints was mainly for the European congregation while other churches in the townships were for African Christians. In view of the growth of the congregation the church was extended in 1949 to provide a seating capacity of 200 people. Despite the extension, the need for a large church building continued.

In 1935, Lusaka became the colonial capital of Northern Rhodesia, and it became imperative to have the functions of the Church adequately enhanced by providing residence for the Bishop and a Cathedral for the administration of the church. The colonial Office erected State House and the Central Offices for residence of the Governor, and administration of colonial Northern Rhodesia. Since the Church under the University Missions to Central Africa (UMCA) was part of the State machinery it became imperative to have a Cathedral and a Bishop’s residence erected. There was great need to have the necessary facilities, such as a Cathedral, put up so as to allow the State church to fulfil its role in the governance of Northern Rhodesia.

Cathedral
A cathedral is by definition the main church of the Diocese. It is meant to be the seat or Cathedra of the Bishop. The word Cathedra originates from Latin and simply means a Bishop’s throne. In Greek Kathedra simply means seat

Archbishop Francis Oliver-Wilkinson’s Vision

The end of the Second World War generated a new spirit for reconstruction socially, economically, and spiritually. Consequently, in 1946 need to have a Cathedral built was discussed at a Synod meeting, and communication with the mother church in England was established. Progress in this direction, however slowed down following the transfer of Bishop Robert Selby Taylor to South Africa where he later became Archbishop of Cape Town. Bishop Francis Oliver Green-Wilkinson succeeded him, and later became Archbishop of Central Africa now known as the Province of Central Africa encompassing Botswana, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Archbishop Francis Oliver Green-Wilkinson, a second world war veteran, and a Brigadier in the British Forces in North Africa, under Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery which drove German Forces under Rommel out of North Africa, was a man of action. He also had a good connection with the British government, and the Royal family as his father was the Chaplain to the Royal family at St. George’s chapel at Windsor. He was a person of great influence and managed to get the Northern Rhodesian government involved in the scheme to get the Cathedral constructed.

Over the next decade exciting things were to happen. Archbishop Francis Oliver Green- Wilkinson's vision began to take shape in 1951 when the Government donated to the Anglican Church a magnificent site on which there was a cinema hall, and a fuel station for the erection of the Cathedral. The donation of the site by the government was followed by another donation of a huge teak cross (now standing on the south grounds), which Archbishop Francis Oliver Green-Wilkinson on 2nd August 1953 dedicated to mark the site at a ceremony attended by representatives of all mission stations, and devout Anglicans from across the country. Two years later a small working party of African and European delegates from the various parishes and districts was set up.

The Raising of Funds
In 1955, the Archbishop of Canterbury launched the building appeal by donating £100,000 and in the following year, 1956 Mr Richard E G Hope was chosen from 29 architects and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, laid the foundation stone on 11th July 1957 during her visit to Lusaka. On 14th September 1957 (Holy Cross Day) that year the outdoor altar of St Francis was dedicated and mass celebrated for the first time on the Cathedral site. The laying of the foundation stone by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, gave impetus to the task of building the Cathedral, which on 14th September 1957, Holy Cross Day, was christened the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.

Following the launching of the appeal for funds to build the Cathedral in 1955 was the formation of the working party comprising delegates from all parishes and districts in the country. Its main function was to help raise funds for the construction of the Cathedral. Some individual working party members with mobility, and communication means as was the case with the late Mr. Clifford W. Little offered their services in managing subcommittees of the working parties. He formed a group known as Friends of the Cathedral who made monthly financial contributions for the execution of the Cathedral operations. Some of these persons are still alive in Zambia and abroad.

Construction of the Cathedral
Plans were produced, discussed and amended on several occasions. Substantial donations enabled the construction of the Cathedral to begin in 1960 under the resident direction of Ian Reeler and Harold Mitchell. The contractor was Harold Mitchell a well-known figure in Lusaka at the time, active in civic affairs, sometimes Mayor of the city. His firm was responsible for a number of buildings ranging from the Anglican Cathedral to a Moslem Mosque. The working party met with the architect and his assistant around a white stone that marked the centre of the site under the shadow of a giant cross of Rhodesian Teak, which had been erected in 1953. Bishop Oliver-Wilkinson turned the first soil and asked God's blessing on the enterprise.

