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    Christianity crackdown: Church told to remove cross as it is unauthorised construction – Express.co.uk - November 23, 2019 by Mr HomeBuilder

    The dispute between the local parish priest and the council is the latest setback for worshippers at the Mar Grigis al-Sawma Church in Neda. The village is located in the Sohag province in Upper Egypt, which covers a region made up of strips of land on both sides of the Nile. The council had originally accepted an engineering plan which included a bell tower with a crucifix on top and granted a building permit.

    But the authority has since backtracked on its decision and said the structure will have to be removed from the drawings.

    The priest has appealed to President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to intervene and resolve the case, reports persecution.org.

    The Court of Akhmim heard the case last weekend but the outcome is not yet known.

    Christian worshippers in the North Africa nation have faced threats from Islamic extremists in recent years.

    But this week Coptic Catholic Bishop William of Assiut said things are improving.

    The church leader told Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need: We thank God that the situation is getting better.

    The president has goodwill towards the Christians.

    READ MORE:Grave-robbers steal crucifix and body of priest - ransom demanded

    But he said the ties between Muslims and Christians were strong, despite reports of tensions.

    They would like to establish an Islamic State but in Egypt it will never materialise, he added.

    Egyptians are close Christians and Muslims are too united for the extremists to cause problems.

    Ninety percent of Egyptian citizens are Muslim, predominantly Sunni.

    Shia Muslims constitute less than one percent of the figures.

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    Christianity crackdown: Church told to remove cross as it is unauthorised construction - Express.co.uk

    How Salt Lake Temple Closure in December Will Affect Area – Rexburg Standard Journal - November 23, 2019 by Mr HomeBuilder

    SALT LAKE CITY - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced in April of this year that the Salt Lake Temple and Temple Square would receive extensive renovations.

    President Russell M. Nelson announced that the Salt Lake Temple will close on December 29 and will remain closed for four years.

    We promise that you will love the results, said President Nelson about the plans for the Salt Lake Temple renovations. They will emphasize and highlight the life, ministry, and mission of Jesus Christ in His desire to bless every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.

    When the Church announced the renovations, it explained a number of changes and upgrades that would be made: The temple upgrades will help the structure withstand an earthquake; There will also be a new tunnel added underneath North Temple Street. The tunnel gives access to the temple from the Conference Center parking area; The South Visitors Center will be removed from Temple Square and replaced; The plaza in between the temple and State Street and the Church Office Building, Church Administration Building and Joseph Smith Memorial Building will undergo renovation and improvements; There will be new entrances added to Temple Square. A virtual walk-through from the Church showcases these new entrances.

    The Salt Lake Temple is expected to open again in 2024, and the Church will host a public open house once the renovations are finished.

    This will be an incredible opportunity, said Bishop Dean M. Davies, First Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, in a Church News article. For generations, only faithful members have been able to enter the Salt Lake Temple. Now everyonepeople of our faith, other faiths or no faithwill be able to come to the temple.

    Davis said that the Church wanted everyone to feel welcome.

    We want them to come and see and feel why this temple is so beautiful to us. We want it to be their temple, too. The temple is part of the community.

    At the time of the Salt Lake Temple announcement, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert noted that there would be potential traffic problems due to the construction in the area, according to the Deseret News.

    So Im hopeful that tourism doesnt wane at all, the governor told reporters at the time. It will maybe increase, in fact, as people come here and see our beautiful capital city and our wonderful state andmost importantlyour wonderful people that reside here.

    Brent Roberts, director of special projects for the Church, told the Deseret News that they are considering this a major construction project, and that Church officials will work within guidelines of city noise and ordinances throughout the process.

    The following locations will remain open at Temple Square: Salt Lake Tabernacle, North Visitors Center, Assembly Hall, Joseph Smith Memorial Building, Church Office Building

    Relief Society Building, Church Administration Building, Beehive House, Lion House and Conference Center.

    For more information visit https://www.thechurchnews.com/category/salt-lake-temple.

