Catholic Charities continues as leader in AIDS ministry

By RENEE WEBB, Globe editor
Nov. 22, 2007

Throughout the world, the Catholic Church has been a leader in ministry to persons with HIV and AIDS.

Last year, Pope Benedict XVI made a special appeal at the end of his Nov. 26 Angelus at St. Peter's Square to mark the approaching Dec. 1 World AIDS Day. The pope said he hoped the day would promote a greater sense of "responsibility in curing the disease as well as in the commitment to avoid all discrimination against those who have been hit" by the virus that causes the disease.

In a separate address, Pope Benedict called for all people struggling with infectious diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, to be treated with love and respect.

The church right here in the Diocese of Sioux City - through the work of Catholic Charities - has also been a leader in AIDS ministry and that started early on. For 20 years now the agency has been involved in counseling persons who are impacted by AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) and HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) - persons who are infected and their families.

Audra Cole, clinical director at Catholic Charities, pointed out that the agency started the Siouxland AIDS Coalition in the late 1980s. Today, much of the work of the coalition is centered on education. The coalition will host a World AIDS Day Celebration at 6:30 p.m., Dec. 1 at the Castle on the Hill Auditorium in Sioux City. The gathering will include a skit, music, poetry and an update about AIDS in Africa.

According to Cole, Catholic Charities became involved in this work after Dr. Gene Herbeck, an epidemiologist at St. Luke's Regional Medical Center in Sioux City, contacted her in 1987. He had received a call from a colleague in Des Moines and learned that people from Sioux City were going to Des Moines for treatment and counseling because nothing was offered here.

Cole and Catholic Charities were called upon to help with the "psychological, social, emotional and spiritual components of dealing with a life-threatening disease. It was a terminal illness in the 80s."

She met with priests and ministers of other faiths to inform them of the disease and seek their assistance.

"I told them that this would be evolving in our community and we wanted to be prepared. I asked who would like to be a referral for this and then we provided education," said Cole. "It's not just ministering to someone with a terminal illness - all ministers have had that experience, but there's a uniqueness to this AIDS situation because there is so much baggage attached. It is unfortunate."

Individuals with the disease were continually facing judgment by others, she said. The judgment came from members of the community and oftentimes even family members.

"Part of the shunning was fear. People were scared," said Cole, who added that some of the fear came from misinformation as to how the disease was spread.

In the 80s, she noted, the majority that she dealt with were coming back to Sioux City to die.

At that time, the medical community hadn't even identified the virus (HIV) that caused the disease, which attacked the immune system.

"Once they identified the virus, they developed medicines - anti-viral medications to combat that virus and stop it from replicating," said Cole. "The more success they have had in that area - then it moved from where it was considered a terminal illness to chronic."

While people may live with this chronic condition, it's no picnic. They must take expensive medication with many side effects and the stigma of the disease remains.

"They live with a big burden," she said. "These are people that are facing a serious chronic disease and we would like for people to relate to them from that point of view, not in judgment of how they got it. When our brothers and sisters are hurting and they come for help, they should be given the compassion and dignity to help them through the emotional, psychological and spiritual burden without judgment."

By 1988, after working with patients and family members on a case-by-case basis, Cole started a support group at Catholic Charities. Her work with the AIDS ministry expanded in the mid-1990s, when she started another support group and offered counseling services to those infected and their families at the Community Health Center.

Along with counseling and support services, Cole's work with the Siouxland AIDS Coalition remains important as misinformation continues about HIV/AIDS. Even though the disease has been around for more than 20 years, some are still not aware that it is transmitted through blood, semen and breast milk. The HIV virus cannot be passed by hugging, telephones, toilet seats or mosquitoes.

"HIV/AIDS is alive and well and it's in this community. It is in every community," she stressed. "Fortunately, because of advancement of science, people are able to stabilize and maintain work."

Because there is medicine, Cole mentioned that some people no longer have the same level of fear in catching the disease and thus partake in risky behavior.

Those who have casual sex and/or are IV drug users remain at greatest risk for infection.

"Many people are living with HIV and they do not know they have it," she said. "They can carry it for years and be a spreader. Some will come down with major symptoms very soon and others will not." In 2003, the Siouxland & Local Area AIDS Project presented Cole with a humanitarian award. She was the first recipient of the honor that is now known as the Audra Cole Humanitarian Award.

Through the years, Cole has urged priests to speak about this disease - like the pope has done - in a compassionate way so that persons who are infected by HIV/AIDS know they can approach they have a place to turn. The fast-approaching World AIDS Day may provide the occasion to do so.