Diakonia Council of Churches Good Friday Service

by Admin · April 7, 2022

L to R standing: Rev Chundran Chetty – Manager, Diakonia Centre, Albert Hororo – Vice Chair, Diakonia, Sandile Sithole – Diakonia Council, Gisela Fechter – Diakonia Council, Rev Ian Booth – Diakonia Council. L to R front: Rev Musa Zondi – Chairperson, Diakonia, Melvin Peters – Music Director, Duke Nxaba – Diakonia Centre, Ravi Moodley – eThekwini Municipality

Diakonia Council of Churches, whose legacy of working towards a just society for more than four decades, is calling all people of faith in the Durban area to join its annual ecumenical Good Friday service at dawn on April 15, starting at 6am.

Diakonia was founded under the leadership of the late Archbishop Denis Hurley; for many years, the late Catholic activist Paddy Kearney was its director.

The event, which is a highlight of Durban’s Easter weekend activities, begins at dawn on the steps of the Durban City Hall, before processing – in silence – around the City Hall precinct, past the Workshop and the old prison wall, through the streets of the city, back to the Durban City Hall, while the bells of St Paul’s solemnly toll.

Each year, the service highlights a particular aspect of national suffering or injustice. The service this year will focus on the pertinent theme “Living together with the alien in our midst”.

Now that public gatherings are permitted once again, the Diakonia Council of Churches, supported by eThekwini Municipality which is providing infrastructure support, is reintroducing the Good Friday Service after it wasn’t possible to be held for he past two years due to Covid restrictions. Being mindful of Covid protocols, the service will be a slightly simplified and pared down, and the entire service will be outside in the fresh air, so participants are advised to dress accordingly.

The well-established tradition of the ecumenical Good Friday Service has become not only the flagship of Diakonia but also a major event in the Durban calendar, attended by thousands of people who gather together at the most auspicious time for Christians, to commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus and his death on Calvary.

The sermon will be delivered by the retired Anglican Bishop Emeritus Rubin Phillip of Natal. He grew up in Clairwood and was a noted anti-apartheid activist. He was made bishop in February 2000. Phillip was the first Anglican bishop of Natal of Indian heritage. He continues to take activist positions, remains connected to grassroots struggles and is a consistent voice of pro-poor conscience in his capacity as a leader of KwaZulu-Natal’s Social Cohesion and Moral Regeneration Council.

“As people of faith at this most auspicious time in the Christian calendar, we will be challenging the notion of ‘othering’, that is judging people who are different from ourselves, in whatever form that takes. For us to be authentically following in the footsteps of Christ, himself a refugee, we need to lead others in bringing peace to our homes, our communities and our country,” said Rev Ian Booth, one of the organisers of the event.

Meditative music by organist Melvin Peters will start at 5:30am on the City Hall steps, followed by the first part of the service at 6:00.

The congregation will proceed through the streets of Durban in silent public witness. The service will conclude at approximately 8:15 at Durban City Hall with the flowering of the Cross as a show of commitment by all present to act for a just society and take up God’s call.

Off-street parking is available around the City Hall. There will be a police presence as additional security. Entry to the Good Friday service is free and all are welcome, with a collection being taken up during the service to support the work of Diakonia. Covid protocols will be observed. Although the event is outside, masks are mandatory.

Diakonia needs volunteers to participate in the smooth running of the service. Please contact their offices if you can help.

For more info, contact the Diakonia Council of Churches on 031 310 3500 or visit www.diakonia.org.za.