BELMONT — Teen volunteers from Catholic Heart Workcamp recently volunteered at House of Mercy, a nonprofit residence caring for low-income persons living with AIDS. Youth representing Virginia, Alabama, Kentucky, New Jersey and North Carolina spruced up the residence by spreading mulch, cleaning windows and also enjoyed meeting House of Mercy residents.
Pictured, Catholic Heart Workcamp volunteers are appreciated by House of Mercy resident Shelia Williams (right). Catholic HEART Workcamp started in 1993 in Orlando, Fla., with 100 participants and has grown to more than 13,000 serving annually. CHWC provides opportunities to restore homes and hearts, feed the hungry, lift the spirits of children, bring joy to the elderly and disabled and offer assistance while partnering with social agencies.
The Centers for Disease Control reports more than 1.2 million people living with HIV disease in the U.S., including more than 515,112 with AIDS. As of Dec. 31, 2014, there were 28,526 people diagnosed and living with HIV in North Carolina. In House of Mercy's primary 10-county service area, 7,096 people were diagnosed and living with HIV (including 2,963 living with AIDS). All residents of North Carolina are eligible for admission to House of Mercy, although the primary service area includes Gaston, Mecklenburg, Union, Anson, Stanly, Rowan, Cabarrus, Iredell, Lincoln and Cleveland counties.
Over the past decade, the number of people living with HIV has increased, while the annual number of new HIV infections has remained relatively stable. Still, the pace of new infections continues at far too high a level, particularly among black Americans. Fortunately, the development of anti-viral medications has significantly improved the ability of infected people to live with HIV/AIDS, and this has increased the need for housing and care.
At www.thehouseofmercy.org: Learn more about local efforts to care for people living with AIDS, and what you can do to help.
— Photo provided by Marjorie Storch
CHARLOTTE — St. Basil the Great Ukrainian Greek Mission in Charlotte recently installed an authentic Byzantine iconostasis for the sanctuary of the chapel at St. Thomas Aquinas Church where the community worships. An iconostasis is a screen, decorated with icons, that demarcates the sanctuary from the nave.
The iconostasis also acts as a veil for the sanctuary, the Holy of Holies. The central doors, or holy doors, have the Annunciation depicted on them to show that heaven and earth meet in the church just as heaven and earth were united in the womb of the Mother of God at the Incarnation. The opening and closing of the holy doors occurs at different times during the Divine Liturgy, or Mass, displays the different events of Christ's saving work being made present. The iconostasis also points to the Sacred Mysteries that cannot be seen but must be contemplated with the heart. New World Byzantine Studios in Charleston, S.C., designed, constructed and installed the iconostasis.
Learn more about St. Basil Mission at www.stbasil.weebly.com.
—Photos provided by Father Deacon Kevin Bezner and Father Deacon Matthew Hanes
