l
<<Z6£-obSlZ
d\
ON
NOI13311O0 DM
IOLIC
12000-80
inews ing Catholics in
Western North Carolina
& Herald Volume 2 Number 39 • June
in the Diocese of Charlotte
Jolemn Moment...
AIDS
Crisis
Not Debate By
1993
18,
Needs Compassion,
On
Drugs
Sexuality,
CAROL HAZARD Associate Editor
CHARLOTTE — "The reason I'm here
is
simple: I'm here to put a face on
AIDS." Tall, gaunt, his
cheeks dark and
Mike Johnson stood before a room full of people and asked for comsunken,
passion.
family.
each with between seven and 15 people serving one family or individual with AIDS.
"We respond out of our faith," Mar-
one takes a stand on the
the meeting. Although churches have
issue, then
the disease presents an opportunity for
he
Luke, St. Peter, St. Matthew and St. Ann. The Oratory in Rock Hill was also
churches to do what they are called to do, she said. And that is "to take care of each other and reflect on the image and likeness of God one on one," she said. "We don't need to get into the specifics of how we feel about drug use, homosexuality, promiscuity, poverty or
represented.
interracial relationships," she said.
The June 4 meeting at Myers Park Presbyterian Church was arranged by
need to dialogue about that, but none of it should bar us from being involved in
RAIN
the lives of other
said.
teers
(Regional
AIDS
St.
Interfaith Net-
form care teams
to
work with
people with AIDS.
When Johnson admitted publicly he had AIDS and not leukemia as most people thought, his mailbox was ripped out of the ground and garbage strewn on his property. "These are the same people who get in their Caravans and go to church on Sunday ... They are so afraid of the disease they have taken out their frustration on me." Although both Johnson and his wife are infected, their 7-year-old son is not. But that didn't stop neighbors from saying they didn't want their children playing with his son.
from the Diocompleted school by accepting diplomas and ng hands with Msgr. John J. veeney or Dr. Michael F. Skube
of Charlotte officially
and
10.
Catholic High School 147 students at Ovens Audi-
Charlotte iated
Despite his hurt and anger, Johnson has found solace through RAIN.
to the
human
beings."
82,000 people have died of AIDS in the United States. Another 107,000 are known to be infected with the HIV virus that causes AIDS. "We don't have time to stand in the lecture line any more," Austin said. Austin started an AIDS ministry through a chaplaincy internship at a New Orleans hospital in the early 1 980s. While there, she noticed the medical In the last
1
3 years,
community's reaction fied
1
to the first veri-
AIDS patients. Food trays were left
outside patient doors, nurses were scared
and doctors were debating
care.
Austin told the people she reported to that they needed to send someone to see "those people." The someone turned out to be her since no one else would do it.
"If you take the time to take another person seriously and put aside your own
A RAIN
team delivers one meal a week
"We
See
to his
RAIN, Page
16
DANNY HOLMES
By
iraduating seniors
5
AIDS crisis,
been slow to respond
a faith perspective" that helps volun-
shop McGuinness, Charlotte itholic Graduate 191 Seniors
said at
ignorance and fear of the deadly disease,
work) to help faith communities respond to the AIDS crisis. RAIN is "a program of education and service from
JOANN KEANE
RAIN,
people will continue to react out of
cluding the Catholics parishes of
Photo by
took John-
garet Austin, founder of
organizations in the Charlotte area, in-
(See story on Page 2)
men
disease that's just awful," he said. If no
Johnson spoke before more than 100 representatives of 48 churches and
most solemn moment of the ordination, Bishop Donoghue lays his hands on Joseph head and prays that the priesthood candidate will receive the gift of the Holy
night, the
lotte,
"There's a stigma attached to this
tine's
One
son and his son to a Knights game. The women took his wife out to dinner. There are four RAIN teams in Char-
n. Officiating at the ceremony
were McSweeney, vicar general and Jbellor of the Diocese of Charlotte; [e, diocesan superintendent of Mercy Sister Paulette Williams, iripal; and Gerald S. Healy, assistant ;
Mipal.
Forty-four students from Bishop McGuinness High School in WinstonSalem received diplomas in Hanes Auditorium at Salem College. Skube officiated at the commencement along with George Repass, principal. The commencement address was given by Sister
Carol Jean Vale, president of Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, Pa. Bishop John F. Donoghue did not attend the
commencement ebrant
June
at the
but was the main celBaccalaureate Liturgy on
4.
At Ovens Auditorium, the thirtyeighth annual ceremony was a special one. Not only were the goodbyes given to graduates, but also to Assistant Prin-
Summer Masses
cipal
Healy who
Catholic to This issue of The Catholic
News
herald contains a special section
W
the
summer Mass schedules of
fcolic
parishes in the resort areas
heCarolinas. fie
can be pulled out paper and kept for reference. It
is
leaving Charlotte
become
principal at St.
Gabriel School in Charlotte. In recogni-
and service from 1972-1993, Healy was presented with the Ultimate Cougar Award. tion of his leadership
See Graduate, Page 2
Sister Therese Galligan listens to Mike Johnson at RAIN meeting. SiterTherse is on RAIN Advisory Council along with Oratorian Father Conrad Hoover and Mercy Sister
Mercy the
Mary Margaret Wright.
Photo by
CAROL HAZARD