Gqeberha’s St Augustine’s Cathedral fights ‘stone cancer’ through art

St Augustine’s Cathedral in Central, Gqeberha – one of the city’s oldest and most storied landmarks – is rallying the community through art this weekend as it hosts its annual exhibition featuring more than 100 works by Nelson Mandela Bay artists.

Now in its sixth year, the exhibition will raise funds for urgent restoration to the crumbling stonework of the 159-year-old cathedral, while also drawing residents back into a part of the city many have abandoned.

Cathedral administrator and National Director for the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) in South Africa, Botswana, and Eswatini, Father Jerry Browne, said the exhibition was both a fundraiser and a celebration of the local community’s creativity.

“One of the things that inspired us is that art is a universal language. We live in such a diverse community, and this is an opportunity to share common space for the common good. It is a way to find each other and to transcend the markers that divide us,” Browne said.

Officially consecrated as a church on 25 April 1866 by Bishop Moran, St Augustine’s underwent numerous rebuilds, remodels and renovations over the years. It became a Cathedral in the 1930s after originally being located in Makhanda and remains the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Port Elizabeth, a central landmark in the region once known as the Eastern Districts of the Cape of Good Hope.

Construction of the original church, under Monsignor Thomas Murphy, began on Castle Hill in 1861 and extended into Prospect Hill and John Kani Road (then Whites Road). Before that, a two-storey building established in 1847 served as a priest’s residence, small school and church for the local Catholic community.

The MacSherry Hall, where the exhibition will take place, once housed St Augustine’s Catholic School about 177 years ago. The school is considered on of the oldest Catholic school in South Africa, and the oldest junior school in Gqeberha.

Browne said the cathedral, despite several renovations, had begun to deteriorate with what he calls “stone cancer”.

“About 20 years ago the building underwent extensive treatment work, but for a few years now we have seen the deterioration on sections of the stonework,” he said.

An aspiring artist himself, Browne said the exhibition showcased young and upcoming talent while inviting everyone to celebrate art and creativity.

“We need to claim this space and not just walk away from what we have right here [in Central, Gqeberha],” Browne said.

Initially, the exhibition coincided with the Nelson Mandela Bay Arts Meander, an annual event encouraging people to explore the city and experience different forms of art. This year marks the first independent exhibition for St Augustine’s.

Michael Barry, an internationally renowned artist, former head of Nelson Mandela University’s Arts, Culture and Heritage Department, and co-organiser of the exhibition, will also be exhibiting his work. He said the event attracted a wide mix of artists each year.

“We have a very eclectic variety of pieces on show with no particular style, and it is a blessing for everyone to have such an exhibition right on their doorstep, and a wonderful opportunity for artists who do not usually have the opportunity to exhibit their work. It is a great tradition and has become part of the art scene in [Nelson Mandela Bay],” Barry said.

Some artworks have been donated to raise funds for restoration, while others have been commissioned with a portion of sales going to St Augustine’s, Browne said.

Barry said the Nelson Mandela Bay community should embrace what the metro has to offer.

“We must get it out of peoples heads that Central is unsafe and encourage them to enjoy and take part in what the city has to offer,” he said.

Browne, who has lived in Nelson Mandela Bay for the past 10 years, echoed the sentiment.

“Any other city would give their eye teeth to have what we have here,” he said.

Since the relaunch of the Nelson Mandela Theatre Complex, Browne said, more people have been visiting Central.

“People do not need to be scared of coming to the area, it is safe and secure with additional security and car guards,” he said.

Opening night of the St Augustine’s Cathedral Art Exhibition is on 5 December 2025, from 6pm to 9pm, free to the public. The exhibition will remain open on 6 December, 9.30am to 4pm, and 7 December, 10.30am to noon. DM