Schools support fight against AIDS
'Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise,' was the theme of this year's 2 August School AIDS Day, marked in Catholic schools throughout the Melbourne Archdiocese by student-run liturgies.
At Kilbreda College, Mentone, College Chaplain Fr Peter Matheson conducted a special liturgy in which students read prayers that centred on the need to keep promises. In launching the event, Maria Kirkwood from the Catholic Education Office Melbourne said that poor communities had become even poorer because of HIV/AIDS.
"Reducing vulnerability to HIV/AIDS means developing health care, infrastructure, promoting access to education and increasing [the] availability of information, services and resources, which are all social justice issues," said Ms Kirkwood. "It is only through the promotion of social justice to all that change will come."
Like many issues in our society, HIV/AIDS was an issue for the whole community, continued Ms Kirkwood. "The world needs young people who are educated and empowered about the disease."
Guest speaker Megan Bourke from the Global Education AIDS Project told Kilbreda students there were more than 38 million people with HIV/AIDS in the world. "Countries that have pledged money to fight the disease need to uphold their commitment," she added.
During the liturgy, individuals were given a stone and asked to remember one of God's promises that has "supported them through a particularly difficult time." People were then asked to exchange their stone with another person and after a few moments give it back and say: "Keep the promise."
After the liturgy, a plaque was presented to the Kilbreda College Principal Mary Stack thanking the school for hosting an AIDS Day. Catholic school students were able to donate a gold coin for a red ribbon, with proceeds going to Catholic AIDS Ministry.
Originally published in Kairos Catholic Journal, Volume 18, No 16