The first task was to lay the concrete platform on which the Cathedral would stand. Not until this was completed were people able to realise the size of the building or the extent to which the ground sloped from East to West necessitating the retaining wall and steps up to the Great West Door. Passers by black and white were always interested in what was going on although at times little progress could be seen from the outside. But there were exciting moments when people would stop and stare in amazement especially when scaffolding was suddenly removed and the shape of the aisles had caught their attention. 

From time to time the Bishop met the architect and his assistant on site to received progress reports. Slowly but surely the shape of the building began to appear. To quote the Bishop "The architect is using the traditional plan of the Basilica which is well suited to Anglican worship together with the skilful use of modern materials and methods of building”. An open-air chapel with permanent stone altar outside the eastern wall of the Cathedral, and an amphi-theatre to seat the congregation was included in the plan. In fact, this chapel had been built and dedicated in honour of St Francis of Assisi early in 1957. The altar was a gift in memory of Lord Galdentorn who had died that year.

The altar was boxed in when the contractors took over the site. Much of the work in the early days was at the west end of the building. Here would be the gallery floor, which incorporated the roof of the porch. The graceful re-enforced concrete pillars which would support the roof of the aisles and later the 60 foot high main roof were constructed in sections. The contractor employed one South African foreman and much later an expert for the terrazzo. Work on the four altars on the front of the building was carried out by Mitchell’s African employees.

As the outline of the building slowly began to take shape, the amount of scaffolding and timber took most people by surprise. Watching day-by-day the workers often wondered how many of those who followed progress from outside, realised that the builders had a minimum of mechanical help on site: buckets on ropes and pulleys were the order of the day. From first to last no great crane raised its head on the skyline. All timber and scaffolding was man handled into position. 

It is a tribute to the architect, contractor and the devoted Zambian builders that there was one concrete mixer, a small hand operated crane, a compressed air vibrator to ensure that liquid concrete was equally spread, concrete mixer and an electric hoist were their only mechanical aids on site! When roof level was finally reached, an electric host was added to the mechanical aids on site. The electric hoist carried a red warning light as those days the building was on the direct line of descent to the old airport. 

The aisles were the first part of the Cathedral to take shape and many comments were made on the resemblance to parts of the design of Basil Spencer's Cathedral at Coventry. Soon the nerve pillars were raised to their final height of 60 feet above ground. On windy days men working on the scaffolding appeared to be in some danger. There were neither, hard hats, overalls, safety nets nor belts, but no one was in anyway seriously injured during the whole time the Cathedral was being built. Vast amounts of timber were used in every part of the building and there were times when it looked as if we were in a shipyard. At this stage the scaffolding was rising higher and higher everyday.

Soon down on the ground level the windows of the aisles could now be seen while up above the full height of the roof nerves had been attained and passers by were gradually able to judge for themselves the shape of the building which would one day be their Cathedral Church. The rainwater from the roof is piped through the walls to the drains so avoiding any unsightly down pipes. And to add beauty to the Cathedral, the walls were clad with stone from a local quarry. When the stone is in position it has a very soft appearance and sparkles when the sun shines on it. This was much admired by many passers-by. 

An exciting moment saw the arrival of pre-stressed concrete frames for the nerve windows. They had been constructed on the Copperbelt and were transported to site by road on a low loader and then man handled on the site. There are five forty feet high windows on each side of the nerve. Each one has 11 members of slightly differing links. Owing to the shape of the window each one is a slightly different shape from it's neighbour. Each piece of the frame was hoisted into position by rope and pulley. Light fittings were being fixed; preparation of glazing the lower windows had also started. Also built into the walls of the Cathedral are stones from other Anglican Cathedrals from around the world.

Opening for Public Worship
In 1962, Bishop Oliver achieved early dignity when he was elected Archbishop of Northern Rhodesia. He had always hoped that the Cathedral could be used for the first time on Holy Cross Day, September the 14th 1962. Although the east wall had only reached half its height and many windows were unglazed, and some interior walls lacked plaster the Cathedral was opened for public worship and the altars blessed in the presence of a large crowd during High Mass on the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross on 14th September, 1962.