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    How Salt Lake Temple Closure in December Will Affect Area - Rexburg Standard Journal

    Briefly Noted: St. Joseph Catholic Church hosting blood drive on Monday – Shawnee Mission Post - November 23, 2019 by Mr HomeBuilder

    Photo credit Community Blood Center

    St. Joseph Catholic Church hosting blood drive on Monday. St. Joseph Catholic Church and the Community Blood Center are hosting a blood drive from 1 to 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 25 at Knights of Columbus Hall, 11221 Johnson Drive. They are distributing Chiefs T-shirts to donors. Those wishing to donate can schedule an appointment by visiting savealifenow.org and use Sponsor Code stjosephcatholic. Walk-in donors are welcome. For more information, contact Virginia Wiedel at 913-268-3874.

    Westwoods daytime population grows 900+ on a given workday. The city of Westwood earlier this month shared a report from the Census Bureau that shows the citys daytime population is 900+ greater than the citys residential population estimate, based on the FY 2017 Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics data. About 1,700 people commute into Westwood to work, while about 800 Westwood residents work outside the city. Only a few people both live and work in Westwood. Plus the Census Bureau reports that Westwoods estimated July 1, 2018 residential population stands at 1,658 people. Base on collected data, more people than the towns residential population total commute into Westwood on a given work day.

    Ridgeview Road project in Lenexa delayed. A wet spring and summer coupled with early freezing temperatures this fall have slowed construction on a new section of Ridgeview Road that will connect K-10 Highway 10 to Prairie Star Parkway. Originally slated to open in late 2019, the road will now open in spring 2020. The project is nearly complete, but because of low temperatures, the final two inches of asphalt must be delayed until spring. Work will resume on laying the final asphalt and striping the road as soon as weather permits and asphalt plants reopen next spring. Work that is not weather dependent, including sidewalks and lighting, will continue throughout the coming months. Temporary access to the Little Mill Creek trailhead will be re-established in the coming weeks as soon as Johnson County Wastewater finishes a main extension project. The new section of road will provide a vital transportation connection and open up the surrounding area to new development opportunities.

    Read more here:
    Briefly Noted: St. Joseph Catholic Church hosting blood drive on Monday - Shawnee Mission Post

    The religion of humanism spontaneous generation | Church Page – Murray Ledger and Times - November 23, 2019 by Mr HomeBuilder

    For millennia, folks assumed that maggots would spring to life spontaneously in rotting meat. The theory that life can spring from non-life was debunked in the mid-19th century by the work of men like Louis Pasteur and John Tyndall.

    The U.S. Supreme Court designated Secular Humanism as a religion in the early 1960s for a reason: because it is a system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith. Confronted with a world literally crawling with living creatures, a person whose religion teaches that we are undesigned and unintended beings must grapple with an uncomfortable prospect: that at some point in the distant past, life must have sprung from non-life by pure accident.

    Darwins vision of a single-cell organism inexplicably coming to life was as simplistic and fanciful as his limited understanding of the structure and functions of a cell. His musings were unrestrained by such worrisome considerations as the unfathomable precision and complexity of the DNA code associated with even the simplest of single-cell organisms.

    How unlikely is it that the simplest of living organisms could have formed and come to life spontaneously? Well, just to put things in perspective, it is estimated that the number of atoms in the entire universe is 10 to the 82nd power. That amounts to one-hundred thousand quadrillion vigintillion atoms! Thats a lot! What are the odds of spontaneous generation occurring even once? Harold Joseph Morowitz, noted biophysicist at Yale calculated that the chance of the formation of the simplest of organisms is one in 10 to the 340,000,000 power! No amount of time will account for this event ever occurring! Ever!

