Holy Angels Church

Holy Angels Church (or the Holy Angels Catholic Church) is a three story stone, Roman Catholic church building located in Night City.

Early history
Holy Angels Church was initially endowed by a terminally ill heiress with a guilty conscience. The building originally housed a small parochial school, but was transformed into a soup kitchen and homeless shelter at some point.

2010s - 2020s
Unstable world conditions and the reforms of the Vatican III in 2014 brought many alienated Catholics back to the comforting tradition of a conservative liturgy, combined with a more liberal, socially responsive church. With the acceptance of limited pre-conception birth control by the Pope in 2014, the way was open for many to reclaim their faith and for third-world countries to re-embrace the church while solving their overwhelming population problems.

By the 2020s, Holy Angels Church was run by two priests; Father Kevin, who came to the church late in life, and Father Paul. The homeless shelter offered meals for the needed, but feeding all these people was't cheap and the church was usually just scraping by. Father Kevin was always on the lookout for wealthy families or corporations that might be creatively convinced to donate. Additional income came from dinners, bake sales and street fairs on church holidays (patrolled by the deacons), church-goers and many of the more loyal patrons of the Holy Angels shelter. On St. Patrick's Day the church could be a fun place to be, featuring popular snake races that draw out-of-town tourists. Free childcare was also offered with parents participating on a rotating basis.

Time of the Red
Led by Father Kevin, Holy Angels Church was still around during the Time of the Red, providing shelter and spiritual guidance for those who needed it, and mediation for anyone who had disputes, as long as they were willing to lay down their weapons and calmly talk. Father Kevin's record for peacefully settling gang or corporation issues was still exceptional even in those trying times.

It was well known that the 6th Street gang were welcome protectors of the church, and the solo Dillon Murphy could usually be found around the building.

Overview
Holy Angels Church is run by the priests; Kevin and Paul. Among the church staff is Lucy, a lay sister and Father Paul's wife. Sisters Mary Grace, Elizabeth, Ruth and Theresa live in the building's living quarters of the third floor, running the soup kitchen and catechism classes. All four of the sisters are veterans of third-world stands much worse than Night City. In addition to the sisters, there are 12 deacons (community members that hold a position in the church), including Daniel O'Flahery, owner of a tavern across the street.

The Church offers traditional Latin Mass from Monday to Friday at 7am, Sunday at 8am and reformed Mass in English, with Spanish speaking deacons available for translations, at 8:30am Monday to Saturday and 10am Sunday. Free meals are available twice a day from 8-9am and from 5-6pm. Diners are not required to go to mass, but it makes the sisters happy.

The homeless shelter can accommodate up to 250 people and is open 24 hours a day. The only entry requirement is that all weapons must be turned over to Father Kevin for safekeeping, including cyberware ammunition. Confiscated weapons are kept in a locked metal storage closet in father Kevin's study on the third floor. Shelter space is filled up starting on the first floor and expanding into the second.

All the stained glass windows are barred. At midnight, all doors are closed and IR and movement sensors around the church are activated (the doors have steel cores and reinforced hinges). There is always one member of the staff on duty inside with a panic button linked to the third floor. In case of emergencies, there is always enough food and fresh water for twenty people for one month stored on the third floor. Tasers and dart weapons are standard issue for church staff when walking in the community. Deacons are also responsible for, among other things, the safety of parishioners coming into the city.

Father Kevin has called the NCPD on a few occasions when trying to diffuse a tense gang situation. Whether the police desisted out of fear of God or Father Kevin is unknown.