Sermon preached at the 150th anniversary celebration of Leliebloem House, Cape Town
A sermon preached by Archbishop Thabo Makgoba at the 150th anniversary celebration of Leliebloem
House, Cape Town, on February 4, 2018.
Readings: Isaiah 40:21-31, Ps 147:1-11, 1 Corr 9:16-23, Mark 1:29-39
May I speak in the name of God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
It's a great joy to be with you today as we celebrate with Leliebloem 150 years of service to the community. History tells us that in 1868 Bishop Robert Gray established the House of Mercy as a refuge for women in Plein Street. Archdeacon Lightfoot made the initial donation for this initiative and the Society of St John the Evangelist (SSJE) made a generous input to its establishment.
This is one of the most critical centres in our community, offering services that are vital to the livelihood of humankind today. Leliebloem’s philosophy speaks of something dear to my heart – upholding a Christian ethos in service to God, across different backgrounds of belief, culture and religion.
Leliebloem, like our other institutions such as Zonnebloem, St Michael's and St George's, were formed in the Diocese with the responsibility of addressing the social ills that affect young and old, rich and poor, and black and white in our communities. They grew out of our efforts to care for God’s people in the midst of all the challenges they faced.