Much planning, and work went into the great service during which, the altar was to be consecrated, and the building opened for public worship. The small organ from the old parish church was brought across and assembled in the Cathedral. A meeting with the provincial synagogue was arranged for that same week and this ensured that all four Bishops of the province would be present and the clerical and lay representatives from the other Dioceses would join the clergy and the people from the parishes and mission districts of Northern Rhodesia. Five visiting Bishops joined with those from Mashonaland, Matebeleland and Malawi in the procession and sat in the North transept.

By kind permission of the Officer Commanding, trumpeters of the Northern Rhodesia Regiment were present at both services on that great day. Holy Cross day dawned bright and sunny but very windy. Candles were blown out, and fair linen lifted from the altar. Altars were bare and all the ornaments were put on the floor until the consecration had taken place. Clergy black and white came from all over Northern Rhodesia joined visitors from other Dioceses. The choir was a mixed one from three or four churches.

The procession started in the old church (All Saints Church) and came across to the Cathedral. They then lined up along the south side of the building and waited for the procession of Bishops that led them to the west door. By 09.00hrs a great congregation led by his Excellency, the Governor Sir Everlyn Hone and Lady Hone filled every corner of the Cathedral. To the sound of trumpets the procession entered the building. Following the visiting clergy and those of the Diocese came the visiting Bishops and finally the First Archbishop Francis Oliver-Wilkinson who was to celebrate the first Eucharist in the Cathedral. Bishop Robert Selby Taylor of Grahamstown, former Bishop of Northern Rhodesia, preached the sermon.

Evening Prayer
In the evening the congregation again filled the building for the service of every prayer before which the first Dean of Lusaka was to be installed. The civic procession, and trumpeters were again in attendance. The Mayor, Councillors and their ladies followed by His Excellency the Governor and Lady Hone, Clergy and Bishop following as in the morning. Before the service the Archbishop blessed and installed Canon Alfred Webster Smith as the first Dean of Lusaka. Dusk fell very quickly and at the end of the service the Archbishop moved to the porch to give the traditional blessing of the city, Diocese, and the country. He could just be seen standing in the dusk for there was no flood lighting in those days.

Completion of the Construction
After the excitement of Holy Cross Day, the building was handed back to the contractors so that they could finish their work. During the week the congregation continued to worship in the old church but every Saturday the builder removed the construction equipment and everything else and made ready for Sunday worship. There was still much work to be done both inside and outside, let alone grass to be planted in the Garden. 

Gifts and Offerings
One Sunday morning later in 1963 representatives of the Armed Forces came for the hallowing of the altar and blessing of the ornaments in the All Saints Chapel. This was so done to perpetuate the connection with the little parish church, which served the congregation for thirty years. The chapel at the west-end of the building had been completely furnished as an offering to the Almighty God from the Armed Forces. Regimental colours of the Northern Rhodesia Regiment previously laid up in All Saints Church were transferred to the All Saints Chapel in the Cathedral. Plaques of Royal Navy and Royal Air force were hang with the Regimental colours. Affixed to the wrought iron screen were plaques showing the arms and units of the forces, which had connections with the country over the years. In 1966 the Dean received from the Officer Commanding 2nd Battalion of the Zambia Regiment further colours of the Northern Rhodesia Regiment for safe keeping within the walls of the Cathedral Church. 

Some members of the congregation busied themselves making kneelers among the many gifts made to the Cathedral. The high altar was a gift from the parish of St Peter of Bournemouth, the font by the Archbishop's sister in memory of their father, the Bishops Chair by the architects, the Dean's stall by the Northern Rhodesia Police, the Great Cross over the canopy of the high altar came from the Parish of St George in Broken Hill. Copper arms, dish, and Chalice were also donated by the Northern Rhodesia Police, the cruet and copper tray by the Mother's Union and the lady chapel was furnished by the parish of St Michael and All Angles of Kitwe with the exception of the Cross and candle sticks which were a gift from St Mark of Gondella Belfast. St Bartholomew Chapel altar is a gift of St Bartholomew Church Ipswich.

