Village AIDS Memorial

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The Village AIDS Memorial, formally known as the Greenwich Village AIDS Memorial, is a series of 580 engraved plaques located in the choir loft of St. Veronica's Church. Each plaque commemorates the life of a New York resident who died of AIDS. Dedicated in 1992, it is one of the first public memorials to recognize the impact of the AIDS epidemic in New York City. [1] The church's rectory was the location of one of the first AIDS hospice centers in Manhattan when it opened in 1985 but the memorial faced a rocky start due to the church's uncertain relationship with the LGBTQ+ community in the city. [1] [2] [3]

When the church's closure was announced in 2017, the future of the memorial was unknown. [4] [5] By 2022 it moved to St. Francis Xavier church in Chelsea despite St. Veronica's remaining open. [6]

References

  1. 1 2 "Village AIDS Memorial at St. Veronica's Roman Catholic Church". NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project. Retrieved 2022-05-12.
  2. ↑ O'Loughlin, Michael J. (2021-11-30). Hidden Mercy: AIDS, Catholics, and the Untold Stories of Compassion in the Face of Fear. Broadleaf Books. pp. 18–20. ISBN   978-1-5064-6771-9.
  3. ↑ Leahy, Michael (2007-12-18). If You're Thinking of Living In . . .: All About 115 Great Neighborhoods In & Around New York. Crown. p. 22. ISBN   978-0-307-42107-4.
  4. ↑ O’Loughlin, Michael J. (2017-07-28). "Hidden in a New York choir loft, an early AIDS memorial faces an uncertain future". America Magazine. Retrieved 2022-05-12.
  5. ↑ Musbach, Julie (2017-12-20). "Miracle On Christopher Street: Abandoned Church Finds New Life, Brings Together Hundreds Of New York Residents". Broadway World. Retrieved 2022-05-12.
  6. ↑ "Catholic AIDS memorial finds a new home in NYC parish—but not without controversy". 2022-12-01. Retrieved 2025-07-11.


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