St Paul's Parish Church is in the middle of the commercial centre of Rondebosch.
The church is on the mountain side of the Main Road. It is hidden from the Main Road by a row
of large trees. But behind them is a fascinating and beautiful building with quite a
history. (To see some of this use the Menu on the left.)
The Church acts as the host church to the UCT Chaplaincy and
the congregation includes many students and university staff members. Many faithful
parishioners whose families had been moved out under the Group Areas Act are still regular
worshippers, as are many who attended the Mission School.
Worship
St Paul's has over the last few decades become a centre of high-church and traditional
worship with emphasis on good music. This has occurred because of the fine three-manual
organin the west-end choir loft.
Our Sunday services offer a diversity of worship. The 8.00 a.m. Eucharist is a more introverted
service with hymns and sermon, following the Anglican Prayer Book 1989 rite. The 9.30 service
has the choir in attendance and a choral setting of the ordinary is sung together with the hymns,
psalm and usually a choral anthem during the distribution of the Blessed Sacrament. It too follows
the Anglican Prayer Book 1989 rite. Every Sunday during the university term,
the Chaplain runs a less formal service at 11 a.m. This service (also usually a
Eucharist) has many songs in the vernacular and of a contemporary nature. Often interesting
(and sometimes controversial) preachers are invited to this service in order to stretch the active
minds of the students attending. This service is also Parish Worship and thus open to all.
On the last Sunday of the month the choir sings a full choral Evensong (check the
calendar to see the music list for the next Evensong Service.
Our parish covers most of Rondebosch above the railway line as well as parts of Newlands, Rosebank and
Mowbray. Not too much attention is paid to where parishioners live in relation to parish boundaries.
What is more important is that they have their names on the parish roll as members. If you are
interested in joining our parish, please talk to the Rector
or ask the Parish Secretary for a membership form.
