“I never knew God really loved me.”
    “I had lost all hope and lost my love for God, until this weekend.”
    “For the first time, I feel no different than everybody else, because Jesus loves me just the same — and maybe more — because of my wounds.”

    SAN ANTONIO • The above testimonials of area men and women who have participated in an ACTS HIV Ministry retreat give ample proof of the powerful service this relatively new ministry has been performing since its inception in 2000.
    The first retreat directed towards meeting the spiritual needs of persons infected or affected by HIV/AIDS took place in 2001. Initiated by Father Mike Horan and under the auspices of the ACTS Missions, it was an attempt to fill a void that had arisen from the lack of acceptance by many Christian communities towards persons with HIV and AIDS.

     It was the hope of this new ministry to provide a way for these men and women to grow closer to Christ, offering opportunities to renew their spiritual lives, strengthen their faith and build friendships and community.
    The ACTS HIV Ministry Core, a 14-member board, was formed in 2002 to carry on the mission as an independent ministry, with the goal of administering the retreats and further developing outreach. The retreats are held twice yearly, usually at the St. Anthony Retreat Center, and draw around 30 participants. Mini retreats are also held two or three times throughout the year.
    In 2003, a prayer group was also inaugurated by the ministry and, in 2004, this was expanded into a monthly Mass for the ACTS HIV community, held the third Sunday of every month at the Marian Mission Hall at Oblate School of Theology.

     Central to the ministry, however, are the retreats, which provide a safe haven for participants to talk openly about the virus and its effect on their lives and spiritual journeys in the presence of others who can offer empathy, compassion and understanding. The positive emotional and psychological effects of these retreats have been known to lead to health improvement as well, in addition to the tremendous spiritual benefits.
    An annual fund-raiser helps finance these retreats, since around 95 percent of participants require the assistance of ministry-provided scholarships. Many are under severe financial constraints due the expensive medications required for treatment of HIV and AIDS. Even with insurance, the co-pay can be quite high.
    “Our main goal,” said ministry board member Cid Vargas, “is to always have enough money for those scholarships.” Over 170 men and women have attended the retreats since their inception, with the next scheduled to take place Sept. 22 – 25.

     This year’s fund-raiser, dubbed “ACTS-travaganza,” a Spanish New Orleans-themed Casino Night and Sangria Taste-Off, will take place at St. Luke Parish Center, 4603 Manitou, on Saturday, Oct. 1, from 6:30 to 11 p.m. On tap will be a silent auction, live auction, door prizes, casino prizes, dancing to DJ-provided music, and a brisket and trimmings buffet dinner.
    Throughout the evening, attendees will be able to sample and judge a variety of sangria recipes from local groups, with the winning booth receiving a trophy. Sponsorships for these booths are available at no charge, other than the requirement to supply the sangria. Winner of the best decorated booth will also receive a prize. The 25 casino tables can be sponsored for $350 each, with sponsors being provided a sign displaying their business name.
    Admission to the event itself is $40 per person or $75 per couple, with tickets available through St. Luke parish office or the ACTS HIV Ministry. Ticket requests through the latter can be directed to: HIV AIDS Ministry, P.O. Box 100535, San Antonio, Texas 78201. (Attendance is restricted to adults over the age of 21.)

     For more information regarding the event, sponsoring a table or booth, or providing donations for the silent auction, contact fund-raiser co-chair Sue Hoagland at (210) 690-6391 or send an e-mail to
actstravaganza@actshivorg. Event chairman is Juan Canedo, with Bianca Valenzuela, news reporter for KSAT-12 television, serving as honorary chairperson.
    Additional information on the HIV AIDS Ministry, its retreats and the “ACTS-travaganza” may be obtained through the ministry’s Web site, www.actshiv.org.
    It is the local HIV AIDS Ministry’s hope to eventually bring this ministry to other cities. “That’s our ultimate goal,” said Vargas, “to be able to take it to other cities. There’s quite a large HIV community all over Texas and the United States.”
    In fact, Texas ranks fourth in the nation for number of AIDS cases.

     According to the most recently released report by the Department of Health and Human Services/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 3,379 new AIDS cases reported in Texas in 2003, with the cumulative number of cases through 2003 being 62,983.
    At the end of that year, an estimated 1,039,000 to 1,185,000 persons in the United States were living with HIV/AIDS, with 24-27 percent undiagnosed and unaware of their HIV infection. Globally, last year nearly 40 million people were estimated to be living with HIV.
    With the end of the AIDS pandemic not in sight, ministering to the spiritual needs of those affected by it will continue to be something to which the church is called.