    Why is spontaneous generation impossible? Because each strand of DNA in every cell represents complex coding that defines every detail of the construction and function of the organism. A.G. Cairns-Smith, organic chemist and molecular biologist at the University of Glasgow, wrote, Mans library consists of a set of construction and service manuals that run to the equivalent of about a million book-pages together. E.H. Andrews, physicist and engineer at Queen Mary University of London, put it best: It is not possible for a code, of any kind, to arise by chance or accidentA code is the work of an intelligent mindThis could no more have been the work of chance or accident than could the Moonlight Sonata be played by mice running up and down the keyboard of my piano!

    If you want to devote yourself to the religion of Secular Humanism, that is your business. But there is no justification for ridiculing anyone who refuses to accept the tenets of your faith. The scientific evidence clearly indicates that there is a Code-Writer of immense power and intellect and those willing to acknowledge the obvious have no reason to be ashamed.

    Editors Note: Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the editorial opinion of the Murray Ledger & Times.

    View original post here:
    The religion of humanism spontaneous generation | Church Page - Murray Ledger and Times

    Pre-Thanksgiving weekend Metro work, road closures – WTOP - November 23, 2019 by Mr HomeBuilder

    The first of months of weekend closures of the Wiehle-Reston East station on the Silver Line is among Metro disruptions

    The first of months of weekend closures of the Wiehle-Reston East station on the Silver Line is among Metro disruptions this weekend, as road work could also cause delays for travelers on this pre-Thanksgiving weekend.

    On Metro, Wiehle-Reston East is closed, with shuttle buses to and from the Spring Hill station. Silver Line trains will run normally at other stops. Wiehle-Reston East is scheduled to be closed for 13 weekends through March as part of work to connect the existing portion of the Silver Line to the extension to Dulles International Airport and Loudoun County.

    Track work also significantly slows Orange Line riders to and from Vienna and Dunn Loring. Only a shuttle train runs between Vienna, Dunn Loring and West Falls Church about twice an hour this weekend. Orange Line trains will run normally between West Falls Church and New Carrollton.

    On the Red Line, single-tracking between Friendship Heights and Medical Center cuts trains to every 16 minutes this weekend. Additional trains run during the day between Glenmont and Van Ness.

    There is no major work scheduled on the Blue, Yellow or Green lines.

    Construction closures and changes continue on Interstate 295 in the District, along the toll lane construction area on Interstate 66, on Interstate 395 for finishing work related to the new 395 Express Lanes, and in many other areas.

    On Interstate 66, closures include detours near Nutley Street for ongoing demolition of the Vaden Drive Bridge. A traffic change is also planned to start this weekend for traffic merging onto Interstate 66 from Route 28 southbound.

    A planned closure of the ramp to Interstate 66 eastbound from Route 29 northbound in Centreville that had been scheduled to start this past week has been delayed until next year.

    Sunday afternoon, the Redskins host the Lions at FedEx Field, although it is unclear how many people will actually show up.

    Traffic is expected to start ramping up this weekend for long Thanksgiving getaways, with Tuesday and Wednesday evening likely to be particularly busy. Marylands tolled bridges and roads are expected to be busiest on Wednesday.

    Major ongoing work at the Bay Bridge will mean significant backups for anyone headed to or from the Eastern Shore. The right lane of the westbound span remains closed. Originally, under a more drawn-out schedule, the Maryland Transportation Authority had planned to reopen the lane for holiday travel.

    The MDTA warns drivers to expect major delays in both directions for the next week. For anyone who must use the bridge, the best times are very early in the morning or late at night, the authority said.

    There will be no two-way traffic on the westbound span.

    Wednesday, Nov. 27 through Saturday, Nov. 30, the MDTA will not have any cash toll collectors at the bridge. Drivers can pay with E-ZPass or will get a bill in the mail. Rental car drivers without their own E-ZPass will face extra fees from rental companies.

    The authority also suggests traveling very early in the morning or late at night to avoid major delays expected on Interstate 95 through and beyond Baltimore.

    In Virginia, VDOT projects the busiest times will be:

    Tuesday, Nov. 26: 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Interstate 95 and Interstate 66 in Northern Virginia.

