Many of you will know the history of All-Inclusive Ministries, with our spiritual roots in the ‘healing mass’ and the support offered to the (mainly) gay men in the local area who were dying from AIDS.

A History of Support

In the first years, there were not too many churches in the Toronto area offering pastoral support to those facing the harsh realities of this disease, but Our Lady of Lourdes was one of them. From that initial response came the healing mass for those living with HIV.

As someone who is just a visitor to Toronto it has been fascinating hearing something of this history from AIM members – men and women who became involved then and remain involved and connected now. The stories are filled with mixed emotions – deep sadness, gratitude and also some joyful memories as the community came together to support each other and face down this huge and, at first, unquantifiable threat.

Powerful podcast

I was reminded of our own history when listening to Plague, a powerful and emotional podcast produced by America Magazine, which charts the experience of LGBTQ+ Catholics in the early years of AIDS. It is a story of fear and conflict but also love and care, including from many within the Catholic church and its social institutions.

“Plague reminds us that there is hope in even the darkest moments of tragedy and that the people of God closest to the ground can and do take the initiative in helping and comforting the afflicted. It is a reminder that we should all look for ways to make a difference at every level of the church’s life.”

You can listen to the first episode of the podcast here: