Holy Angels is a private, nonprofit corporation that provides innovative programs and services for its residents – children and adults with varying degrees of mental retardation, some of whom have physical disabilities and are medically fragile.

History: Maria to the Present

President/CEO Regina Moody (left) and first resident, Maria Morrow (right)

Doctors did not expect the baby girl to live long beyond her December 20, 1955, birth. She was born medically fragile, with multiple disabilities. If she lived, the doctors said, the baby would have serious medical problems, severe mental retardation and physical disabilities.

Her young mother sought help from the Sisters of Mercy who operated a day care center under the direction of Sister Marie Patrice Manley. In January 1956, the young mother, a worker in one of the textile mills in Belmont, began to bring her fragile child to Sr. Patrice. When the baby became seriously ill, the mother asked the sisters to care for her child.

Each sister took turns caring for the infant who was named, Maria. She began to thrive with their attention and lots of medical care. She grew and developed far better than expected. Soon, other parents of children with multiple disabilities and mental retardation asked the Sisters of Mercy for help. The sisters set up a home, which eventually became Holy Angels. Mother Mary Benignus Hoban, who co-founded Holy Angels, called the children who came to live there, “God’s innocents.” Mother Benignus served as president of Holy Angels until 1997. She died on December 30, 2000. She was 94.

The late Kays Gary, a North Carolina newspaper columnist, wrote about Maria, the Sisters of Mercy and the other children. His friend, syndicated columnist, Jim Bishop, wrote stories, too. Their journalism brought support – and more children – to the Sisters of Mercy.

Then on October 2, 1961 – the Feast of the Guardian Angels – a new wing was formally dedicated to the care, education and development of children with mental retardation and other disabilities. What until then had been called “the Nursery” became Holy Angels. Later, in 1972, the newly built Main Center opened.

Today

Since then, Holy Angels has grown and developed several innovative programs to help meet the changing needs of people with developmental disabilities. The private, nonprofit 501(C)(3) corporation employs about 250 people, and provides programs and services to 70 children and adults. Residents range in age from 6-months-old to 62-years-old.

As for Maria, doctors discovered she does not have mental retardation. She works as a receptionist at the Holy Angels Specialized Community Residential Center (SCR) and she also helps out at Cherubs Candy Bouquets, the vocational program operated by Holy Angels in downtown Belmont.

Holy Angels has grown over the years to include four Intermediate Care Facilities for the Mentally Retarded (ICF/MR) Group Homes on the main campus, and two supported living homes. The main center houses an on-site day care called Little Angels Child Development Center. The campus also is home to Marywood, a building that houses the boardroom and the Holy Angels Foundation and the ICF/MR administrative offices.

Other facilities include two supported living homes in Belmont; PUSH Place, an on-site outside recreation area; and Camp Hope, a handicapped accessible camp with nature trails in Belmont on the South Fork River.

Holy Angels has received permission from the N.C. Division of Facilities Services to build a fifth intermediate care facility for the mentally retarded (ICF/MR) group home on the main campus. The ground breaking ceremony for the new fifteen-bed facility took place on Dec. 18, 2003.

Locator map

The administrative offices and the main residential center of Holy Angels are located in the city of Belmont, at 6600 Wilkinson Boulevard, on the Sisters of Mercy campus. The boulevard is a major regional thoroughfare and state highway. Shrubbery on the hillside spells out “Holy Angels,” and passing motorists can see the distinctive landmark from the highway. Belmont, an historic textile mill city in Gaston County, has a population of about 8,950. The city is approximately a 15-minute drive from downtown Charlotte, NC.

All individuals considered for referral must be North Carolina residents. Applications must be submitted to the Social Work office at Holy Angels. Fees are based on individual needs and services and the family’s ability to pay. Holy Angels is funded through contributions, grants, and state and federal funding resources.

Social Work Department

Along with coordinating admissions and discharges, the Social Work Department functions as the primary liaison with families. Social Workers coordinate funding resources and serve as a member of the interdisciplinary team. Holy Angels also offers a Family Association, which meets quarterly and includes educational programs as well as the opportunity for families to socialize and support one another.

Mission and Values Statement

Our Vision
Each individual, regardless of physical and mental ability, has the right to the highest quality of life.

Our Mission
In a positive environment of spiritual, physical, educational, social and emotional support, Holy Angels provides children and adults with dignified and empowering opportunities for living, with special emphasis on those individuals with varying degrees of mental retardation who may also have multiple disabilities.

Our Values
At the heart of our vision and mission are the values of the Sisters of Mercy: sacredness of life, human dignity, justice, compassion, service and excellence.

Our Commitment
Holy Angels is a place of loving, living and learning which maintains the highest standards of excellence in service while continuing to develop outstanding innovative programs that respond to the changing needs of our community.

Founded in 1956 by the Sisters of Mercy, Holy Angels is a private, nonprofit 501(C)(3) corporation. We are guided and inspired by a profound sense of purpose expressed in our vision, mission, values and commitment.

Administrators

Holy Angels, Inc.
Holy Angels Services, Inc.
Boards of Directors

Holy Angels Foundation, Inc.
Boards of Directors