World AIDS Day, observed each year on December 1, is an
opportunity for people around the world to come together in the fight against
HIV, to show support for people with HIV, and to remember those who have died
from an HIV-related illness.
This year’s World AIDS Day observance marks the 40th
anniversary of when the first cases of what later became known as AIDS were
officially reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s
(CDC).
In the early years of the AIDS epidemic, many Catholic
priests, sisters and health care workers courageously stepped forward to provide
compassionate care to HIV patients amidst a climate of fear and uncertainty
about the disease.
In this CHA conversation, Michael J. O’Loughlin, an
award-winning journalist and national correspondent for America Media will share
his reporting on the Church’s response to AIDS. Michael is the host of the
podcast “Plague: The Untold Story of AIDS and the Catholic Church,” and the
author of the upcoming book “Hidden Mercy – AIDS, Catholics and the Untold
Stories of Compassion in the Face of Fear.”
Joining Michael in the conversation will be Sister Michele
O’Brien, CCVI, Sister of Charity of the Incarnate Word, who will share her
perspective on caring for AIDS patients.
Presenters
Michael J. O'Loughlin
National
Correspondent
America Media
Sister Michele O'Brien, CCVI
Sister of Charity of the Incarnate Word
Moderator
Dennis Gonzales
Sr. Director, Mission Innovation &
Integration
Catholic Health Association
Paulo Pontemayor
Director, Government Relations
Catholic Health
Association