‘Love is Courageous’
Actor Jim Caviezel, known for his lead roles in the blockbuster movies "The Passion of the Christ" and "Sound of Freedom," spoke at MiraVia's 2023 banquet fundraiser in support of pregnant women in need and their children.CHARLOTTE — Courage, it would seem, is en vogue. It’s certainly been on the rise in the pro-life movement in recent years, and MiraVia’s fundraising banquet displayed this reality perfectly Oct. 21. The event filled its Charlotte Convention Center space of 1,640 to capacity, and MiraVia is already hoping to find a way to accommodate more attendees next year.
“This was a unique year when we saw our growth exceed capacity, and we are looking at new and creative ways to host the event moving forward,” said Debbie Capen, executive director of MiraVia.
The fundraising total is still being calculated, but organizers say this was a record-breaking year with 47 sponsors who made the event a huge success.
Drawn to the bravery of the keynote speaker – actor Jim Caviezel, who played Jesus in Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” and Tim Ballard in the recent blockbuster “Sound of Freedom” – attendees of the “Love is Courageous” banquet were ultimately there to celebrate the courage of mothers choosing life for their babies when faced with difficult circumstances as they navigate societal and economic pressures.
“Love is courageous. It’s love that brought us all here tonight,” said Capen in her opening remarks. “It may be the love you have for this mission, it may be the love you have for the friend or family member who invited you. Or okay, it might be the love you have for the work of Jim Caviezel. But tonight, we remember that all authentic love comes from God, Who is love, and He brought us together here.”
MiraVia is a nonprofit that runs a residential facility at Belmont Abbey College for pregnant college women and their children as well as an outreach center in Charlotte that provides material and emotional support, including life skills classes to pregnant mothers.
The residential facility features 15 private living suites, a nursery and playground, dining room, study, laundry rooms, lounge spaces and a chapel.
Debbie Capen, executive director of MiraVia, presents the organization's year in review at the 2023 banquet.“This mix of privacy and community allows our student moms to nurture their children, work toward their college degrees and create a sisterhood with each other that forges lifelong friendships,” Capen said.
In September 2022, MiraVia transitioned its outreach center to a larger facility with the goal of serving 25% more women and children. At the banquet, Capen announced that the agency has surpassed this goal, serving 37% more women and children.
In the past year, MiraVia has served 970 mothers and children, distributed 65,818 diapers and 47,350 items of clothing, logged 1,350 hours in a college classroom, and tracked 1,638 volunteer hours.
The evening also celebrated the courage of supporters of this vital cause. One poignant moment was the announcement of the Josie Sanctis Outstanding Service Award, recently renamed for a former board member who passed away at 38 after battling cancer.
Josie’s husband, Andrew Sanctis, presented the award to Mark Kresak, who recruited his company to support MiraVia through improving the grounds and interior of the residential facility. Kresak went through great lengths over two years to get approval for the project at his workplace, inspiring many others to support the mission in the process.
“My wife, Josie, loved serving on the board of MiraVia and truly had a passion for the mission,” Sanctis said. “She was a courageous ambassador for MiraVia’s pro-life work and spread the message joyfully to all her friends, family and colleagues. That’s why I know she would have a special appreciation for tonight’s recipient.”
Capen highlighted another milestone – the 10th birthday of the first baby born at the residence for pregnant college students.
“When Bianca Nanje first called us, she had already overcome more adversity in her childhood than most of us will know in a lifetime,” she recalled. “After a difficult childhood, she was navigating the complexities of college life on her own when she suspected she was pregnant.”
When Nanje received a positive pregnancy test, she was handed materials for options on how to proceed. MiraVia was in the mix, and Nanje decided to tour the facility. “Is this for real?” she asked.
That August she had a baby boy, went on to graduate from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, entered the U.S. Army, married, had two daughters, became a second lieutenant, and built her dream home.
“To this day, Bianca credits MiraVia for allowing her to be where she is,” Capen said. “Thanks to her success, and the success of every mom at MiraVia, I think we can safely answer her original question, ‘Yes, we are for real!’”
— Annie Ferguson
