Fr. Irek Dampc OMI is sharing his experience he had in an AIDS Center in the southern part of China.

On the morning of the 10th of August, I felt a bit nervous as I was going to say my first mass in Putonghua (Mandarin). The mass was going well until after the gospel reading when I had to stop. The reason was, one of the patients just died!

Magdalene, this is the baptism name the sisters at the center gave a young 27-year old girl two days earlier. Before the baptism the sisters asked her whether she wanted to be baptized and to be with God. Her answer was yes and she added: “Yes, I want to be with God, but why is he giving me so much pain?

Children from the center

Her parents arrived just after the doctor. They were very emotional. I have never seen a Chinese man crying like the father of that girl. Before the body of Magdalene was taken away, her mother put in the pockets and under the shirt plenty of fake paper money. The mother believed and hoped the money will bring her daughter a better and happier life in the other world.

This all happened at the AIDS Center in Aixiwang, in the southern part of China, where I spent last August. The time spent there was an eye-opening experience and a spiritual journey for me.

Eating together

There are 16 patients in the center: Eleven adults (age from twenty to sixty years old) and five children (the youngest is eighteen months old and the oldest six years old). Some of the adults are also drug addicts.

The center was established four years ago. The original plan was to have it just for adults. However, two years later someone brought a little boy and begged the sisters at the center to accept him. He didn’t know how to take care of the boy with AIDS and the relatives and neighbors were afraid to have anything to do with him. The sisters didn’t have the heart to refuse. Now, there are six children and they are considered blessings from God for the place.

Fr. Irek omi with a girl from the center

All of the patients feel like one family. The adults take care of the children, play with them and teach them. Somehow, it gives them a sense of hope and a lot of joy. It makes them feel the burden they carry is a bit lighter. They feel much better when they see the children playing around with smiles on their faces and hear the voices and the laughter.

Some of the patients because of their illness get tired very quickly. But still, everyone tries to do something useful. Some are taking care of a small garden while some are helping with the cleaning. Most of the patients spend two hours in the morning and two in the afternoon everyday producing beautiful artificial flowers (photo), which they try to sell to make a bit of money to cover the expenses of running the center.

There are four sisters working in the center. Two of them are qualified nurses. Their work and mission is to keep the center going and assists the patients with whatever help they need. Their biggest challenge is to make the patients realize and believe that there is still hope - if not in this world then for sure in the other one.

All the neighbors are aware of the AIDS patients in their area. Although there was no major incident like attacking the center, there is however, a great fear to deal with the patients or even associate with the workers involved at the center. For example, we were going out to the city one day but the taxi driver refused to take us there. Then in the city, we could hear and see people looking at us and saying AIDS people!

Child from the center two days before death

Just a couple of days before I left the center a five-year old boy died. Now I am in Beijing preparing myself for another year of studying Mandarin. However, my heart is still in the center with the patients. I remember talking to them, playing badminton with them and sharing jokes. I recall that we had a good time. But I also remember very well their eyes ― they were eyes without hope. I thought to myself it must be even more difficult for those who have no faith. So, I ask you, please pray for them, pray for the gift of faith for them. God bless you.

Fr. Irek omi