16 May 2016

The Roman Catholic Church’s Holy Family Caritas Group, a team consisting of seven members on Saturday hosted lunch for the elderly in Mokgobelele Ward in Letlhakane.  

The Caritas Group, formed in May 2015 is an arm of the Holy Family Church that is actively involved in leading and spearheading the mission of the Catholic Church to serve the poor and to promote charity and justice throughout the world.

Caritas of Holy Family provides a helping hand for those lives in need and that begins with offering clothing as well as linking them to resources that could enable them achieve self-sufficiency. On Saturday, 25 Letlhakane senior citizens gathered to enjoy the goodwill of Catholic Church community as well as wine and dine at the church premises

“The 25 senior citizens invited to the event were identified through the Village Development Committee and dikgosi, the main purpose of the event was to express solidarity by reaching out to those who are most marginalised and also collaborate with sectors of the community to show that we really care and love them as members of the Holy Family Church,” Caritas Group leader Thapelo Otlogeleng said in an interview.

She said Caritas Group was not funded by the church, and therefore raised funds through fundraising initiatives and requested for donations from the church members and the community in order to realise its mandate.

She said their work is rooted and shaped by the church tradition and the social teachings that included fulfilling the vision of Pope Francis to bring both charity and truth to people in great need.

As winter beckons, the group is embarking on plans to collect winter clothes for needy children in Letlhakane.

Other upcoming initiatives  include collection of stationery for primary school going children.

According to Otlogeleng, they believed in the dignity of the people as they held it firm that every human being was created in the image and likeness of God.

“Our programmes are people-centered with empowerment at their heart.
We believe in faith in action and that we can transform the lives of the underprivileged, and inspire hope among the underprivileged, through charitable works and brotherly aid,” she said. ENDS