Bless This Companion Link

The Rev. Dr. Robert C. Sawyer gave Carol Moleko of the Diocese of Botswana a tour of Good Shepherd and shared some of its history.Item number five in the companion diocese contract between the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina and the Anglican Diocese of Botswana states, "We will establish congregational connections between parishes in Botswana and convocations in North Carolina."

Well, with the encouragement of The Rev. Murdock Smith of Charlotte, chairman of the North Carolina-Botswana Companion Link Committee, the first of the connections has been made. It's between the Church of the Good Shepherd in the Raleigh Convocation and Holy Cross Cathedral in Gaborone, the capital city of Botswana. And now it's gotten personal.

On October 10th, The Rev. Benjamin Moleko, a diocesan officer in Botswana, and his wife Carol arrived in North Carolina for a week-long visit; it was their first trip to the United States. While "Father Ben," as he's known, participated in our diocese's annual Clergy Conference and tended to other business, "Mma" (Mrs.) Moleko had her own agenda, and it was representatives of the Episcopal Church Women of the diocese who helped her fulfill it. During the Raleigh leg of their stay, Mma Moleko had the opportunity to tour Good Shepherd, where staff members and clergy welcomed her, and she heard about some of the ministries, including the Shepherd's Table Soup Kitchen.

On the Sundays they aren't traveling to other parishes in Botswana, the Molekos attend their home church, Holy Cross Cathedral. One of its most well known ministries of the Anglican cathedral is Holy Cross Hospice.

Carol Moleko was presented with two copies of “A Vision Realized”, one for her and the other for Holy Cross Cathedral in Botswana. Carol grew up on South Africa where her father worked with Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress during the apartBegun in 1994 in an effort to reach out to the terminally ill and their families, the hospice has grown to include a team of doctors, nurses, social workers, community members and international volunteers who serve people living with HIV/AIDS, their families and caregivers as well as those children orphaned by AIDS. With this program, the church is actively addressing a great need in its community. Botswana has one of the highest HIV/AIDS rates in the world.

A view of the altar at Holy Cross Cathedral, Good Shepherd’s companion parish in Botswana[In the coming weeks, information about what it means to be a companion diocese, about the Anglican Diocese of Botswana and the country itself will be shared with the people of the Church of the Good Shepherd by Lisa Towle, a CGS parishioner, president of the Episcopal Church Women of the Diocese of NC, and member of the North Carolina-Botswana Companion Link Committee who traveled in Botswana last summer.]