AIDS center draws Catholics

Every Friday night, Rev. John Lysogorski travels to the Schenectady Damien Center to lead a spirituality group for those infected or affected by HIV and AIDS. About ten guests listen to a meditation and then talk about the issues in their lives.

Father Lysogorski also developed a transportation program for those wishing to attend the drop-in center's monthly dinners and has witnessed the marriages of several Damien guests.

Often, he celebrates their funerals, as well.

"What can I say?" he said, shrugging off his commitment to the center, which has made its home at Sacred Heart/St. Columba parish for about eight years. "They're my sheep, and I have to care for them."

Catholic action

Father Lysogorski, who works for Catholic Charities' diocesan AIDS Services office, is just one of many Catholics who volunteer their time and talents at the Schenectady Damien Center (and other center sites in Albany and Troy).

While Damien is operated by the ecumenical Schenectady Inner-City Ministry (SICM), a quarter to a third of its guests identify themselves as Roman Catholic, and Catholic volunteers help with everything from summer picnics to Halloween parties.

Damien Center in Schenectady operates three programs: a drop-in "living room," complete with a library of AIDS literature; its monthly dinner program; and the SCITT theater program, in which teens educate one another about HIV and AIDS prevention. Last year, the drop-in program alone served 163 guests.

Catholic presence

Father Lysogorski has been involved with the center since its inception. When he signed up as a volunteer, he remembered, "I went to the Bishop about it. I said we as a Catholic community should not duplicate something someone else is doing, but I wanted to be a Catholic presence there."

His is not the only "Catholic presence." Jean Trombley, a lay volunteer, began collecting personal hygiene items for center guests several years ago with the Altar Rosary Society at her parish, St. Paul the Apostle in Schenectady.

When she dropped off the donations, she casually told someone at the center, "If you need help, give me a call." Today, she and her husband, Ray, are on Damien Center's board of directors. They help with fundraisers for the center, pitch in at monthly dinners, recruit volunteers and even hosted pool parties for guests at their home this summer.

Pitching in

Remembering her and Ray's initial fear at working with persons with AIDS, she now feels that "it's up to God to judge people. We never judge anybody."

Instead, she boasted about "begging" for funds from government grants and individuals, and worried about raising enough money for the handicapped-accessible van the center hopes to buy.

"You should see Ray now!" she added. "He loves the people, and he likes to be there on Friday nights. We have a lot of fun."

Sharing faith

Although religion is not forced on center guests, Mrs. Trombley has had the opportunity to share her faith with Catholics hoping to return to the Church.

"We try to be a role model for them," she explained, recalling a female guest who approached the Trombleys one evening and said, "I see you're pretty devout people. I haven't been to confession in many years."

"Would you like to go?" Mrs. Trombley asked. When the woman said yes, the volunteer introduced her to a priest.

"When she died, she was in the Catholic cemetery," Mrs. Trombley concluded.

Christ's people

For Rev. Michael Hogan, the reason for volunteering at Damien Center is simple: "Persons suffering from HIV have often been marginalized, looked down on. Those are the people Jesus always said that He was most concerned about."

The pastor at both Sacred Heart/St. Columba and St. Joseph's parishes in Schenectady has been interested in AIDS ministry since he served on an area AIDS council in the early days of the epidemic. Since Sacred Heart/St. Columba is a parish of poverty, unable to fund many ministries on its own, he was glad to rent several parish rooms to Damien Center.

"I felt this was fulfilling the Church's concern for persons with HIV," he stated, noting that "we're not just a landlord" to the center.

As a board member for Damien Center, Father Hogan also helps to find government grants to support its work, plans programs and debates expansion. He has counseled guests and tries to be in the parish rectory when the center is open in case anyone wants to talk.

The priest said Damien Center's presence in his parish is one of many ministries there -- from Masses in Spanish to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings at the church -- that reach out to those most in need.

Drawn by Spirit

Potential volunteers for the center may be a bit nervous about working with HIV- and AIDS-infected guests. If that's the case, said Mrs. Trombley, "we try to alleviate their fears. You can't catch AIDS by just talking to people."

However, Father Lysogorski cautioned that AIDS ministry "is not for everyone. You have to be drawn by the Spirit to do it."

Those who do add their efforts to keep the center going, he said, will find that "we provide a space of hospitality. They care for each other. It's like a family."

(Schenectady Damien Center can be reached at 374-0848 or through SICM at 374-8215.)

(10-15-98) [[In-content Ad]]