School AIDS Day 2007

A promise to AIDS victims

Kibreda College principal Mary Stack (left), former principal and Brigidine Provincial Leader, Sister Helen Toohey (middle) and Maria Kirkwood from the Catholic Education Office, Melbourne (CEOM) at the Schools AIDS Day liturgy.

Students at Kilbreda College, Mentone, celebrated Schools AIDS Day on 2 August with a special liturgy.

Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise was the theme of the liturgy with students reading prayers that focused on the need to keep promises. The special guest speaker was Megan Bourke from the Global Education AIDS Project who told the gathering that there were more than 38 million people with HIV/AIDS in the world.

Ms Bourke said much more needed to be done to assist those countries that have been hardest hit by the epidemic. "HIV/AIDS is a problem for the entire world, not just the worst affected countries," she said. "Countries that have pledged financial aid, need to uphold their promise."

During the liturgy, individuals were given a stone and asked to remember one of God's promises that has 'supported them through a particularly difficult time’. People were then asked to exchange their stone with another person and after a few moments give the stone back and say, 'Keep the promise'.

Maria Kirkwood from the Catholic Education Office, Melbourne (CEOM) launched the event and college chaplain, Father Peter Matheson conducted the liturgy.

A plaque was presented to Kibreda College as a thank you for hosting Schools AIDS Day. Catholic school students were able to donate a gold coin for a red ribbon, with proceeds going to Catholic AIDS Ministry.