Schools AIDS Day in Victoria, 2003
Love: the vital ingredient - SCHOOLS RECOGNISE AIDS DAY
By Susan Pascoe
Director of Catholic Education
I was fortunate enough to attend St Kevin's Primary School in Lower
Templestowe on a recent Friday for School AIDS Day, an annual event
that recognises the world's HIV/AIDS sufferers.
A Mass and a sausage sizzle were organised for students in Catholic
schools in the area, providing an occasion for prayer, meditation and
some relaxation; students were also encouraged to donate a gold coin
to the Catholic AIDS Ministry.
The Mass was hosted by St Charles Borromeo and St Kevin's primary schools
and celebrated by the St Kevin's parish priest, Father Chris Toms. Hundreds
of colourful paper cranes - symbolising hope and peace - were made by
the children and hung inside the church.
It is interesting to remember that about twenty years ago Australians
were bombarded with warnings about a new, dreaded disease which had
to cure. Images of the Grim Reaper knocking over men, women and children
with a bowling ball haunted a generation of Australians.
However, over time fear made way for complacency and younger people
today are not subjected to the same level of emotional advertising and
dire warnings. But while the Grim Reaper has long since disappeared
from our screens, HIV/AIDS is still a major health problem in the world,
particularly in many African countries.
As Archbishop Hart stated in his School AIDS Day statement, "The
increase in infection in our country should also cause us to reflect
on how we present the Gospel and promote a culture of life to our young
people".
Speaking directly to the children during his homily, Father Toms made
some pertinent and valuable comments about the prevalence of the disease.
Forty-two million people live with HIV/AIDS and there are 14,000 new
infections somewhere in the world every day. In Australia, a total of
12,680 people have the disease and over six thousand have died since
the early eighties.
So how do we as Christians relate to people who have HIV/AIDS? Father
Toms said it was imperative that we see the goodness in each person
we meet and move beyond our fears and prejudices: love was a very important
ingredient. "If we love others, we can love ourselves," he
reminded the students during his homily.
In addition, Father Toms said we had a duty to help those less fortunate
than ourselves - such as HIV/AIDS sufferers. With love we have the ability
to "change the lives of others".
Father Toms also called on more Catholic schools in the Archdiocese
to recognise School AIDS Day next year, as he strongly believes it deserves
wider school involvement and publicity.
It is a call I support, and hopefully in 2004 more Catholic schools
will join their local communities and recognise this important initiative.
Report on Schools AIDS Day, 2001
(How it unfolded, step by step)
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Thankyou to all participants. Here's to 2002!
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