Update: St. George’s Cathedral in Cape Town to also host Orlando vigil

A silent vigil will be held at St George’s Anglican Cathedral, in Wale Street, Cape Town, for the victims of the shootings in Orlando.

It takes place on Friday June 17, from 12 noon till 1pm (come for any part of this).

Innocent women and men, participating in the pleasure of dancing, enjoying time with friends, were executed on the cross of prejudice and hatred.

We will stand in silence on the steps of the cathedral on Friday at noon. The bells of the angelus will ring at that time of the day when God declared his love for all us when the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, a young Palestinian woman.

We mourn those strangers who are as familiar to us as our loved ones, our sons and our daughters: They are our family and our dear friends.

We claim the truth that the love of God is for all us. God, through us enters into solidarity with all who are ostracized, persecuted and discriminated against because of the way they choose to love and to be loved.

You are invited to join us for the celebration of the Eucharist at 13h10 in the cathedral.

Cape Town’s LGBTI community will also have an opportunity to mourn and pay tribute to the many victims of the Orlando gay nightclub massacre on Thursday 16 June.

The candlelight vigil and memorial moment  will take place at The Pride Shelter (located at 1 Molteno Road, Oranjezicht) at 5.30pm on Thursday 16 June (Youth Day public holiday).

“Let us stand together in unity and solidarity. One community, one voice, one heart,” said the organisers. They also urged participants to bring a candle for the event.

On Sunday, 49 people were slaughtered by 29-year-old Omar Mateen who opened fire on hundreds of revellers inside the Pulse gay nightclub.

He was shot by officers who stormed the venue. Around 53 people remain injured, many of whom are in a critical condition.

• Vigils are also planned in for Bloemfontein, Pretoria, Durban and Johannesburg.