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World aids day is an international day of remembrance, celebrated and observed in over 150 countries around the world. It is about people getting the facts about hiv/aids, getting involved in some way and caring. The day addresses the stigma, discrimination and rejection which person living with hiv/aids face daily. The church is in a unique position to address these issues and offer education, hope and compassion to persons living with the disease and their families. World aids day invites each of us to pray in faith and solidarity with the human family to address all of the limitations and circumstances which can increase peoples’ vulnerability to hiv/aids.

Please remember those living with hiv/aids, their families, loved ones, caregivers, researchers and those millions orphaned by the disease in your prayers.

A suggested petition to include at your daily or weekend masses and in private prayer:

"help us to work to eradicate poverty which exposes millions to hiv and to change the social structures that condemn so many to poverty."
We pray.

Catholic charities hiv/aids liaison to the archdiocese of chicago at (312) 948-6500 or hivaidsservicesministry.org

Did you know that there are over 1 million people in the United States living with HIV? An estimated 15% of them (150,000 persons) DO NOT KNOW that they are infected with HIV. If you do not know if you are infected with HIV, you could be spreading it to others. The only way to know if you have HIV is to get tested.

October 15th marks National Latino HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. HIV is the virus which causes AIDS, and it is hitting Hispanics hard. HIV/AIDS is the fourth leading cause of death among Hispanics ages 35 to 44 in the Chicago land area.

This disease has no cure; there is no vaccine to prevent it, and it will not go away!

KNOW YOUR STATUS…GET TESTED…AND ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO GET TESTED

Free and confidential or anonymous testing is available in a community near you.

To find the nearest site you can:

• Call: (312) 948-6500, CDC Info/National AIDS Hotline
• Call: (800) 232-4636, Catholic Charities
• Visit: hivaidsservicesministry.org

A suggested petition to include at your daily or weekend masses and in private prayer:

"Heal us from the social stigma and discrimination of hiv/aids that leads us to lack of compassion and hurtful acts of isolation"
We pray.

Did you know that an estimated 40,000 new HIV infections occur every year in the U.S.? It is estimated that 15 to 20% of persons living with the virus DO NOT KNOW that they are infected. If you do not know that you are infected with HIV, you could be spreading the virus to others. The only way to know if you are infected is to get tested.

September 18th marks National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day. Although the number of deaths from AIDS is decreasing, the number of new infections and the number of persons living with AIDS are rising. Among the population groups increasingly at risk for HIV infection are those 50 years and older. As these numbers increase, persons living with AIDS will face the daily challenges of living with the disease as well as the daily challenges of aging.

September 27th marks National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show a sharp increase in the number of new infections among young (13-29) gay and bisexual men. Because of persistent and painful homophobia, stigma and discrimination people are afraid to be tested and seek treatment and health care.

Free and confidential or anonymous testing is available in a community near you.

This disease has no cure; there is no vaccine to prevent it, and it will not go away!

KNOW YOUR STATUS…GET TESTED…AND ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO GET TESTED

For more information call: (312) 948-6500 or go to hivaidsservicesministry.org

A suggested petition to include at your daily or weekend masses and in private prayer:

"Compassionate God, bless the millions of children who have been orphaned because of HIV/AIDS"
We pray

While great progress has been made in the prevention and treatment of hiv/aids and in reducing the number of deaths from the disease, we continue to see new infections. Of the 1 ¼ million people in the united states who are hiv+, 15 to 20% of these do not know that they are infected and are potentially spreading the virus to others. It is estimated that nearly 40,000 new hiv infections occur every year in the united states. Complacency about hiv/aids contributes to these numbers.

This month offers an opportunity to bring attention to the need to educate at risk populations in your community about the importance of testing and prevention, and seeking care for those who are hiv+.

KNOW YOUR STATUS…GET TESTED…AND ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO GET TESTED

For more information call: 312-948-6500 or go to hivaidsservicesministry.org

This disease has no cure; there is no vaccine to prevent it, and it will not go away!

A suggested petition to include at your daily or weekend masses and in private prayer:

“gracious god, make us one as we challenge poverty, ignorance and fear, prejudice and discrimination for those living with hiv/aids.” We pray.

June 8th is National Caribbean American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. This disease has devastated the Caribbean, and this population ranks 2nd only to sub-Saharan Africa in the existing number of persons living with AIDS.

June 27th is national HIV Testing Day. There are an estimated 40,000 to 50,000 new HIV infections in the U.S. every year. Some 15 to 20% of those persons living with HIV/AIDS DO NOT KNOW that they are infected with the virus and could be spreading it to others. The only way to know if you have the virus is to be tested. This national day of testing is an opportunity for people nationwide to learn their HIV status.

KNOW YOUR STATUS…GET TESTED…AND ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO GET TESTED

Free and confidential or anonymous testing is available in a community near you. For more information call: 312-948-6500 or go to hivaidsservicesministry.org

A suggested petition to include at the weekend Masses and in private prayer:

God of Hope, make us one as we pray for all caregivers, educators, researchers and those who work to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and to find a cure…We pray.