Among the many gifts that the Cathedral Church received from the various parts of the Diocese was the great cross, which surmounts the canopy over the high altar. The gift, which was from the parish of Broken Hill was made on the Copperbelt. The work force manhandled it into the building and it lay on the floor in centre aisle. Ropes and pulleys again came into action and it was slowly raised above the canopy and slotted into the metal base prepared for it. 

The All Saints Church had a bell, which called the faithful to worship every Sunday. After the opening of the new building the bell was taken down and carried across to the west porch of the Cathedral were it hangs and renewed its task.

The Final Touches
Work on the terrazzo floor seemed to go on forever, day after day polishing with water. Many remarked at the beauty of the concrete rafters and all agreed that the scarlet ceiling over the crossing of the high altar was an inspired touch. 

The First African Archbishop
A Landmark in the history of the Anglican Church in Central Africa was to be witnessed in September 1964, again graced by the presence of the Governor and his Lady and visitors from all over the Diocese. The Archbishop assisted by the other Bishops of the province, consecrated Filemon Mataka as suffragan or assistant Bishop, the first African Bishop in the Anglican Province of Central Africa. 

Consecration of the Cathedral
Although the Cathedral had been in use since 1962 it could not formally be consecrated until all the work was finished all the bills paid. It is good to record that in 1970 this happy event took place. Work on the fabric was completed and money was raised to pay for it by April 28th 1970 when the Archbishop Oliver formally consecrated the Cathedral.

National Shrine
In 1964, Northern Rhodesia achieved independence and became the Republic of Zambia. We rejoice that the Cathedral continues to be not only a parish church of a large and varied congregation but also a shrine for the Nation. 

A year never passes without acts of worship, which are significantly beyond the Anglican community spiritual events, which are important for the city and the nation. The most notable of which is the Inter-denomination Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication on the attainment of Sovereignty and Independence by the Republic of Zambia on 24th October 1964, which is commemorated in the Cathedral every year. The Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Cross is a Parish Church with twenty-six daughter churches and its own ever-increasing congregation. The twenty-six daughter churches have since matured as autonomous parishes. Visitors and those needing pastoral or practical help form a constant stream seeking God, celebrating the sacraments and experiencing something of the beauty of holiness in this beautiful building where the bell rings out over the city announcing the daily round of services, which offer Praises to the Almighty God and bring blessings on His people. Also notable was the celebration of Mass by Pope John Paul when he visited Zambia, let alone the many state funerals. 

There is no question whatsoever that the Cathedral is a national asset and a visible symbol of Gods presence in Zambia in addition to being an entrance to eternal salvation


HISTORY OF THE ANGLICAN CHURCH IN ZAMBIA, 1910 – 1970
The history of the Anglican Church in Zambia begins on December 4, 1907, at a meeting held at Cambridge University in England where a decision was taken that a new Diocese be formed in Central Africa to mark the Jubilee of Dr. David Livingstone’s proposal of sending out the Mission to Central Africa on December 4, 1857. The Mission became known as the Universities’ Mission to Central Africa (U.M.C.A.).

The UMCA missionaries believed in the original form of worship as practised in the Roman Catholic Church before the Church of England broke away from the Roman Catholic Church, and in the process the control of the Pope. It was infact a group of Anglo-catholic believers who currently constitute the High Church of England and are sometimes referred to as the High Torries who originally broke away.

The Anglo-catholic church in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) was established by the Universities’ Mission to Central Africa (UMCA), and comprised priests, women, and men laity from the University of Cambridge, Oxford, London, Durham etc. This was in response to an appeal by Doctor David Livingstone, a Scottish explorer, and missionary. He appealed to students at those universities, and through them to the general British public to go out to Central Africa to help abolish slavery, civilise, and convert to Christianity the local inhabitants by preaching the Gospel, and through education.