    Wednesday, Nov. 27: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Interstate 66 westbound from the Capital Beltway to Prince William Parkway, and 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Interstate 95 northbound between Richmond and Fredericksburg.

    Thursday, Nov. 28 (Thanksgiving): 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Interstate 95 southbound near Fredericksburg.

    Friday, Nov. 29: 12 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Interstate 95 northbound in Northern Virginia.

    Sunday, Dec. 1: The very worst of a bad day for driving is projected to be on Interstate 81 between 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

    HOV or tolling rules on Interstate 66 inside the Beltway do not apply on Thanksgiving Day. HOV or toll rules always apply on the 495, 395 and 95 Express Lanes.

    On Thanksgiving Day, Metro runs a Sunday schedule on rail and bus with trains only running between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m.

    The day after Thanksgiving, Metro runs a regular weekday schedule with normal fares and parking rules.

    MetroAccess subscription trips are canceled both days.

    Riders trying to get to BWI Marshall Airport from the D.C. area using public transit must take MARC on the Saturday or Sunday after Thanksgiving. Metro has cut back B30 bus service from Greenbelt to only run Monday through Friday when the transit agency is running a regular weekday schedule.

    MARC does not run on Thanksgiving Day. The Friday after Thanksgiving, MARC only runs the Penn Line and only on an R schedule.

    To Dulles International Airport, Metrobus Route 5A runs between LEnfant Plaza, Rosslyn, Herndon-Monroe Park and Ride and the Airport. On the way out, riders can also instead take the Silver Line to Wiehle-Reston East, where Fairfax Connector 981 and 983 go to the airport or an airport express bus is also available.

    Wiehle-Reston East is scheduled to be closed again though Saturday and Sunday as part of the multi-month weekend closures for tie in work.

    MTA Maryland Commuter bus does not run Thanksgiving Day or the day after, except Route 201 to BWI Marshall.

    The day before Thanksgiving, most commuter bus systems run modified schedules to provide options for people leaving work early.

    VRE does not run on Thanksgiving Day, and runs a reduced S schedule the day after Thanksgiving.

    Like WTOP on Facebook and follow @WTOP on Twitter to engage in conversation about this article and others.

    2019 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Pre-Thanksgiving weekend Metro work, road closures - WTOP

    Signs of progress: New buildings being constructed in city – Middlesboro Daily News – The Middlesboro Daily News - November 23, 2019 by Mr HomeBuilder

    Ray Welch|Daily News

    If you travel throughout Middlesboro, you can see signs of progression with construction happening in several areas. Seen here is construction work happening on 20th Street. According to sources, the future building will be a storage facility.

    Ray Welch|Daily News

    If you travel throughout Middlesboro, you can see signs of progression with construction happening in several areas. Seen here is construction work happening on 20th Street. According to sources, the future building will be a storage facility.

    Ray Welch|Daily News

    New Heights Church is located on 15th Street next to the Middlesboro Mall. The new facility was built by volunteers who travel across the United States building new churches for communities. New Heights is waiting for final paperwork from the state to open their doors to the community.

    Ray Welch|Daily News

    This building is located next to New Heights Church on 15th Street. There is no proposed business that will be going into the building at this time, but the construction of a new building is Middlesboro shows that the city is continuing to move forward.

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    Signs of progress: New buildings being constructed in city - Middlesboro Daily News - The Middlesboro Daily News

    Hope Lutheran breaks ground on addition – Plainsman - November 23, 2019 by Mr HomeBuilder

