On Sunday 16 November, SSVP conferences around the country marked World Day of the Poor by bringing hope and encouragement to thousands of men, women and children who have very little in the way of material possessions. Some of the highlights:
- Just over 33 000 sandwiches were distributed to those in need by the dedicated volunteers of our Cape Town conferences – St Joseph the Worker, St Jerome’s, St Owen’s, St Jude’s and Our Lady of Guadalupe.
- St Joseph Mt Edgecombe cooked and packed 330 containers of food for distribution to the poor and needy in Verulam and Phoenix.
- St. Martin de Porres Westenburg Parish took up the sandwich challenge to make a difference in the community. Despite the rainy weather, the team braved the weather and distributed over 250 sandwiches to those in need.
- Lebombo St Kizito Conference distributed 30 loaves of bread and served the needy with soup.
- Holy Rosary packaged sandwiches for Imveso community centre – as well as distributing sanitary pads, second-hand school uniforms, and party packs for children.
- St. Patrick’s, La Rochelle cooked up enough chicken curry, pap, rice and beans to give 350 people a hot meal, followed by cake, custard, and an apple.
Other conferences visited the sick or served meals in old age homes. The day was characterised by an outpouring of love – and commitment to the words spoken by Jesus to his disciples: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Mt 6:19-20).
Click here for pictures of the day.
Established in 2016 by Pope Francis
World Day of the Poor was established in 2016 by Pope Francis who said, “Let us love, not with words but with deeds”. Now in its ninth year, the movement has grown to reach millions of impoverished people around the world.
In his World Day of the Poor message this year, Pope Leo pointed out that, “The poor can be witnesses to a strong and steadfast hope, precisely because they embody it in the midst of uncertainty, poverty, instability and marginalization. They cannot rely on the security of power and possessions. Their hope must be sought elsewhere. By recognizing that God is our first and only hope, we pass from fleeting hopes to a lasting hope.
Gravest form of poverty
“The gravest form of poverty is not to know God; all this earth’s goods, material realities, worldly pleasures and economic prosperity cannot bring happiness to our hearts. Wealth often disappoints – and can lead to the poverty born of the failure to recognize our need for God and of the attempt to live without him.”