Archbishop's web site Denver Catholic Register Parishes Catholic Pastoral Center
August 9, 2000
Faith crucial to healing, nun tells AIDS conference
CHICAGO (CNS) - He was angry, paralyzed, confused and alone in a pain that permeated the depths of his soul — a place where only God could provide him a ladder to climb out of his personal prison.
Mercy Sister Marie Chin related the tale of an AIDS sufferer and a ministry worker who was facing one of her most difficult clients with compassion, determination and the sense to let the sufferer take the lead in this heart-wrenching experience.
Speaking before a group at the 13th annual National Catholic HIV/AIDS Ministry Conference, a six-day series of workshops and reflections at Loyola University for those afflicted with the fatal disease, their families and caregivers, Sister Chin said faith is crucial to inner healing.
In her July 21 keynote talk on "Practicing Sabbath," Sister Chin said God is integral to life-changing personal circumstances. Her reflections on suffering and the strength that can be obtained as a result were designed to uplift those afflicted with HIV/AIDS, their families and caregivers.
The conference was organized by the National Catholic AIDS Network based in Occidental, Calif. "Sound the Trumpet, Proclaim Jubilee" was the theme of the event, which also offered technical assistance, training and ongoing support to those in the Catholic community providing HIV/AIDS education and outreach.
Sister Chin, president of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, told the group that a compassionate approach to working with AIDS clients and their families demands consideration of a "radical newness" that encompasses the necessary change of mind and heart.
Such a transformation of consciousness cannot be recognized merely as a "social consequence," but as an invitation to practice the Sabbath. "Without God, we cannot achieve peace," she said.
Fear and rejection are at the heart of the matter for many AIDS patients, added Sister Chin. They need to achieve a sense of dignity in an "undignified situation." They need a sense of control. An opportunity for contemplative prayer — a spiritual journey — arises out of such desperate circumstances, she said.
"God calls us to move into the healing word. He leads us to experiences that have been life-threatening and then to a life-giving orientation," she said. Life's most difficult times are opportunities to become "resurrected in a new life." To reach this plateau, Sister Chin explained that hope must give way to releasing the initial anger before branching off into courage.
"Practicing Sabbath is not a disengagement from life. It is not a narcissistic taking care of one's self," she said. "Practicing Sabbath awakens us at the deepest levels of ourselves, tapping into the capacity for holiness. It is about creating spaces where we meet God. It's coming into God's presence and being challenged."
At the conference, the National Catholic AIDS Network presented the Lumina Award, its highest honor, to 82-year-old Gwendolyn Currin of Chicago, who stepped to the forefront to volunteer in a fledgling AIDS ministry when fear and rejection were the typical reactions to HIV/AIDS sufferers.
Retired from her office administration job at the University of Illinois in Chicago, the native of Chicago's South Side has been a consistent volunteer since 1988 with the AIDS Pastoral Care Network. She has donated well over 1,000 hours at Michael Reese Medical Center HIV/AIDS Outpatient Clinic in Chicago.
A parishioner from St. Dorothy Parish in Chicago's Chatham neighborhood, Currin is a veteran of the Legion of Mary, a group organized for the purpose of spreading the Catholic faith and assisting the sick and homebound. This experience, she said, made her a ready candidate for assisting in the AIDS ministry.
"We have to grow spiritually ourselves. If we grow spiritually ourselves, then we can reach out more effectively," added Currin. Each Friday morning before she embarks on her trip to the clinic, she prays for guidance. "I always say when I come to the clinic, `Lord, help me say the right thing today."