    HURON Church council members, building committee members, staff from general contractor Picek Construction Company, Inc., and Rev. Tom Christenson sported the shovels as Hope Lutheran Church broke ground on a new addition to the church facility on Nov. 10.The church is located at 1667 Frank Avenue Southeast in Huron.Visioning on this project began as the church looked to our future in our current facility, says Hope Lutheran church council president Jared Reno. We put together two committees: one to envision what a transformed church building would look like, and the second to plan how to fund the facility. Those committees put in many hours going over potential plans and costs of those plans before presenting them to the church body, and this plan was the churchs top choice to move forward.Hopes new addition will allow for significant improvements in accessibility, expansion of fellowship area, expanded bathroom areas, and more direct access to the pastors and church secretarys office from the main entrance. The project will also include improvements to the sanctuary, chancel area, and the audio/visual system throughout the church, and other general upgrades.The new addition will run parallel to Frank Street and includes additional paved parking. Crews from Picek Construction have already completed work on the expanded parking and begun work on the footing for the addition, which has a general target of July 2020 for project completion.The catalyst for the project is to allow the church to be more accessible throughout by getting the fellowship area from the basement to the primary addition area, including an expanded kitchen and more usable space in the fellowship area, allowing congregants for events such as weddings and funerals more moving space during time in the fellowship area. The addition will also create a combination chapel and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant classroom/conference room. This will give Hope Lutheran a space for small baptisms or weddings with the ability to be changed into a ADA-compliant classroom for any Sunday School class that would have need for that room. Finally, ADA-compliant mens and womens bathrooms will be added.Moving the secretarys and pastors offices will allow for better service for the congregation as both will now be positioned near the main entrance to the building. This will allow for better service as well as providing the church better security. Coming into the main entrance will be through a new entrance that will provide double doors for security and weather protection.By moving current walls, the sanctuary and narthex will both be expanded. This will allow for added seating in the sanctuary and more space for fellowship before and after services.Hope Lutheran Church was initially formed in May 2011 and officially joined as a member church of Lutheran Churches in Mission for Christ (LCMC). Building committee co-chairman Tony Lorenz sees this expansion as a sign of the churchs intentions in the Huron community:Hope plans to stay in Huron a long time, and this addition is a commitment from our congregation to the faith community in Huron.

    PHOTOS COURTESY OF HOPE LUTHERAN CHURCH and PICEK CONSTRUCTIONLeading groundbreaking ceremonies on the addition to Hope Lutheran Church earlier this month are, from left: Tony Lorenz, Larry Picek, Justin Picek, Reverend Tom Christenson and Jared Reno. In the second photo, to include the youth of the church on a wintry day outdoors, an indoor groundbreaking was held as well. And next, this architects rendition shows the addition to the Hope Lutheran Church structure, with the additional parking space. The new construction is the portion with the darker siding.

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    Hope Lutheran breaks ground on addition - Plainsman

    Sts. Simon and Jude Catholic Parish marks 40 years in The Woodlands – Community Impact Newspaper - November 23, 2019 by Mr HomeBuilder

    Parishioners including Msgr. Charles Domec, third from right, gather near the construction site of the Sts. Simon and Jude Catholic Parish church building in The Woodlands in 1980. Courtesy Sts. Simon and Jude Catholic Parish

    The Woodlands' first parish was originally designated by the Diocese of Galveston-Houston in August 1979, and parishioners celebrated its first Mass in October 1979, according to Sts. Simon and Jude. The parish originally met at Interfaith of The Woodlands and Knox Junior High School prior to the construction of its church building on an 8.2-acre campus at 26777 Glen Loch Drive, The Woodlands, where it remains today. The church building opened in 1981.

    According to the parish, its name was chosen as a compromise between its founding priest Charles Domec, who desired the St. Jude moniker, and regional diocese chancellor Rev. Joseph Fiorenza, who desired St. Simon.

    Sts. Simon and Jude marked its 40th anniversary with a series of events in late October, including a service, fall festival, feast day and Mass. 281-367-9885. http://www.ssjwoodlands.com

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    Sts. Simon and Jude Catholic Parish marks 40 years in The Woodlands - Community Impact Newspaper

    New Lourdes church ‘in harmony with the beauty of the Liturgy’ – denvercatholic.org - November 23, 2019 by Mr HomeBuilder

    When Rosemary Anderson arrived to Our Lady of Lourdes School in 2011, it had just 90 students and was on the brink of closing. Now at near capacity with 231 students and a long wait list, the K-8 school in Denver just announced it is opening a second location this fall.

