In its first new building project in over two decades, the Holy Angels community broke ground Dec. 20 for a Children’s Campus expansion project in Belmont. (Photo Provided)BELMONT— Staff, residents and visitors came together Dec. 20 to break ground for a Children’s Campus at Holy Angels, which provides specialized care and support for the differently abled. The Children’s Campus is Holy Angels’ first new building project in over two decades.
The project will add three state-of-the-art homes to Holy Angels’ campus in Belmont, to meet the multiple and complex medical needs of its residents and allow for more intimate, family-oriented care. A new 10,000-square-foot community center will also allow for worship activities and group events for residents, families and Holy Angels staff.
The project also includes a commercial kitchen to provide food for the entire campus. Residents and staff are also looking forward to a new pool for residents, to be used for relaxation, therapy and leisure, along with a state-of-the-art learning center and daycare. The learning center will be an integrated facility for infants, toddlers and preschool children of Holy Angels employees.
Kerri Massey, Holy Angels’ president and CEO, said this expansion is a monumental effort for the charitable organization, which cares for children and adults with intellectual developmental disabilities and delicate medical conditions through physical, social, spiritual, educational, vocational and emotional support.
“The groundbreaking of the Children’s Campus marks a pivotal moment in the history of Holy Angels,” Massey said. “This project represents our commitment to providing the best possible environment for our residents, ensuring that they receive the care and support they deserve. We are excited about the positive impact this expansion will have on the lives of those we serve.”
Leaders said the expansion is expected to alleviate the strain on the Morrow Center, which has served Holy Angels residents for more than 50 years. By creating modern, purpose-built facilities, Holy Angels aims to enhance the quality of care and support provided to its residents, they said.
The Children’s Campus project is being led by Holy Angels’ President Emeritus Regina Moody, who has dedicated nearly her entire career to improving the lives of Holy Angels residents.
“It is the time to embark on the largest campus expansion in Holy Angels’ history to meet the needs of our children,” Moody said. “Our children need homes that are more suited for their living, loving and learning and to continue to meet their medical, program and residential needs.”
The Dec. 20 event date held particular significance for Holy Angels, as it marked the birthday of Maria Morrow, the first resident to find solace and care at Holy Angels. When she was born in 1955, Morrow suffered from severe physical disabilities, including spina bifida and hydrocephalus, and doctors predicted she wouldn’t live beyond three months. Her overwhelmed mother gave her over to the care of the Sisters of Mercy. Soon the Sisters of Mercy welcomed additional children with special needs like Morrow, and Holy Angels was founded. Morrow went on to thrive at Holy Angels, becoming a national inspiration and ardent advocate of the differently abled, until her death in 2010 at the age of 54.
Rowena Barker, a parent of a Holy Angels resident, praised the anticipated impact of the new Children’s Center on the community.
“It is said, at the end of life, it is not what we bought, but what we built. It’s not what we got, but what we shared,” Barker said. “May we all share in the exciting joy of this project and the possibilities it provides.”
— Shawn Flynn, Special to the Catholic News Herald. Shawn Flynn is chief communications officer at Holy Angels in Belmont.