The UMCA initially operated in Nyasaland (Malawi), Tanganyika and Zanzibar (Tanzania) and Northern Rhodesia (Zambia). Northern Rhodesia was founded as British colony administered by the British Colonial Office. The Queen who is the defender of the faith of the UMCA heads the Church of England. Therefore being an integral part of the Church of England automatically became a Northern Rhodesia state church, and the Bishop of the UMCA church in Northern Rhodesia automatically became the Bishop of Northern Rhodesia while the Colonial Office Administrator became the governor of Northern Rhodesia.

FIRST BISHOP
With the decision to spread the gospel, as first Bishop of the New Diocese of Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) established in 1910, the Archbishop of Canterbury appointed the Rt. Reverend John Edward Hine. It is Bishop John, who arrived in Livingstone on May 25, 1910, and later established the four strategic Mission Stations at Msoro (Eastern Province), Mapanza (Southern Province), Chipili (Luapula Province), and Fiwila (Central Province). Initially the UMCA church concentrated its operations in the rural areas. Until the establishment of Lusaka as a colonial capital the church was administered from Livingstone while chaplains of the South African Railway Mission looked after urban Christians spiritually.

When Bishop Hine entered his new Diocese, he had a staff of only three to cover the total area of some 508,800sq.km. The staff comprised Fr. Alexander G. De La Pryme, Fr. William G. Webster and Brother J. Ronald Moffatt. The latter was ordained Priest in St. Bartholomew’s Church at Mapanza on Sunday, January 19, 1913.

With these three men, Bishop John set out to evangelize an area of about two-and-a-half times the size of the whole of the British Isles; though there were other Christian dominations already working in the country, Bishop Hine noted:

“There are large tracts of country untouched by any of these societies: it will be our aim to work, as far as may be possible, in a spirit of brotherly co-operation with all those who have already done so much and have been pioneers of Christianity in this land….”

Bishop Hine was the Diocesan Bishop from 1910 – 1914. The Right Reverend Alston Weller succeeded himh May.

CHURCH EXPANSION
By 1940 during the Second Bishopric of Bishop Alston Weller May, the Anglican Church in Zambia had spread from these four rural Mission Stations to urban areas of the country mainly due to the drifting of men to the mines on the Copperbelt from Chipili and Msoro, and to other urban areas along the line of rail. So, the present pattern of the Anglican Church in the country had been laid down.

Both in Livingstone, and Lusaka, due to colour discrimination, blacks and whites worshipped separately in different places. The same applied to the Copperbelt towns and those along the line of rail, with the exception of rural area mission stations stated above. This development in a way retarded collective response to have a cathedral erected. On the part of the white congregation, the All Saints Church was built in Lusaka and was dedicate on 5th September 1933, and early in the forties a lodge for the Bishop was established in the Kabulonga area of Lusaka, and was followed by St. Johns Seminary, which was annexed to it. The Bishops lodge now houses Lake Road Primary School, and the seminary a Multi-Media Complex.

FIRST AFRICAN PRIESTS
In 1931, the first group of African Ordinands, all from the teaching profession, went into training at Fiwila Mission under Fr. George Hewitt, and three were ordained as the first Zambian Priests at an out-door colourful Ordination Service at Msoro Mission on July 16, 1933. These were, Fr. Isaac Mungwa, Fr. Izaya Mazala and Fr. Patrick Muyawala. Fr. Mazala became the first African Priest to be made Canon in the Diocese on August 24, 1956. Another group of African Ordinands was trained in the early forties.

In 1947, St. John’s Seminary was opened in Lusaka, under Fr. John Houghton, from which a small but regular stream of African Priests had come, up to 1972. At the closure of the Seminary in 1972 due to the political situation in Central Africa, the Zambian Church had continued to train a good number of non-stipendiary Priests under Fr. Bruce Hayller and Fr. Nicholas Beddow. Reverend Canon Ng’ombe was one of those who were in the first group, trained as non-Stipendiary Priest. This arrangement was discontinued in the early eighties when the Anglicans decided to train together with students of the United Church of Zambia (U.C.Z.) at the latter’s Theological College at Mindolo in Kitwe on the Copperbelt.

