The Day I Met a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

There aren’t a lot of things that will get me out of bed before 6am on a Friday where I otherwise have nothing to do. It’s hard to believe that one of those things is to go to church. But this isn’t just any church. It is St. Georges Cathedral, an iconic church in the struggle against apartheid. And this wasn’t just any service. It was being led by Archbishop and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Desmond Tutu. He typically leads the Eucharist every other Friday, but with the Easter holiday his schedule was interrupted. We forgot to call the office to see if he was scheduled for today, so we took a shot in the dark and decided to get up early just in case. Luck was on our side, and after a brief introduction by a priest to tell us not to take pictures during the service the archbishop emerged. To say I was excited would be an understatement. Here, maybe twenty feet away from me, was one of the forefront figures in the struggle against apartheid and global human rights, a world famous peace activist whose name is mentioned along with the likes of Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama. In addition to the Nobel Peace Prize he has been awarded numerous prestigious honors, including the Order of Vasco Nunez de Balboa, one of Panama's highest honors, which he had received just the day before. 

I'll admit it, I snuck a picture during the
service. This is the view from my seat

The service was almost identical to the Episcopal services I grew up going to, which made me feel at home in an environment I'm no longer comfortable in. I wasn't he only one out of place though; out of the five of us only one attended church regularly and another was Jewish! The service proceeded as I remembered from my childhood up until the sermon. I was really curious as to what Archbishop Tutu had to say, hoping to hear some profound wisdom only someone like him could possess. Instead, he went around the small chapel and asked each group where they were from and what they were doing in Cape Town. The four girls I was with asked me to stand and introduce our group. All of a sudden my heart was racing and I was as nervous as could be; I was about to stand up and speak directly to this world-renowned peace keeper. I wanted to say something meaningful, but in the end I simply told him we were from the University of Connecticut and we had spent the past three months working with local organizations. Much to my surprise, he thanked us for our work. 

When it was time for "Peace" my nerves had dwindled and I was determined to shake Father Tutu's hand. It required me walking through a maze of chairs and striking up a half-hearted conversation with a Trinity College professor to get that handshake, but I succeeded. As I sat back down I was in a state of shock. Once again I was in awe of the situation I was in, I kept thinking about everything this man has accomplished and the influence he has had on the lives of thousands, if not millions, of people. 

The service ended and Archbishop Tutu positioned himself at the exit to the chapel and shook each visitor's hand. I said a few words to him when it was my turn and he joked with me about how hold he is and no longer can remember anything. For being 80 he is in incredible health and is full of energy and humor; he was malking us laugh and laughing himself the entire time we were there. We then had the opportunity to take pictures together, where he jokingly scolded us for blinking and having to retake the picture. The rumors I had heard about him were true, Desmond Tutu is tiny. From standing next to him, I would say he is maybe 5'4" on a good day. We ended our time at St. George's in the cafe below the church, next to a photo memorial of a 30,000 strong march against apartheid the archbishop led in the 80s. As we grabbed a bite to eat and talked about the service we watched as the archbishop sat nearby with a group of his colleagues. When it was time for him to leave, the tiny peace keeper gave us a wave goodbye accompanied with a big smile. It was a fitting end to the lighthearted morning on the day I met a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.