PC'l$2
"Was ass December Volume 10
8,
EWS
2000
Number 14
Serving Catholics
Western
Insid
NC
&
in
HERALD
Western North Carolina
in
the Diocese of Charlotte
parish
observes World AIDS
Day at service
Pope
By JOANITA M. N ELLEN BACH
celebrates jubilee
fordisabled ...Page
7
books
Kids'
for holiday
...Page
8
Theology on Tap program
3
preside at World AIDS Day service in Charlotte
...Page
5
Every Week
"Phantom of the Opera;"
a chalice,
Communion wafer and
words "A from the
the
panels died in their 20s or 30s. The size of the panels speaks, too: 3 feet by 6 feet is the size of a grave. Sixteen of those panels, stitched together to make two large panels, hung in St. Francis Church Dec. 3 during a healing service and celebra-
into the AIDS Memorial Quilt, which contains a total of about 44,000 3-
North Carolina (one was from
the support of friends. Next, he en-
Spartanburg,
tered a time of being able to listen to
12-13
in
St.
S.C.).
The theme for this, the thirteenth World AIDS Day (World AIDS Day is
actually held on Dec.
is
"AIDS:
Men Make
1
each year),
a Difference." a difference,"
Henry Burton, Episcopal priest, who gave
tion during the service.
& Columns
a
retired
the reflec-
"The people
who designed the panels said these people made a difference to them.
How
would you design a panel someone who has died of AIDS?"
for
Burton told of a friend who conAIDS from a contaminated
tracted
Our Lady of
blood transfusion. The friend is still alive, but his life has been trans-
December 12
formed as much by his changed tude as by his condition.
transfusion,
son
atti-
First, he experienced what Burton called the "prophecy of death." He was angry, full of self-pity, blamed the hospital where he received the
who gave
the voice of God, which led to transformation to life and living. "As we look at these panels, this [transformation] is the story of these panels," Burton said. "This is how
God works
—
in your life and mine through other people, through listening and seeing. We could be privileged to open our lives far beyond our
current seeing, to live a life not of despair and despondency but to live a life
Jhe feasl of
Guadalupe
In observation of the Advent season, 40 harpists provided an afternoon of stringed entertainment at St. Vincent de Paul parish on Dec. 3. Harpists from The Charlotte Chapter Harp Ensemble, the Carolina Youth Harp Ensemble, Suzuki Harps of Charlotte, the CPCC Folk Harp Ensemble and the Queen City Harp Ensemble joined together for the Christmas concert. Each group performed individually, as well as combining to fill the parish with familiar Christmas melodies.
blamed the infected perthe transfusion and shouldn't have. Then, he moved to a period of acceptance of life and loving, of hope because of medical care and
and were specially hung
said Rev.
10-11
Photo by Joann S. Keane
Francis Church for the World AIDS Day celebration because most of the people memorialized on the quilt lived in or were known to Western
lina
"The panels make
Entertainment
...Pages
tell
foot-by-6-foot panels. However, these 16 panels were back in North Caro-
NC bishops
...Pages
panels
tion of World AIDS Day. Some 30 people attended the interfaith service, sponsored by the Macon County AIDS Task Force. Pastors of Macon County churches participated. Bishop William G. Curlin blessed these panels before they went to San Francisco, Calif, to be incorporated
Young adults wind up
Editorials
— The —
about lives cut short, friends and loved ones lost memories and names on 3-foot-by-6-foot pieces of cloth. The artwork on the panels speaks eloquently: a teddy bear to remind us of a "loving mother;" a panel with the words "From Your Phantom Friend" and the logo from
Midwest who died at the age of 39. Most of the people represented on the
Local News
...Page
FRANKLIN
Priest Forever" for a pastor
gift-giving
Western
Correspondent
Mass
that
is vital."
Burton, a member of the World planning committee that sponsored the healing service, said the committee members "hoped we would be able to educate people to avoid the disease and to end prejudice. Prejudice and bigotry are a more serious disease than HIV because they destroy a person from within." Indeed, prejudice and bigotry are
AIDS Day
still
that
among the major problems AIDS victims must deal with
in addition to their condition. A report from AVERT, an AIDS education and medical research charity, indicates that some people still believe that AIDS can be transmitted by sharing a drinking cup, touching a person who is infected or eating food prepared by someone who has HIV. A recent report on National Public Radio stated that some people think that AIDS is a punishment, that people with AIDS "got what they deserved."
Marcia and Mike Cummings members of the Ma-
are founding
con County AIDS Task Force, founded in 1991. "Mike had a friend who died of AIDS," Marcia said. "That, and we saw the prejudice. People didn't want to talk about it. They still don't. We saw there was a need, so why not us." The task force, which has more than 20 members, presents educational programs to civic groups and See FRANKLIN, page
4