MISSIONARY CHURCH
By the time Bishop May died at Chipili on July 17, 1940, the Zambian Church was largely a Missionary Church. It was staffed and administered almost entirely by the U.M.C.A., with its headquarters in London, and it was financed almost entirely by the Anglicans in Britain. But in the womb of this Missionary Church, a genuinely indigenous Church was growing.

FIRST DIOCESAN SYNOD
The fostering of such a growth was the main ambition of Bishop Alston May who was the second Diocesan Bishop from 1914 – 1940. On August 1, 1927, under his Chairmanship, the First Sacred Diocesan Synod was held at Kabwe. It was this Synod that decided to start the Teacher Training College at Fiwila on September 1, 1928, and a Theological College at Fiwila in June 1931, under Fr. George Hewitt. The College on May 20, 1929 was blessed by Bishop May and was dedicated to St. Mark; the Diocesan Institution was now known as St. Mark’s College. The College was moved to Mapanza in September 1932. The growing Zambian Church depended largely on the devoted service of the African Laymen who served in its schools and hospitals.

PROVINCE OF CENTRAL AFRICA
By early fifties a tremendous step forward in the growth of the Zambian Church was taken when the Diocese emerged from the tutelage of the Church in England on Sunday May 8, 1955 by forming, together with the Anglican Churches in Zimbabwe and Malawi, the Church of the Province of Central Africa with four Diocesan Bishops. The Province has now 12 Diocesan Bishops, one of whom is the Archbishop.

FIRST SYNODICAL CONSTITUTION
It was the third Bishop of the Diocese, the Right Reverend Robert Selby-Taylor, 1941 – 1951, who set the Diocese on its feet constitutionally. A proper Constitution was approved by the Synod in 1949, and a Synodical Government was initiated in which the Laity began to play a full part making the Zambian Church become democratic after twenty years of its being founded by the Church of England.

FIRST AFRICAN BISHOP
Under the fourth Bishop of Zambia, the Most Reverend Francis Oliver Green-Wilkinson, 1951 – 1970, the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Lusaka was built and opened for service in 1962. And the Diocese received its first African Bishop when, on September 20, 1964, Fr. Filemon Mataka was consecrated Suffragan Bishop of the Diocese and Archdeacon of the East. Meanwhile, since the Bishopric of Bishop Robert Selby-Taylor, Diocesan Synods have continued to be held every two to three years.

THE CIVIC ROLE OF THE CHURCH
The Anglican Church in Northern Rhodesia played a major role in the administration of the colony. Bishop Robert Selby Tailor, for example represented the indigenous inhabitants in the legislative council the colonial form of parliament. At another time a staunch Anglican Christian Sir Stewart Gore-Brown also played the role of African representative in the legislative council.

GROWTH OF THE ZAMBIAN CHURCH
Sixty years after the formation of the Diocese of Zambia in 1910, that small staff of one Bishop and three Priests, had grown to nearly 70 members of staff in 1970 that included two Bishops (a Diocesan and Suffragan), the Diocesan Bishop was also Archbishop of Central Africa, the Most Reverend Francis Oliver Green-Wilkinson. The Suffragan Bishop as earlier stated was the Rt. Reverend Filemon Mataka. In addition, there were two Archdeacons, the Dean, eight Canons and 55 Priests.

The most significant step in the growth of the Zambian Church was the decision of the 1970 Diocesan Synod, which resolved to divide the Diocese further into four smaller Dioceses. Archbishop Oliver, through his Diocesan Synod, divided the Diocese into smaller Dioceses. The Provincial Synod approved this Synodical Resolution. Three of these: Lusaka, Central Zambia and Northern Zambia, came into being in 1971. The fourth one: Eastern Zambia, started to operate in 1995.

The main reason for dividing the Diocese was that the area was too large to be administered effectively by two Bishops; one of who was also in-charge of the Church of the Province of Central Africa. In this regard one of the senior missionaries wrote:

“Archbishop Oliver and Bishop Filemon travel incessantly… we express to them our deep gratitude for the way they have sacrificed themselves in the attempt to keep in touch with us all. They have heroically been attempting the impossible. The two Bishops are the first to admit that a Diocese of such a size precludes the possibility that they can act as the true Shepherds of the flock that they long to be”.