By Derrick SinjelaID you know that the Cathedral of the Holy Cross was built as an all embracing Christian edifice?According to Canon Philip Simuchoba, an Anglican educationist and former chairperson of the Christian Council of Zambia (CCZ), says the Cathedral of the Holy Cross was constructed as a place of worship for people beyond Zambia.Throughout my 40 years of service in education, I have known the Cathedral for its open door policy, says 79 year old Simuchoba, whom was born on August 5, 1929.Further, Simuchoba recalls that the Cathedral was built after a realization that its forerunner, the All Saints Church had become smaller for its growing European congregation.All Saints congregation was initially resident at the Zambia National Service (ZNS) headquarters in Lusaka, opposite Ridgeway Hotel, since renamed as Holiday Inn."It was realized that All Saints was getting smaller and needed to be extended and a plan was drawn up after which a Cathedral was to be built at a new site,” recalls Canon Simuchoba.In 1953, the then Colonial Government made an offer of the present site on which a cinema hall and a petrol station had stood.To greater extent, says Simuchoba the site was generally accepted more so because of its centrality, as it stood on a central position of Lusaka.So, an appeal to raise 100, 000 pounds was launched and among people involved was Father John Houghton, then priest in charge of St Peters Anglican, then a predominant African Congregation.According to Canon Simuchoba, the project to raise the 100, 000 pounds was to large extent successful because Father Houghton was a very prominent and widely respected citizen in Northern Rhodesia, since renamed Zambia.This appeal was also backed by the then Archbishop of Canterbury in 1955.It followed therefore, that in 1957, enough money was raised to start construction of the Cathedral which was completed and opened for public worship in 1962 under the watchful eyes of Sir Evelyn Hone, then Governor of Northern Rhodesia.Father Houghton fundraising activities covered the whole Northern Rhodesia beyond Anglican parishes.In one effort, Father Houghton met Anglicans working in Monze, though at that time no Anglican Church was in existence but managed to woo support from among others civil servants in the United African Teaching Service (UATS).Simuchoba recalls that at the time teachers in UATS, though working in mission schools were on Government payroll.At the same time, Waddington Centre, s skills centre run by the Anglican Church was an examination point for typists in Government.In addition contributions came from Chipembi, David Livingston, Munali, and Saint Mark’s schools in Mapanza.On August 1st 1953, African and European delegates formed a small working party with Bishop Oliver Green Wilkinson dedicating the big 25 feet cross weighing a tone and a quarter.After its completion, the Cathedral was to dwarf the big cross.Canon Simuchoba recalls that in 1956, 29 architects registered from within the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland and Richard E.G. Hope was later appointed, with the first sketch being ready for debate by the Standing Committee in 1957.In addition, most cities in the world have a Cathedral.The Anglican Church is called the Church of England and the Anglican Communion brings together a diversity of provinces in a union referred to as Lambeth Conference.In addition, after Lusaka was declared a city, she was followed by Kitwe, Ndola and later Livingstone.State FunctionsThe Cathedral of the Holy Cross was built to serve the city of Lusaka, as an all embracing church provided people fulfilled regulation drawn by the Anglican Church.Canon Simuchoba says everyone was open to use the Cathedral for weddings, funerals or if it be the state as long as all non-Anglicans met set criteria.“Everyone was free and even today people are free to use the Cathedral, if one is not Anglican and would like to have a wedding or funeral conducted, such people need to bring their own pastor,” says Canon Simuchoba.He notes that though there is no much difference in the manner services are conducted, Anglican weddings and funerals are concluded by Eucharist.Advises Canon Simuchoba: “It was never built for fundraising purposes but to serve the city of Lusaka, and Zambian community as a whole. Its centrality and position makes it visible and it is very impossible for anyone to miss it. It is easier to find it geographically as a gathering point, so no one cannot miss it.”One of the first major State Funerals was that of slain Zimbabwean African National Union (ZANU) Freedom fighter, Herbert Chitepo, assassinated in Chilenje South township.After being buried at the Leopards Hill cemetery in Lusaka, Chitepo w as later exhumed and his remains taken to Zimbabwean after gaining independent rule under Robert Gabriel Mugabe in 1980.Then there was a memorial prayer gathering for the former President of Botswana, Sir Sereste Khama.This was followed by that of Zambia Air Force (ZAF) officers killed in a plane crash.National Independence Day services are also annually hosted at Cathedral of the Holy and Canon Simuchoba says personally he has no objection to the Zambian community beyond the Anglican family using the edifice.DeansThe first dean of the Cathedral was Webster Smith, though Canon Simuchoba did not have an opportunity to meet him.The second dean was Appleford, whom Simuchoba met in 1970. Canon Simuchoba, who served as warden at the Cathedral of the holy cross for 25 years recalls that Appleford was a musician. He was followed by Louis Pitt from Boston in the United States of America.Yet another dean was John Klerberg now a Catholic priest, then came Father Pierre Dill, Father David Njovu and the current Dean, Canon Charley Thomas.After Father David Njovu’s appointment as Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Lusaka, the Cathedral was run by Sub-Dean, Canon William Vwapu.BishopsFirst, the whole Anglican family owes its roots to missionary, David Livingstone, who in 1857 made an appeal that saw the need to build churches in Northern Rhodesia.David Livingstone saw the church establishment as a key strategy in eradicating slave trave which w as very much rampant in 1857.Later, Bishop of Tanganyika, John Hine was appointed and asked to combine work with Malawi for a year and when a new diocese was established in 1910, he moved to Zambia.In 1951, Oliver took over another hard working personality as bishop of the whole Zambia.Before Oliver died a division had been made.Bishop Oliver died as bishop of central Zambia as Philemon Mataka had already taken over as Bishop of the Diocese of Lusaka, which included E astern province.At the time, Bishop Joseph Mabula headed the Diocese of Northern Zambia, based in Mufulira, before it was later moved to Kitwe.Place of PeaceIn 1990, Canon Simuchoba was privileged through his portfolio as chairperson of the Christina Council of Zambia (CCZ) to serve of the Professor Patrick Mvunga Constitutional Review Commission. He recalls that this was after appointment by First Republican President of Zambia, Dr Kenneth David Kaunda.At the end of this commission, a report was presented to Dr Kaunda and later it came to the attention of the commissioners to intervene as the democratic climate was heating up.Later, the CCZ, Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) and the Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC) decided to use the Cathedral of the Holy Cross as venue for resolving contentious political issues between the then ruling United National Independence Party (UNIP) and the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD).The meeting attended by Dr Kaunda and Dr Frederick Chiluba was chaired by then head of the Anglican Diocese of Lusaka, Bishop Stephen Mumba.In 1989, Pope John Paul II worshipped at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross accompanied by Dr Kaunda, while the Queen E Elizabeth had participated a worship service in 1979 during the Commonwealth meeting.The archbishop of Canterbury also laid a foundation stone for a community hall in the western grounds of the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.ends. .
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