Little Flower Parish in Springfield spearheaded efforts to build a Habitat for Humanity house for a single mother with seven children. A dedication ceremony for the house will be held at 1 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 23, with a housewarming shower for the homeowners to follow at 2:30 p.m.

With Thanksgiving just a few days away, a Springfield mother with seven children is counting her blessings. Patty Redpath and her children, who range in age from 17 to 2, are preparing to move from their double-wide mobile home into their new Habitat for Humanity house. The house, at 1000 Knoll Point in Springfield, is the largest ever built by Habitat for Humanity in Sangamon County.

The public is invited to join the Redpaths at their new home dedication ceremony at 1 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 23, and tour the home following the ceremony. Msgr. John Ossola, pastor at Little Flower Parish, will lead prayers at the dedication, and bless each room of the house. A housewarming shower for the Redpaths will follow at 2:30 p.m. They are registered at Wal-Mart.

The Redpaths are parishioners at Little Flower, and many of the children attended or are currently attending Little Flower School. Patty, a single mother, adopted all her children from foster care.

Little Flower Parish partnered with AIG, Wells Fargo, and MTI. Bailey Hardwoods, St. Agnes Parish, Sacred Heart-Griffin High School and many others helped to build the house.

"We are forever indebted to the hundreds of volunteers involved in building our home," Redpath said. "It is clearly a demonstration of God's love in action."

Habitat for Humanity provides a zero-interest mortgage loan for homeowners. While volunteers provide the labor to build a Habitat house, homeowners are required to contribute some of the labor and effort for the construction of their home. Habitat homeowners have mortgage payments.

"Little Flower is honored to be involved in this Habitat build," Msgr. Ossola said. "We are so touched by the number of volunteers and their dedication to this project."