BRIEFLY : Religion: Chapel With AIDS Focus

St. Victor’s Catholic Church will dedicate a chapel next Sunday in memory of those who have died of AIDS.

Bishop Stephen Blaire will be the principal celebrant at a special Mass for those who have AIDS and are HIV-positive as well as their families, friends and care-givers. Music will be performed by the St. Victor’s choir. The Mass, which is open to all, will be at 8634 Holloway Drive in West Hollywood.

The chapel houses statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Therese of Liseux, a 19th-Century nun who died of tuberculosis and is considered a patron saint of those with AIDS. A book will be placed on the chapel altar containing the names of those who have died of AIDS. “It is an ancient Catholic custom to pray for the dead,” explained Msgr. George Parnassus, pastor of St. Victor’s. “We remember our beloved dead because we believe they are not far from us, and that our relationship with them does not stop at death.”