Sara Haddleton, who took her own life last month, may have been a ‘streetie’, but she was certainly not homeless.

Sara made her home in St Andrew’s Cathedral Square, where she had lived for the last 19 years since the age of 13. Sara was so much a part of the Cathedral community that Executive Assistant to the Dean, Kay Terrey describes her as part of the Cathedral Staff’s extended family.

“We had daily contact with Sara. We were here for her to talk to and she shared with us her ups and downs. She was very protective of the Cathedral and its staff. She is and will continue to be sorely missed,” Mrs Terrey said.

Many who have visited the Cathedral and St Andrew’s House will be familiar with Sara, who spent her days seated on a milk crate in a far corner of the square. She had turned to the streets and alcohol as a young teenager to escape the pain of abuse suffered as a child.

In recent months, Sara committed her life to Christ. Her poetry, which the Cathedral staff hopes to publish, speaks of the relief she found in handing her pain to God.

“Weep now my child and let me take the pain, let me restore you to life once again,” she wrote.

On the day she died, Sara handed out several copies of the newly released Aussie Bible to her friends.

Mrs Terrey says Sara’s story shows how the Cathedral is placed to minister to those who live on Sydney’s streets.

“We hope that a legacy of Sara’s life would be the ongoing relationship with the homeless people around our St Andrew’s community. It was a big breakthrough that Sara’s friends felt comfortable to come into the Cathedral and attend the funeral.”

Around 200 people gathered to celebrate the life of Sara, a testimony to the profound impact she had on many people’s lives, both her homeless friends and city workers.

Verger of St Andrew’s Cathedral, Rick Filmer, says it is thanks to Sara that the Cathedral now has contact with all her friends.  “The kind of love that compels us to preach the gospel should also compel us to care for the poor and widowed,” he said.