Village AIDS Memorial

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]

References

1. "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.

External links

• Official website