The current COVID-19 pandemic is reminding us of the powerlessness we face, in spite of so much technology, medical knowledge and general expertise. Weather and plagues tend to do that to us. Perhaps the greatest health crisis for the LGBTQ community – but definitely not restricted to us – was the AIDS crisis. It may seem like ancient history to some people. The memory of it is etched forever on the hearts of those who felt the greatest effects in their own lives or in the lives of loved ones. AIDS and its impact is still being felt today throughout the world.

December 1 is World AIDS Day. It’s an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, to show support for people living with HIV, and to commemorate those who have died from an AIDS-related illness. Founded in 1988, World AIDS Day was the first-ever global health day. We have made significant progress in the last couple of decades, but HIV remains a major global public health issue. Like many other health issues, it faces additional challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A young saint in the Catholic Church offers a good example of compassion in the face of diseases such as AIDS and COVID. St Aloysius Gonzaga joined the Jesuit order when he was not yet eighteen. He died several years later, at the age of 23. His life is a manifestation of the fact that charity has no restrictions. He was born to a wealthy family and had a tremendous desire to live as a Jesuit. He had to deal with his family’s conflicting desires for him. And there was great power and wealth involved! He was finally able to renounce his rights of inheritance and joined the Jesuits.

A few years after joining the Jesuits, he found himself dealing with the plague that struck Rome in 1591. The Jesuits opened a hospital to help people. Young Aloysius was one of many Jesuits who went out to help the plague victims dying in the streets of Rome. He would carry the dying to the hospital, and then wash and feed them and help prepare them for a dignified death. He carried on, despite personal revulsion to the things he witnessed. He served the sick until he too contracted the plague and died in 1591. Because of the manner of his death, he has been considered a patron saint of plague victims.

Four hundred years later – 1991 – the Jesuits, alarmed by the rising AIDS epidemic proposed to Pope John Paul II that Aloysius be the patron saint of AIDS victims and their caregivers. This was in recognition of the anniversary of his death. More to the point, it was in recognition of his tremendous and unfailing concern for those on the margins of society. Therefore, because of his compassion and courage in the face of an incurable disease, Aloysius Gonzaga has become the patron of AIDS sufferers and their caregivers

Back to COVID. Earlier this year, several our own young Jesuits in formation volunteered to help at our Jesuit Infirmary in Pickering, ON. Several of our infirm Jesuits had died and others were quite sick. Several staff had tested positive for COVID. The place was in tremendous need and the presence of these young men was very welcome. They offered a contemporary illustration of someone such as Aloysius. That fact was not lost on the senior men who knew the rich history of our universal Jesuit community.

So, on December 1, let us pray for our brothers and sisters who are living with HIV/AIDS and for those who have lost their lives because of AIDS. Let us also offer our prayers for their loved ones and their caregivers.

For information about various World AIDS Day events, see: 

• World AIDS Day Mass (Dec. 1 at 6:00 p.m. GMT; please note the time zone difference, and use the live-stream link)
• Voices for World AIDS Day (Casey House)
• AIDS Network Vigil
• Together Towards Zero Celebration (ACT)
• World AIDS Day Local Events (CATIE)