Jimy Kucera plays the accordion as David Caron plays the organ for a Christmas party at Gift of Grace House, in Atlanta.

For the 18th year, the AIDS Ministry of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart decorated the Gift of Grace House for Christmas. Monica Rudolph, AIDS ministry coordinator, organized the event.

Ten adults helped by six children attended the festive event. They decorated a live Christmas tree, the front porch and the living room of the home, a place for indigent women living with AIDS.

After the work of setting up the decorations, residents and the guests filled the air with Advent hymns and then Christmas carols for more than hour. Jimy Kucera played the accordion while David Caron played the Hammond M-3 organ, a donation to the house by parishioner Mary Alice Hearn.

Caron said the big hit of the night was singing “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” Each person is assigned a day to sing. Everyone sings on the first and fifth day. Laughter always ensues when somewhere along the line, someone forgets the correct lyric.

After singing, everyone enjoyed a meal of barbecued pork, beef brisket, cornbread, baked beans, green beans, rolls, cole slaw, along with iced tea and lemonade. Dessert was peach cobbler, banana pudding and homemade cookies.

“It is wonderful to see the joy on the faces of the residents of the house. They really appreciate the entire afternoon,” said Caron in an email.