    What caused the shift? A switch to classical education and strong leadership.

    I was hired to bring in a change to revitalize the school, the 33-year-old principal said, who since her December marriage now goes by Vander Weele. The following year we began the three-year implementation process. The results of this project have been incredibly humbling.

    Lourdes south campus will open in the old St. Louis School in Englewood. St. Louis, which was in operation 87 years, closed in May 2016.

    It will be good to hear the voices of students echoing in the halls again, said Father Bill Jungmann, St. Louis Church pastor. On the Sunday it was announced, people were so excited they applauded.

    Mrs. Bigelow, an aide for 2nd 5th grade at Our Lady of Lourdes, helps a student with a problem. The staff at Lourdes, under the leadership of Rosemary Vander Weele and Father Brian Larkin, is largely credited with having helped turn the school around over the past seven years. (Photos by Andrew Wright)

    Those familiar with Lourdes, credit Vander Weeles leadership with the schools dramatic success.

    Shes cast a vision and has formed a team that also shares that vision and passion that is able then to see it happen, to realize it, said former homeschooling mother Karin Middleton, who with her husband Tom has a 12-year-old at the school. Their 15-year-old highschooler graduated from Lourdes. [Rosemary] would be very quick to say that she wouldnt be able to do this without [pastor] Father Brian Larkin, [vice principal] Ryan OConnor and the rest of the Lourdes team.

    Ben Akers, a dean and theology professor at the Augustine Institute who with his wife Heather have a first-grader at Lourdesthe eldest of their four childrenagreed.

    Rosemarys influence on the school is tremendous, he said. She turned around a school that was looking to close its doors and now they have to open their doors at another location. Thats a testament to her vision and bringing that vision into practice and communicating it to the teachers and parents and, really, just being a great leader.

    A belief in Vander Weeles passion and ability to lead spurred former Denver auxiliary Bishop James Conley to broach hiring her in a last ditch effort to keep Lourdes from closing. The bishop, who now heads the Lincoln Diocese, shared the story at an educators conference last year.

    I know a teacher, shes never had any experience as a principal, but she has a great heart and lots of energy and she has a great understanding of Catholic education, he recalled telling those set to shutter Lourdes. Why dont you appoint her principal of the school? If she crashes, in a year its closed.

    Parents are realizing more and more that our culture is moving against Christianity and its become of the utmost importance to provide our children with the best education they can haveone that understands reality with a Catholic Christian mind. Father Brian Larkin

    Archbishop Charles Chaput, then prelate of Denver, agreed to take on the risk of a rookie principal being the first to implement the classical modelwhich uses a three-part process of grammar, logic and rhetoric to teach students how to learn and how to thinkin a school of the archdiocese.

    The first year was up and down a little bit, then slowly things started to take off, Bishop Conley said. [Rosemary] did a lot of PR work herself, and word got around. Understanding of classical-style education gained interest and here we are today.

    When Vander Weele took the reins at Lourdes, she was just 27, and was the youngest principal in the archdiocese.

    A Denver native with several degrees and 14 years experience in local Catholic schools, Vander Weele asserts that Lourdes resurrection from near death is due to her teams fidelity to the Lord and staying true to their mission at the school.

    It hasnt been easy, she said about switching to the new curriculum. As a community, weve grown and learned about the richness of classical education.

    Father Brian is extremely supportive, as was Msgr. [Peter] Quang, who hired me. To walk arm and arm with them and lead together has been a tremendous blessing. Ryan OConnor, the teachers and staff are just incredible. The success of this mission is due to them.

    The culture of Lourdes is one that embraces the Catholic faith and combines with a classical curriculum of education. (Photos by Andrew Wright)

    Lourdes south campus will start by offering kindergarten through second grade for the 2018-2019 school year, with plans to add additional grades as need demands.

