You listened to "Plague" but want to hear more? In this bonus episode, host Michael O'loughlin has a conversation with Michael Vazquez, religion and faith director for Human Rights Campaign, about issues affecting LBGT Catholics today .

In the series finale of ‘Plague,’ Mike looks at what’s happening in the church in HIV and AIDS care today and then reflects on comments and questions from listeners about the ongoing debates over LGBT issues in the Catholic Church. In Rustenburg, South Africa, where today AIDS is disproportionately impacting girls and young  women, a Catholic bishop and religious sister promote education and empowerment, and offer a pro-life argument for the use of condoms in HIV and AIDS prevention. Then,...

Do you have feedback on 'Plague,' or a story to share on AIDS and the Catholic Church? Did hearing the stories in this podcast make you think of your own life experiences? If so, we want to hear from you. Send us an email at: [email protected]. Connect with the host Mike O'Loughlin on Twitter at: @MikeOLoughlin. And, if you've enjoyed 'Plague' so far, please consider making a donation to America Media. Without your support this podcast wouldn't have been possible. To support 'Plague'...

Please support "Plague" by getting a digital subscription to America: tap or click here! In the fifth episode of "Plague," Mike visits the small Midwestern city of Belleville, Illinois, where a Catholic Sister broke ground in the 1980s by opening an organization to provide services for people living with HIV and AIDS. Though she was a trained ICU and ER nurse, Sister Carol Baltosiewich had much to learn about the disease before she could help treat it. So she journeyed to New York City with...

Please support "Plague" by getting a digital subscription to America: tap or click here! In the fourth episode of “Plague,” Mike visits a Catholic Church in the Castro–San Francisco’s LGBT neighborhood–that transformed itself during the 80s and 90s into what parishioners called a “gay church.” It took the delicate balance of an innovative pastor, committed gay parishioners, and open-minded old ladies to bring life to the now iconic church. But the parish didn’t just survive. It transformed...

Early in the AIDS epidemic, there was little in the way of medical treatment available. But spiritual guidance and accompaniment was in high demand. Patients had questions similar to those anyone else with a terminal illness might have: Are my affairs in order? Am I reconciled with my loved ones? Am I ready to die?  The third episode of “Plague” tells the story of the AIDS crisis from the perspective of a priest, trying to figure out what he could do to help. Father William Hart McNichols, a...

Please support "Plague" by getting a digital subscription to America: tap or click here! In the second episode of “Plague,” Mike asks: how did a Catholic hospital become a safe haven for the gay community? It turns out, the path wasn’t straightforward. This episode tells the story of St. Vincent's Hospital, run by the Sisters of Charity of New York. Featured voices include Dr. Ramon Torres, the young gay physician hired by the sisters to lead the AIDS clinic; Gerri Wells, an ACT UP protester;...

Please support "Plague" by getting a digital subscription to America: tap or click here! In this episode of "Plague," Michael O'Loughlin tells the story of David Pais, whose journey exemplifies the experience of many gay Catholics who were personally affected by the AIDS epidemic in the early days. He describes the role his faith played helping him cope with his own diagnosis—and his struggle as he walked away from the church in anger.  You can learn more about "Plague" at...

Please support "Plague" by getting a digital subscription to America: tap or click here! In "Plague" journalist Michael O'Loughlin investigates stories of the AIDS epidemic and the Catholic Church. Mike is America’s national correspondent and he’s covered Catholicism for more than a decade. Mike is also gay and Catholic—and he’s curious how others manage this sometimes complex identity. No time in modern history has been more volatile for gay Catholics than the height of the AIDS epidemic. So...