Fr. Rod,

I am happy to see the Catholic Church so well represented among the caregivers of those affected by HIV.

I am an MDiv student at Harvard. One of my areas of focus has been how churches/spiritual beliefs can affect (positively and negatively) those affected with HIV. My particular concern is the demographic group among whom AIDS is currently spreading--poor women of color.

My impression from my very limited experience is that the HIV+ poor in general do not feel welcome/are not well connected with communities of faith. Is this true, in your experience? While the poor seem to benefit from Church-sponsored aid (housing, healthcare, etc.), they do not seem to feel comfortable as HIV+ persons attending Church. I would love to hear your view on this.

Thank you,

Michaela

Dear Michaela,

Thank you for your letter and your perspective on the experience of the poor relating to communities of faith. It would be unfair of me to generalize about poor people's experience of welcome in Catholic churches or other communities of faith. From personal experience, I do know of parishes and other communities of faith across the country which have a very proactive outreach to the poor, including those with HIV/AIDS. I have always maintained that our churches should not wait for people with AIDS to knock on their door for help but that, like Jesus, we should be going into the countryside and meeting people where they are at-- in their homes, shelters, or the streets. WE NEED TO INVITE PEOPLE IN NOT OUT OF PITY BUT BECAUSE THE POOR CAN REMIND US TO MOVE BEYOND OUR FEARS, SELFISHNESS AND DENIAL. Then, together, we can find wisdom and determination to become more effective in reducing the spread of HIV and the disproportionate affect of this pandemic on the poor. We need each other to meet this daunting challenge. I hope that you will stay in contact with me. Blessings and peace, Fr. Rod