    Its a continuation of the mission and brand here, Vander Weele emphasized, explaining that administrators realized they needed to expand as current families alone filled grades K-2 at the Denver site for this fall, leaving no room for the 40 families on a waiting list.

    The demand, she happily noted, has been overwhelming.

    Were super excited to be able to serve more families, said Father Larkin. I think parents are realizing more and more that our culture is moving against Christianity and its become of the utmost importance to provide our children with the best education they can haveone that understands reality with a Catholic Christian mind.

    Parent Middleton concurred.

    This is a brilliant solution to make possible the Lourdes experience for more students that is actually retaining the Lourdes experience, as opposed to overcrowding classes and becoming something different, she said.

    To learn more about Our Lady of Lourdes, visit lourdesclassical.org.

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    New Lourdes church 'in harmony with the beauty of the Liturgy' - denvercatholic.org

    Construction company, volunteers help bridge gap for the homeless in Winona – Duluth News Tribune - November 23, 2019 by Mr HomeBuilder

    "It'll pick up as it goes along," said Lynette Johnson, Winona Community Warming Center Outreach Coordinator for Catholic Charities of Southern Minnesota. "Once word gets around we're open, more people will show up."

    This winter, there's room for more at the Winona warming center, located in the basement of Community Bible Church in downtown Winona. The church, seeing the need and working with Catholic Charities, donated more space in its basement to be used for the warming center.

    Then, Habitat for Humanity of Winona-Fillmore Counties and Ames Construction worked to make that extra space function as a safe environment for adults in need of a warm place to sleep.

    Amanda Hedlund, executive director for the local Habitat for Humanity chapter, said her crews built shelves, painted rooms and generally helped do the minor construction and renovation needed to convert the space into a welcoming place for homeless individuals.

    "We sent our senior retired volunteer crew down here," she said. "They work Wednesdays and Thursdays and John (Corcoran, Habitat's construction manager) might have arranged a few sessions and get them out of their comfort zone."

    A big helping hand came last spring from Ames Construction, Johnson said. The company that renovated Winona's Highway 43 bridge signed up last December to bring a meal to guests at the warming center one night. From there, Ames Construction reached out to ask if it could help with any building needs.

    Johnson said the construction firm, donating its time and talent during a slow period of bridge construction, built a wall to create a secure space for storage bins for guests. Ames also converted the old kitchen space into bathrooms doubling the bathroom space in the center and converted the old sleeping space into a kitchen and lounge area.

    "We had a lot of electrician and plumbing costs," Johnson said. To meet those needs, Catholic Charities created a targeted fundraising campaign for the project. Another Winona manufacturer, Alliant Castings, did a matching program.

    With so many groups and individuals pitching in, much of the work was completed by the time Ames Construction needed to focus again on the bridge. It was then that Habitat's crews filled the gap and finished what was left.

    Hedlund said donated doors were custom fit into spaces. Door trim was donated then stained by students at Minnesota State College-Southeast from the construction degree program. A handicapped-accessible tub was installed, the laundry room was completed, floors were finished and, just in time for the Nov. 1 opening of the warming center for the winter, the job was done.

    "We had our first snow five days in," Johnson said, "so I was glad we got it all done."

    Community Bible Church donates the utilities which, considering that includes laundry, is not insignificant, Johnson said. And there's a sign-up online for people to come share a meal with those in need.

    "That's something that's hard to get, a good, home-cooked meal, when you're in this situation," Johnson said. In fact, people can sign up online at http://www.ccsomn.org then click "Warming Centers" under the program tab.

    Most guest are adults who lost their home either through eviction or other reasons, Johnson said. Many have a job, and most just need a temporary shelter during the cold months.

    "These are people who are trying to rebuild their lives, and they just need a helping hand," Johnson said.

    Originally posted here:
    Construction company, volunteers help bridge gap for the homeless in Winona - Duluth News Tribune

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